Still There?

Hello again... remember me?  I'm your friendly neighborhood blogger who is absolutely delinquent when it actually comes to blogging.  Turns out that maintaining a blog while keeping up with life is quite the challenge.  You read it here first: I pledge to rise to the challenge and not back down... I will catch up on my blogging even if it kills me.  (How's that for a touch of drama in your day?)
Anyway... moving on.  I have been quite the busy bee lately.  I shot some wonderfully tasty food for a fantastic organization,  The Stop Community Food Centre.  I'm just about done organizing the images, so look for those, and more on The Stop this week.  Last week was a great one for baked goods!  I made a variety of items that were, in some cases shockingly successful (I'll fill you in on those as the week goes on).  Now for some easy monday morning reading.  Sit back and enjoy as I walk you through last week's baking class.  On Monday, we learned how to make soft rolls.  The rolls start off with the most pillow-y, delicate dough that almost feels as if it's breathing when you gently kneed it.  Heaven!  I found making the actual dough quite simple, but forming the rolls was a whole other ball game.  Once the dough is mixed, proofed and cut into even pieces, you must, with brute strength and a delicate touch, begin rapidly moving the the dough in a circular motion between the counter top and the palm of your hand.  Once you figure out just the right amount of pressure needed, the balls form quite quickly.  You can feel the instant that they come together, almost magically, under the palm of your hand.  Forming rolls is a tiring exercise but well worth the exertion.  Even the chef was wincing by the end of her batch.  Although, she was double fisting them and gave a performance worthy of the Harlem Globe Trotters...impressive.  My roll making class yielded one loaf of cheesy monkey bread, one small braided cheese loaf and about eighteen small rolls, some knotted and some left round.  My topping of choice - salt and chili flakes.  Yum.