Sister Anna's Bakery

We all have talents and some are hidden and don't come out till later in life and some don't come out till you live with fewer Sisters and you end up trying things because there is no other Sister to do it and some times talents come out because of an invitation to help.

I think the above describes Sr. Anna and her "little bakery" she is developing in our convent. With her willing spirit and love to be in the kitchen she is becoming known for her baking and love to do it.

For Thanksgiving we were invited to a parishioner's home and we volunteered to bring the dessert. I made the pumpkin pie and I bought my pie crust. I also bought a frozen mincemeat pie, my favorite holiday pie. Sr. Anna made the apple pies. She had never made an apple pie before or pie crust. She scoped out the internet and found a recipe for homemade crust and the best apple to use for a pie, which is the granny smith. As you guessed, the crust was perfect and so were the granny smiths that filled the crust.

Sister Anna had her bakery open all of Thanksgiving vacation. Being very skilled with using yeast in her baking  that led to her making caramel and cinnamon rolls for donut Sunday at our parish for the Feast of Christ the King.  It all began with.......the pastor, Fr. Ariel Lustan.

I meet with the pastor weekly on Tuesdays. After I went through my list Fr. Ariel asked me if I would help to revive the parish's donut ministry by having my school parents help out some Sundays. I said I could do it on SOS weekend when my students do the 2nd collection at each Mass. Then Fr. Ariel said he really loved the cinnamon roll that his former parish made and sold. In thinking what this roll looked like and where to find it I said, Sr. Anna loves to bake and makes caramel rolls. So he asked if she would make the rolls. She made some samples one weekend for the pastor and he loved them. Our school secretary volunteered to help Sr. Anna out and agreed to make some also. The date was set for the Feast of Christ the King, the Sunday after Thanksgiving this year.

Sr. Anna began Saturday morning with her baking of caramel and cinnamon rolls.  The convent kitchen was busy most of the day.

Sunday morning before the 7:30am Mass, Sr. Anna and I loaded the car with pans and pans of caramel and cinnamon rolls. We set it up in the hall, made the coffee and juice and we were ready for the first crowd after Mass.

For the 9:30am Mass with families, we moved the rolls to the outside and they all disappeared in no time.

On Tuesday, a parishioner came to school and donated Sr. Anna a bread machine  and told her the first loaf would be theirs.  Sr. Anna has truly established herself as a great baker at Our Lady of the Mountains Parish in Sierra Vista.  Just think what Christmas goodies she will be baking soon!