Time to Make the Donuts...

I experienced chaos on a whole new level last week. A friend of mine who also serves in YW with me, got sick. She was slated to do a cinnamon roll fundraiser to help the girls raise money to go to Girls Camp. I told her I would cover her. Let me just say, the words that came out of my mouth during the course of this fundraiser took away any blessings I could have received for filling in. We are starting to laugh about it now though... thus I finally am sitting down to blog about it.

Monday
The YW head over to my house after school and start making batches of dough. The girls had pre-sold 175 dozen pans of cinnamon rolls. I had rented a big freezer and the girls were going to make the dough on Monday and Tuesday and freeze it for the end of the week. The girls were great. I had 5 different stations set up and the girls went to town. They completed 100 batches on Monday night! Awesome!

So around 9:30 PM that night, as I am just crawling into bed, I decide I should check on the dough before I go to bed. I was too freaked out by what I saw to even think of taking a picture, so imagine with me if you will..

Setting: Garage
I turn on the light and round the corner to see the large deep freeze popped open with dough oozing out of it! Down the sides, growing, moving. The Ziploc bags had burst and the yeast kept expanding! Dough was EVERYWHERE! I scream for Britton... who comes running! The girls made so much dough that the freezer couldn't keep up with the freezing, the yeast kept growing, and disaster was everywhere! I was so physically exhausted (yes, 6 months pregnant did play a role here) that the tears I wanted to shed couldn't even come.

SO... we scrap the dough that is oozing and focus on saving the dough that is down below. We rebag and punch down and Britton heads to Circle K to get enough ice to "ice" the dough through the night. We are up for 3 more hours "icing" and rebagging the dough. Britton is so nervous (not sure if for the dough or to see me fall apart) he sets his alarm every 2 hours after that to check on the dough. We make it through the night.

Tuesday
I now have approximately 75 batches of dough that has to be rolled out immediately and baked as the freezer never took it to a hard state. As the YW are now obviously in school, I start calling the YW leaders to see who can clear their day and come over. I had a hard time reaching many, and most had commitments with doctors, work, etc.-- so then went to my family. I called them ALL.

Here's my conversation:
Me: "What are you doing?"
(They list their daily to-do's...)
Me: "Great. Do you think you could drop all of that it and come over! I have serious troubles!"

And they ALL did. My aunt, cousins and mom were over in 30 minutes, with rolling pins in hand and rolled out 75 dozen pans. My ovens were in constant use and the smell, which once smelled so heavenly, now makes my stomach turn. I OWE big time!! I have never had such a sense of relief than when I saw them file in, rolling up their sleeves, and saving the dough!

Tuesday Afternoon
The YW head over again after school and make the frosting and frost the 75 completed pans. Those pans were happily delivered!

Wednesday...ALL day
Make more dough, roll out, bake, frost... and by evening... nearly all 175 pans were complete and ready for delivery! The YW split up and delivered the remaining pans, collected money, and all shared cinnamon rolls and milk for an evening topper.

Thursday
Just 4 dozen to make and frost... easy peasy!

Friday
The last 4 dozen to make and frost... woo hoo!


Life lessons learned this week:
1. Don't sell cinnamon rolls for a fundraiser.
2. Don't try and deep freeze too much at one time.
3. My Family... Priceless.