Saturday, November 07, 2009

Donuts

Now my momma (and my grandma and me) are all those kind of bakers. You know those ones who don't exactly know the amounts of things that are put in. It's more about how the dough feels and all that. But I'll do my best in posting amounts! :)

Now this is also a BIG recipe. It makes 10 dozen donuts. So you can use it to make donuts, long johns, cinnamon buns, dinner buns, or scones. Or you can cut it in half (which I do often!)

2 liters of warm water (like warm like the bath warm)
1 pound melted margarine (or use 2 cups oil)
8 eggs
3 Tbsp Salt
3 Tbsp instant yeast (quick rising)
2 cup sugar
Flour (? a lot hahahaha)

Put your water and salt in a large bowl and stir to let the salt dissolve.
And set it aside.
In a different bowl mix the eggs and sugar until frosty.
Combine into the biggest bowl. Add 1/2 of the melted margarine (or oil).
Stir well.
Start adding flour until it gets hard to stir with a spoon. Like it isn't dry yet... but it looks lumpy with flour (does that make sense?) It's sloppy and super sticky.
Sprinkle yeast on top and stir it in.
Now start adding flour until the dough comes together and you can handle it. Knead it a bit with your hands. (If you are using a Bosch or a kitchen-aid it will start to pull away from the sides.) It should be a nice clean dough that you poke your hand into and it just leaves a dent that pops back out. (make sense?)
Turn the dough over so the smooth side is on the top. Then pour the rest of the margarine (or oil) over top and grease the sides of the bowl with it too.
Let rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Punch down once.
Let rise in a warm spot again.
Once doubled again use it.

Now to make it into donuts, you lay the dough out onto the counter squishing it with your hands until is in a rectangle shape (like you would for cinnamon buns) then cut out your donuts (I have a rolling pin that is a donut cutter outer. So I lay my dough out and then roll it over it and it cuts out constant donuts. It's cool. And it was my mom's. It takes me like 3 minutes to cut out 80 donuts (which is what I did this morning.)

Deep fry them in hot oil (I always use the stove but you could use a deep fryer).
Then drain them.
As soon as you can touch them without burning your hands, drop them into a glaze. (my glaze is just icing sugar with vanilla and some warm water til it is runny. I have no idea the amounts..... just til it looks right. hahahaha)
Then let them drain again.
Then eat them. :)

The more often you make this dough the easier it will be. It's a bit second nature to me as I used to make this dough weekly to make buns and whatever else. I did it on baking mondays. It sounds like a lot of work but it's really not.

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MSBH Challenge 25 (Banana Carmel Cake), 26 (Tart Dough), 27 (Lemon Curd), 28 (Pate A Choux), 29 (Cream puffs), 30 (Chocolate Eclairs), 31 (Vanilla Whipped Cream), 32 (Pastry Cream).

Hmm that's a lot of stuff...... but a lot of them went together. As in the lemon curd and tart became a french lemon tart. The Pate A Choux is the dough that starts cream puffs and chocolate eclairs and the vanilla whipped cream and pastry cream fill them.

And a funny side note to all this baking? I've lost a little weight lately. hahahaha. Kind of ironic eh?

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

Did you know

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that this little girl got up twice last night and 4 times the night before? Her reasons? My blankets were too fuzzy, my room was too dark, it was too noisy in my room, it was too quiet in my room, just to name a few.

that this little girl said to her brother a couple days ago "but Alden, I just like to talk from the time I get up til the time I go to bed!!" (soooo the truth!)

that this little girl's preschool teacher told me she was ready for kindergarten in the fall, that she is the kind of student that a teacher dreams about because she is helpful, obedient and kind to everyone.

that this little girl is getting quite tall and thin.

that this little girl recently started saying things like "but am I going to be the prettiest girl there?" (not sure why this started and I'm not such a fan of it!)

that this little girl has matching eyes to her baby brother.
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Looks like the donut recipe is wanted! I'll be sure to post it this week. Along with an update on my MSBH Challenge! Tomorrow I am attempting to make homemade cream puffs and chocolate eclairs for a baby shower.

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Halloween Traditions

We had super Alden, a cute little bumblebee and princess Lucy.
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I sewed Alden some shorts (isn't it strange how Super Hero's always wear their underwear on the outside?), a mask thing and his cape from last year's Christmas.
Lucy was wearing the crown and dress from her birthday.
And Eli is wearing a little hand-me down costume.

Tradition #1: Did you notice what they are holding? When I was a kid we ALWAYS used our pillowcases for trick or treating. So I decided to take that tradition (or maybe it was just easier for my mom?!?) and make it our own. So I sewed them some Halloween pillow cases. For a few days leading up to Halloween they can use them on their pillows and then take them off for the Trick or Treating :) I was given a whole whack of Halloweeny fabric a couple years ago and never got around to making them. (I'm not really a Halloween quilt kind a girl) Finally did it this past week. It was SUPER easy! Like if you can sew a straight line you could do it. Perhaps I'll make a tutorial for pillow cases.

