Friday, February 26, 2010

Sticky Buns and Stinkin' Students

As it turns out, my students are the willing, eager to please sort. They're working hard and they're confident in my ability help them improve their writing. Though I'm asking them to challenge themselves, they come in each day with smiles on their faces, knowing they are well on their way.


If you believed that, then you've probably already gotten what you came here for. However, if you, like me, had a rough work week, then stick around. You're in good company.


When I had my fill on Thursday, I turned to baking for consolation. And you can tell my need for release was serious, because I turned allll the way to yeast.

My strategy for relieving student-induced stress: Cinnamon Buns with Peach & Pecan.


I followed the Neely's recipe for Nana's Cinnamon Rolls and made a few changes.
- diced dried peaches instead of raisins
- 2.5 cups whole wheat flour & 2.5 cups of AP flour (instead of 5 cups AP)
- shake of ground clove in the filling (I wanted to complement the peaches, but I don't know that it was perceptible. Next time I'll add more.)


And... really... they were pretty good. The peach bits were great to bite into. But... I didn't make these buns to eat them, so I just had a bit of one before I wrapped them all up to share with friends tomorrow night.

I made these buns primarily so that I could focus my energy on a series of tasks and emerge a few hours later with a student sticky bun who that wouldn't yell at me.

Sigh. Ah well. Tomorrow's a new, four-class day. : )

Tell me, what do you do to get over work frustrations?

13 comments:

a quarrel on kalakaua said...

i hate teaching.

i mean i don't.

but.

fuckkkk. it's a draft comments week, and my students have taken to messaging me on facebook with questions.

ew..

also.

omg you took my pecan advice. why am i not a blog star yet?

Amanda said...

Hahaha... I have so many things to say in response to your comment, Mark.

1. You just blew my PG-13 rating.
2. Why would you ever EVER friend your students on Facebook or any other social network?!
3. Your pecan "advice" arrived an hour after I made my decision and pulverized the pecans. Snooze you lose, blogstar.

Amanda said...

Oh... also, thanks for delurking! Your comment made me lol in it's perfect Markness. <3

Eva said...

I feel your pain. Not with teaching but getting home from a long day. Baking is always good. I periodically try to convince myself working out will help but it usually doesn't. Eating cake, ice cream or something along those lines for dinner helps.

Eva said...

I feel your pain. Not with teaching but getting home from a long day. Baking is always good. I periodically try to convince myself working out will help but it usually doesn't. Eating cake, ice cream or something along those lines for dinner helps.

Evan said...

There's a nice symbiosis going on here. You've taken to baking to relieve stress and I've taken to reading about you baking (during class) to relieve stress.

Amanda said...

And now the circle is complete, Evan. I was just cheered by your comment when I angstily (don't challenge) checked my email between labs.

Me!: There isn't much that can't be fixed with the proper diet. Your comment reminded me that it's been far too long since I had a piece of grocery store birthday cake and a scoop of chocolate ice cream for breakfast.

Amber said...

Amanda:
Today my Little Sister (I'm a mentor in the school system) had to sit in ISS because she cheated on a math test. She cheated on the math test because she didn't do her homework. Who knows why she didn't do her homework, because when we went to do it today, she was a long division rockstar.
Ugh.
I'll take one of those cinnamon buns.

A Slice of Concentrated Love said...

I bake to relieve stress too but funny thing is, is that I'm a professional baker so if I stress out over that baking I come home and chill out to my own baking.

Ash said...

I hear ya! When stress falls I tend to dive into baking too, or go for wii boxing and pretend my opponent is the stressie... it can get pretty intense. haha

Those cinnamon buns look fantastic!!

A Canadian Foodie said...

You remind me of myself - oh, so many years ago - and your teaching friends... of mine, then. What a blast your site is. I taught English for - OH, 28 years... and, then the Foods teacher left. This is a true story. SO, I am in my second year of teaching foods. I had a good cry after making the decision, believing I had lost my head - because there is such a gold mine in there, and because I was a really good reading and writing teacher (middle school, for the most part)... and then I started my foods program. OMG! we are rockin' and rollin' in my classroom. What a blast to teach these kids how to cook delicious, nutritious and economical meals. I am also writing about it - just this term... have barely scratched the surface, on one of the pages on my website. I am keeping my eye on you, little sister!
XO
Valerie

Lot-O-Choc said...

oooh wow these sicky buns look goood!

Eva said...

you really should do the tiramisu for DB. some of the others, eh, probably not worth it but at least making the mascarpone... mmmm time to get some more of that.