Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Donut Recipe


First off I'm not a pro at cooking, I really really really just fly by the seat of my pants. I usually do lots of research online first, find a bunch of different recipes and then I wing it, lol. so the recipe below is going to be written as if I was talking to you, if you have questions feel free to ask in the comments.
The whole idea for these started when my god-mother mentioned that when her nieces and nephews were young they couldn't afford to go and buy donuts (my aunt had 10 KIDS!), that they would make their own. so this intrigued me. I asked how they used to make them. She said it was easy, they'd take canned biscuits, and deep fry them and then put powdered sugar or cinnamon on them. Well that shot down my hopes of making them at first because we don't buy canned biscuits. The reason we don't buy them is I don't buy ANYTHING that has partially hydrogenated oil in it, and every kind of canned biscuit I've found has that. But then I got to thinking (dangerous I know) and I decided why the heck don't I make home made biscuits and do the same thing!
so I use Bisquick Heart Smart (because the regular one has the evil oil in it, that crap is in so much! not going to get into that now though, lol).
and this is what you do
you take
2 cups Bisquick
3/4 cup milk (or 2/3 cup water)

Stir milk into Bisquick. Beat dough hard for 30 seconds to make it tighten up enough to handle. Turn dough on well-floured, cloth covered board. Pat, round it up and fold over 3 times. Roll out lightly with rolling pin, 1/2 to 1 inch thick, depending on how thick you want the biscuits.

now here is where you get out your fancy biscuit cutter (what you don't have one of those? then do what I do and take a drinking glass and use that, lol) and you cut out as many biscuits as you can with that. (you can either rework the dough from around the circles you just cut or leave it in strips and cook them the same way we'll make the donuts). Now how do you cut the hole out of the middle? well I'll tell you what I did. DON'T laugh...lol . you know how liquid meds come with with the little cup to dispense it? well I've got tons of these around and so I took one of those and used it to cut the center out. I sure hope you're not laughing...oh who am I kidding go on get it all out.....lol!! so know you have donuts and donut holes.
Now when I make these I do half of them covered in powdered sugar and half in a mix of cinnamon and sugar, so get a bowl of each ready. You can also just leave them plain, sometimes I leave a couple that way too.
now you want to have some oil (I use vegetable oil, lots of the recipes I came across said to use "deep fat", and yeah...I don't go for that, so veggie it is for me, lol) nice and hot on the stove in a pot big enough to fit 3 or 4 donuts or use a deep fryer (oil doesn't have to be super deep, the donuts will float) and heat to about 375 degrees. you're going to plop a couple of those babies in the oil for a minute or so (until the first side browns , and then you're gonna flip them. now when both sides are done you take them out set them out a plate with a paper towel to get the extra oil off, then coat them in the topping of your choice. Continue until they're all done. Enjoy.

Homemade Bagels


I've had several people ask about the homemade bagels that I make. I do 2 kinds now, plain for my hubby, who likes to put cream cheese on them, and cinnimon raisin for the little guy and I. I have to admit, I didn't come up with the recipe, I found it (with lots of wonderful pictures) at Tammy's Recipes. So I'm just going to link you right up to her. Homemade Bagels

September Calendar Topper


Credits-
Apple Festival Kit by LaWanna DesJardin
Creative BlockBusters Calander Templates by LaWanna DesJardin
Fonts-Poplar Std and Sylfaen

Apple Honey Bundt Cake Recipe page


Credits-
Apple Festival Kit by LaWanna DesJardin
Creative BlockBusters Calander Templates by LaWanna DesJardin
Font- Monotype Corsiva

Apple Honey Bundt Cake



I don't remember where I got the recipe for this, but I've had a few requests for the recipe. So I'm going to share it with you.

Apple Honey Bundt Cake

INGREDIENTS

* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup vegetable oil
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup honey
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 3 apples - peeled, cored and shredded
* 3/4 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and oil ( I used half a cup of oil and half a cup of applesauce -mine happened to be homemade, but store bought is good too, a little healthier and so yummy). Beat in the eggs until light, then stir in the honey and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice; stir into the batter just until moistened. Fold in the apples and nuts.

3. Bake for 50 to 65 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted into the crown comes out clean. Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate and tapping out of the pan.


Thursday, September 11, 2008

Saturday, September 06, 2008

I lowered Aidan's ears

ok so this is my logic. It's was almost time for Aidan to get a hair cut. I usually take him to a kids place, keeps him at ease, and it's fun for him. But it's kinda of far away to take him for a hair cut unless I have other errands out that way and that doesn't happen often. So I've toyed with the idea of picking up a hair cutting "kit" and doing both of my guys hair. and Ian is LONG overdue for a trim (I love you babe but I don't dig the hair long enough to go in a ponytail). So I figured try it on on the little guy then go after the big guy! The little guy was just starting to get shaggy, I figured I just follow how his hair is now. no biggie. so here's the before and after shots, I'm pretty happy with it. and once I give Ian a hair cut the thing will have paid for itself.



oh Ian!! you're next! :)

Friday, September 05, 2008

Speed Scrap Layout

So one of my design teams that I'm on had a couple of speed scraps today. It was lots of fun and I did two layouts. so I'm a happy girl.
here's the two layouts


Credits:
Started out with a template by Simply Yin
Macho Flowers by Merkeley Designs
Dusty by Merkeley Designs (stitches, fastener)
Font- Myriad Pro


Credits:
Private (short stack) Paper Pack by Merkeley Designs
Dusty by Merkeley Designs (stitches, arrow, pin)
Macho Flowers By Merkeley Designs (journaling block)
Say It WIth Cubes by Merkeley Designs
fonts-Monotype Cosiva and Sylfaen

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Feet Are Funny

Here are a couple of pages I did with "Feet Are Funny" by Merkeley Designs

Relax layout


credits:Merkeley Designs "Either-Or" Designer Sampler