Even though I have returned to the theme park to bake all manner of delightful pastries for the guests for the summer, all manner of to-dos still beckon to me on the farm.
For instance, it is seedling season. I have baby plants everywhere! And by everywhere, I mean all over the place. There are an uncountable number of calendula and hyssop sprouts that need to be moved, many of them in my gravel area in the rose garden. The other day I moved thirty of them out to the flower garden, as this year I have big plans in the harvest and drying department regarding the calendula.
Another flower that I am growing a ton of is strawflowers. I was really pleased with both their production and the final product last year, so I saved a ton of seed. This year I have some big plans with them as well, so I am doing an entire row of strawflowers out in the flower garden. I started a tray of about three hundred seeds, and so far I have potted on a couple hundred of the little sprouts with about one hundred or so to go. (That will probably be my first chore as soon as I am done with this blog missive).
One thing that I can count on when I return to baking at the park is some longing faces when I talk to the fam about what I craft during work. In order to alleviate the communal sads a bit, I often will bake something just for the fam, because you know, I adore them and stuff.
So this morning when I woke up, I whipped up a batch of cinnamon rolls.
Anyone who's ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch knows they are a touch on the time consuming side, but after baking them in large quantities all week, well, it was quite enjoyable just making one small batch for the fam to enjoy.
After proofing the yeast, beating the dough in my trusty Kitchen Aid mixer, proofing it, rolling it out, filling it, rolling it up, slicing it, proofing it again, baking it, and finally glazing it, I sat down for a cup of coffee. My face melted into a smile of contentment as the hubs made all sorts of appreciative noises as I handed him a fresh from the oven, glazed cinnamon roll.
Sometimes I get a bit morose still when I make such things of yum yet I cannot eat them anymore, but there's just something so awesome about serving food you crafted to those you love.
And on that note I better get off of my flintlocks and head out to get some work done, I've got rhubarb to harvest, carrots to seed, sunflowers to plant, weeding to do, and yes, some strawflower seedlings to pot on.
It's always happening on the homestead!