Raspberry Chocolate Sweet Rolls - oh. yes. I. did.

It's raspberry season here in the lower mainland and I managed to get my hands on 75 pounds of raspberries.  A little over the top, but, that's how I roll. Go big or go home.  I don't fool around.

And these rolls. Oh. My. Sweet. Lawrd.  They were gone so fast, and now I miss them.  I really really miss them.

I took the Pioneer Woman's Sweet Roll Recipe and added raspberries and chocolate chips and then glazed them. baby baby baby.

It goes a little something like this...

Ingredients

• 1 quart Whole Milk
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
• 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
• Plenty Of Butter (PW says to melt it, I say don't... just spread it... less messy... it will melt when you bake them)
• 2 cups Sugar (i used white for these rolls)
• Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon (I left this out... pairing cinnamon with raspberries and chocolate is NOT my thing)
• Glaze: (I actually think this will make too much...)
• 1 bag Powdered Sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/4 cup melted Butter
• a couple sprinkles of  Salt

Preparation Instructions

Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it - overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 350 degrees until light golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. (modified from PW's instructions to bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes)
For the glaze, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don't skimp on the frosting.

Almost Packed.

In so many ways I feel like I've been packing for this journey for a long time.  Without even knowing it I've been storing bits of information and growing enormous amounts of passion for a trip I now hope will start very soon.  Being a midwife almost seems like who I already am. Who I've been created to be. Who I've been preparing to be for such a long time.
In high-school, it was the one profession that I really desired, though knew I could not be and would not be qualified at the age of 19 to even be considered acceptance into a program, I dismissed it.  In the last 5 years since earning a Bachelors Degree, a Masters Degree, having a much loved career as an Outdoor Leadership Instructor, since birthing 4 of my own beautiful children and since reflecting again and again on what the next chapter of my life will be, I've mulled a few professions over in my mind.  A few of the thoughts that I've had in the last 5 years include the following:
If I could do it all again, I'd likely come out of high-school and tell myself to become a doctor.

I would absolutely love to become a fitness instructor.  Who wouldn't want to be paid to workout?

I really miss my old job, the students, particularly the young women who were a part of my life.

I think I should maybe pursue being a paramedic. I thrive in crises.

I researched each and every possible pregnancy scenario imaginable, and prepared myself for them all.

I'd love to have a catering company... or bake pies all day... especially on Mondays.

I want to be a landscaper/gardener.... but only on the sunny days. I've planted enough trees in the rain to really really... really hate it. (a rough estimate would be close to 500,000... ok maybe not all of them were in the rain.... but to be sure. I've planted enough effing trees.) umm. nevermind.

Let me hear your birthing story again.

I should be a counselor.  I love working with people one on one.

I'm going to be a personal trainer. I love working with people one on one.

I LOVE my midwives.   I wonder if I could be a midwife? Think of it, it's like a fitness instructor, counselor (I use the term incredibly loosely... to my counselor friends especially!), nutritionalist (again, loose), care giver, & coach.  I'd work with women one on one, giving physical & emotional support throughout pregnancy, delivery and after the birth of babies. It's like a mix of all of the above!!! kinda.  Ok, it has nothing to do with baking pies. But I'll still push those.

I met with my midwife Kim Campbell who owns and operates Valley Midwifery in Abbotsford. She is also an instructor in the Midwifery program at UBC... I didn't actually ask her, but maybe she can influence the decision to get me accepted!?  She sat down with me over coffee for a good 2 hours.  She inspired me, prepped me and encouraged me to pursue becoming a midwife.  I couldn't think of something I want to do more.... of something that fits me better.  I figure if she thought I wasn't a fit at all, she wouldn't have completely wasted her afternoon with me.  Dave is more than incredibly supportive as well.   In many ways, my bags are about packed, I'm ready to step out, take doula courses, get my transcripts in, volunteer at some births, and start this journey of becoming a midwife. I expect I will have to apply for a few years, refine & add experiences to my curriculum vitae a number of times before I actually get in.  Competition is fierce.  10 applicants (of 250+) a year make it.... but then, if I were to compete against my 19 year old self, I'd shamelessly kick my own ass.  Here's to packing up some more stuff so that I can get one of those spots.

I won't Jack, I won't... Seems like my life-long motto as well.

Wedding at the Vegt's

 I won't post much text about this.... enjoy the pictures. We had a lovely time.  In our minds this is why we live here... to share it, and though in our heads this space isn't quite ready (we'd love to beautify & flatten out parts of the yard)... we can't wait until we feel it's ready to share it or it might never happen.