Tradition #2: Donuts
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My mom often handed out donuts on Halloween. I always thought it was interesting as she HATES Halloween. But she often made homemade donuts. (She had donuts days where she'd make them for the Elementary - JR high school we went to too). She is done with all that. I'm made them many times but haven't done it on Halloween to hand out. So I did it this year (but only gave them out to people we knew!) I've been asked to share the recipe so I will this week!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Jack and his buddies

I really have done nothing at all this year for Halloween. No decorating really. Just wasn't feelin' it I guess. Doesn't help that Reg's not really a fan of Halloween. My mind's already on Christmas I guess. :)

We did carve pumpkins. Had to do that at least! For Monday night's FHE we did this.
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Mine and Lucy's: Jack
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Dad's (its the transformer logo if you can't tell)
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Alden's: (he drew on whatever he wanted and I cut it out for him)
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And now Alden is sick (he slept 15 hours straight last night) with the flu (hopefully everyone else doesn't get it) and Reg is out of town til Saturday night. So we are just hunkering down. And watching movies and reading books and playing the game boy and playing games. And vegging.

And I'm editing lots of pictures. There are lots of new sessions on my photo blog for you to peruse. :)

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Outside pllllllleeeeeeeaaaaassssseeeeeee

This little man LOVES being outside.
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If he's whining, which he happens to do a lot of (pretty much either causing trouble, laughing or whining) if you take him outside and just let him wander, his mood will instantly get better. (most of the time)
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(I see this exact face with exact arms stretched out fairly often during the day!)

Sunday evening walk. It was fffffreezing out. But look at him. He's lovin' it!!
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Dad making him laugh by throwing leaves on top of him....
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He's totally trouble and a lot of work.
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But he's MY trouble.


And in case you are wondering, I folded (and will put away in a minute or two) 6 loads of laundry. Yes that would in fact mean we had nothing to wear. Any of us. My arch nemesis laundry.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Cafe Rio Salad and some other stuff....

I have had quite a few people ask for this recipe. And I've never gotten around to posting it. (Sorry it took me so long Brett!) This really is one of my very favorite meals! I made it this past week on Thursday for a group of ladies I had over for lunch. And it was marvelous! :) I don't have a picture of it.... but here is the recipe

Cafe Rio Salad:

Put in your crockpot:
3-4 pound Pork Roast
1 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1 cup Brown Sugar
Cook it until you can shred it with a fork.
(For a frozen roast about 8 hours on low or 4 hours on high)
Cook some rice with zest from 1 lime.
Dressing:
Blend and chill:
1 1/3 cup light sour cream (I use 500ml of sour cream)
3/4 cup mayo
1 bunch of cilantro
1 package Ranch Dressing (you know that powdered stuff)
4 Tbsp Safeway Salsa Verde
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/8 tsp Tabasco (I always leave this out so my kids will eat it)
Juice of 1 lime
Add milk if too thick
Guacamole: Use your favorite recipe or
2 mashed avocados
2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 diced tomato
add to taste: hot sauce, garlic powder & cayenne pepper

To eat it pile it in this like a taco on your plate:
Tortilla
Rice
Black Beans
Shredded Pork
Romaine Lettuce
Diced Tomatoes
Guacamole
Corn Chips (Optional)
Dressing
**Eat it like a salad, breaking off tortilla as you go or wrap the whole thing like a burrito (that's what we do)**

and here is a random photo from last weekend!
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Some people think that this time of year is ugly around here. I completely disagree! I LOVE the yellowness of this season!! Love the hay bails in the fields. Love the crisp blue sky. I think it's beautiful!!!
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MSBH Challenge 23 (Herb Baking Powder Biscuits), 24 (Fudgy Chocolate Brownies)

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

3x Photography

Three Photo shoot ideas I think would be super fun:
1. One Year Anniversary: A year after a couple has been married, getting dressed up in different outfits. The wedding dress if it still fit, a skirt and shirt or dress, pants and a cute top. Different outfits, different locations. After a year (or more) you are more relaxed with your spouse. It's easier to show affection in front of someone else. And still hopelessly in love.

2. A Day in the Life: Following someone or a family around for a day or a while. A family doing something they love. Or just being together at home. Doing their regular playing and cooking, reading or cuddling.

3. Trash the Dress: oh I can not explain how much I wanna do that! Where girls get all fancied up and we go to grungy places and take fashion-ista pics. I have three locations in mind in Lethbridge that I think would be A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

Three Things I wish all photo clients would remember:
1. You are beautiful. There are beautiful things about everyone.
2. Relax. I'd rather have a serious face than a cheesy grin.
3. DON'T threaten your kids for pictures. EVER. Seriously EVER.

Three Things to make an especially good shoot:
1. Good light. (Right when the sun is going down is so the best. Beautiful golden light)
2. Relaxed parents who just let me interact with their kids naturally.
3. People who come knowing how to look and act in front of the camera

Three things you are likely to hear me say at a photo shoot...
1. You'd better have a little kiss now
2. Do you want to see my little trick?
3. Yoooooooooouuuuuuu-wwwhhhhhhhhooooooooo

Three Things I want to improve upon:
1. My technical knowledge of shooting. I have more to learn. Lots more.
2. Better work flow, faster work flow.
3. My Shooting in low light situations.

Three of my Biggest Photography Inspirations are:
1. Tara Whitney
2. Brooke Snow
3. Rebecca Westover

Three things I'd love to purchse:
1. Nikon D700
2. A fancier blog or site
3. A soft box

Three of my favorite latest shots I've taken:
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I'd love to see other photog's try my little quiz.
Or anyone really!
So have at 'er and link me up so I can read your answers!