Rising to the Occasion

I've said it one hundred times, I will say it one hundred more... you can lead a horse to water, but you can't teach him to bake bread! Okay, well, maybe that isn't how the saying goes- but that is how it works for me. There have been two amazing women in my life who have tried and tried again to teach me to bake bread. I'm convinced and NO one will be able to convince me otherwise, you are either a natural born bread baker or you are not. I am not.

I've baked French baguettes that resemble stones from another century, dinner rolls that could double for paper weights, and deep dish pizza dough that I panned off as the most amazing flat bread that any one person could imagine. So when the crazy thought of making Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls with an Orange Marmalade filling crossed my mind this morning- I knew it either had to be the start of the Christmas season or I had lost what I have left of my mind... It was determined it was a bit of both.

As of now, this is where the process is at... resting, covered, and in a warm location anxiously waiting to see if it will rise to the occasion. There are many minutes to wait, but as any nervous creator can be, I'm holding my breath. If it doesn't turn out, you'll know. Since the photo makes it look like a covered potato, I will swear I was steaming an extra large baking potato for a special salad or dinner recipe. I always have a back up plan when I'm attempting to bake bread or a brick... it may turn out either way!