Preparing for Cinnamon Roll Burnout

Was able to get a few things done today that I had been putting off, finishing a crochet hat order was among them. Felt so great to be done, now I no longer feel any guilt when I pick up the knitting needles to practice my knit stitch. But before I could pick up those needles, even before I actually finished the hat I needed to get a handle on something else, give a little practice run to something that I needed to perfect again.
Yep it's that time of year again. The time when I become tired of cinnamon rolls. Who would have thought that could even be possible. (I've never asked a Cinnabon employee but I'm sure it's possible somewhere in their universe.)
The end of January it is my job as a member of this family to make a minimum of four batches of cinnamon rolls and upwards of 6 batches.
See, every January the small family business conducts the annual spawning of the trout fish that we raise. In order to get this done Mt. Hood Community College has students in a fisheries class come to The Ranch and do all of the spawning of the fish for us as part of their educational process, a working field trip of sorts.
Students. Students of every age. Students and instructors that stand outside, some with waders on, and net fish out of a cold pond to spawn. There is a lot of water involved and sometimes the weather conditions of the day are really less than ideal. That is where we come in. After arrival and before they are sent out in the cold wet conditions they are served hot beverages or milk and warm cinnamon rolls. Someone needs to make those rolls. For years my mother in law was the cinnamon roll maker in the family. She slaved over batch after batch of those puppies. All made from scratch. Several years back, when she took over running the main operation I took over the duties of making the cinnamon rolls and...I cheat. Oh do I cheat. Huge bowls of bread dough were kneaded by my mother in law's hands. Hours of mixing and kneading and rolling and rising and baking. Me? Ok, it's a minor cheat but it saves me a lot of time. I use my KitchenAid mixer. And although this is much more efficient and helps immensely I still feel like a cheater. But I digress.
The last few times I've made cinnamon rolls I've felt they are anything but stellar. I still got compliments but I just felt that they weren't quite up to a level that I deemed a great quality. And the batches that I made within the last few months...flops (which my dad confirmed, and I consider him a good judge in the baked goods department). I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong. And really it doesn't matter. I think I have it figured out, but I've also switched up recipes. And I can say at this point I'm so glad that I did. (Over kneading btw, that's what the problem was...oh and adding too much flour.)

Kept my eyes on the prize with this one and wasn't disappointed at all. No frosting, just a gooey caramel like coating on the bottom of the pan. Let's just say after delivering some to my parents (to get my dads approval) and the three of us diving in there's not much left. These are Fran's Cinnamon Rolls and they are so good.
Tomorrow's blog post: How To Dust Off Your Treadmill

My Hump Day

Production. I have tried to be productive. In my round about, stall until your eyes twitch, put off until whatever you've put off grows another life form on it's back kind of way. I'm slowly making progress on some crochet orders that I need to have in the mail by this Friday and I've picked my way slowly through my practice knitting. The knit stitch, that is all thank you very much. I've learned from past experience that if I don't learn knitting step by baby step and learn each thing precisely I'm bound to give up within a few days. Tonight's schedule, more practice of the knit stitch. This I shall conquer!

Over the weekend we were able to go for those walks that we had been longing to get out and take. Wow, the fresh air was so...well refreshing in a word. It was great to be outside for an extended period of time doing something other than chores. The first walk was on Saturday and it involved me being lead to within 25 feet of a very large bull elk. (By large I mean a 4-5 point, which my husband likes to point out that since he wasn't witness it must have been a spike.) Now that was breath-taking! We'd seen sign that there were some hanging around on the property, and I'd come across one last year while riding the quad with my son and nephew but this was something else entirely. Husband and son had fallen  back, trimming branches on the trail while the dog and I moved on. She caught a scent and I started following her, talking to her and encouraging her tracking (which isn't what I normally do too much but I just had a feeling) and sure enough the next thing I know an bull elk stands up in the trees, whirls around and runs off through the woods. Spectacular! Why no photo you say? Of course it's one of the times that I just couldn't be bothered to bring my camera. Figures.

A busy week that feels like it's creeping by. I could have sworn when I got up this morning that today is Thursday. What? What's that you say? It's Wednesday? Hump Day? Nooo, it can't be. Can you tell I'm ready for this week to end? I really am not sure why either. Just looking forward to the weekend I suppose.

Our weather warmed up and we had an unseasonably warm spell the last few days. In the low 50's and pouring rain. Now? Well, right now our son is out playing in the snow by yard and porch light while I make dinner and we wait for his dad to get home. Nice! Woke up to it being 50 degrees this morning to it hovering around 33 this afternoon. I love it. Don't get it nearly enough nor long enough.

Dinner, well nothing exciting to see here folks, move along. But dessert? Well, to redeem myself over a dinner that fails miserably in the spectacular department I decided that a little taste of summer was in order. You know, to celebrate the snow falling. Peach Crisp. Mmmm it smells so incredible in here right now. The other option would have been blackberry pie, let's just say I'm hoping for another snow fall soon.

(As a side note this is the worst dessert photo ever in the history of photo's. But, I know that the first bite will console me and by the time I'm done licking my plate washing this dish I won't even be able to recall why I took the photo in the first place.)