I really like being able to make my own doughnuts. It tastes really good! This time around the batch came out a bit lighter (not as dense), but I did make a couple tweaks again. I don’t think I have quite perfected the recipe, but I will share it and maybe you can help me figure it out and work some kinks or leave as is cause it still is yummy.
To make everything, I pretty much followed Heidi Swanson’s recipe instructions, except that when I added the eggs and flour, I also added in my addition of applesauce. The dough will definitely be too sticky, so you will have to keep adding some flour (a few tablespoons at a time) to get the dough to be smooth and not sticky.
I also haven’t baked the whole dough at once since I like them fresh (and we do everything in moderation as not to overindulge), so I separate the big ball of dough into smaller balls and refrigerate them. I take them out when I want another fresh batch. Usually, I only make about 10 doughnuts at a time, so my little recipe for the sugary coating is only alloted for that small amount. If baking the whole dough, just follow the Heidi Swanson’s recipe for sugar and cinnamon amounts. Another note I have is that I haven’t got the recipe quite right where you can really taste the apple flavor, so I will have to attempt another batch using more apples in it and maybe use whole wheat entirely, but now that I am thinking about it, maybe pumpkin doughnuts would be good too. Otherwise, I still think it tastes darn good!
I highly suggest baked doughnuts as it is much better than fried doughnuts and just as yummy! If you do give the recipe a go and do any tweaks, please share. Plus, it really is so, so easy…
3. This vintage, crocheted, granny quilt, made by Ben’s grandma, which would be Brave and True’s great-grandmother, as new inspiration as we get ready to move Brave into a little-big-girl bed.
We spent some time working on a fall-ebration little project and we were all involved (minus Ben because he was at work). It is getting exciting that both girls are at an age they can be engaged together working on “art” as they like to call it. Seeing both of them choose colors, draw, and know how to put their supplies away is so much fun. My little ones are really growing up.
The drawing went on for awhile and they were working so well together that it was hard to pull them apart from the task, but it was time to move to the next one. We pulled the paper off the table onto the floor and started ripping little circles, at least they tried to rip circles, but sometimes it ended up more like strips.
Then, we stuck all the little pieces (and scrunched them into little flowers) on each little bulb on a string of lights to make our very own autumnal lights. The result was magical. Little white lights are always so pretty.
We celebrated our accomplishments by eating some fresh out of the oven, homemade cinnamon buns.
I used the left over dough from the doughnuts and did a little tweaking to make them cinnamon buns. This recipe helped a bit, but I kinda just winged it and I used the cream cheese frosting left over from when I made banana cupcakes. I think I kinda like the cinnamon buns more than the doughnuts, but both are quite yummy. Best of all, I know what goes into these little treats and it isn’t that bad.
We are getting pretty decked out with all our fall-ebrating and the best part is all the memory making that goes on (and well, all the fall-ebrating eating).
The weekend forecast for us is quite busy, but then again, when is it not?!! There will surely be some sort of fall-ebrating continuing and probably next week too. We are just so thankful to God for the change in the new season and the good riddance to the heat. I love fall!
Have a fantastic weekend! Are you doing any thing to celebrate the new season?
The fall-ebration continued with apple cider baked doughnuts, in which I mixed these tworecipes together (and added my own tweaking) because I wasn’t about to fry some doughnuts and put that much sugar in it. It came out quite yummy, but I could barely taste the apple in the doughnuts. I will have to try it out again to get a stronger apple flavor. Once I get the recipe just right, I will be sure to share it. Hmm… now that I am thinking about it, some pumpkin doughnuts sound good too! What do you say?
My girls were mighty excited to try it. We call it “healthy doughnuts”, not to get confused with the unhealthy-high-in-artificial-sugar doughnuts they see elsewhere often. This was our mid-afternoon snack.
True picked at hers and ate some, but not much as she fed most of it to Brave. I really think True doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth. Brave, on the other hand, is just like her mama. Brave devoured and devoured until I said no more. They were both quite content with the little
fall-ebration treats they were able to indulge in.
I still have some dough left and I will attempt to make it into cinnamon buns of sorts. I think it taste almost like it. Thus, our fall-ebration eating will continue…
We wanted to start a new tradition in our little family and that is an annual Fall-ebration. We wanted to do it when it officially became Fall, but we have been so busy these past couple weeks that we were just able to do it now. Our tardiness in celebrating the change of season works out as this is the first week that southern California has had Fall-like temperatures.
We hung a special homemade garland and I am really liking the color combo of teal and brown for our Fall decorations.
Ben and I worked harmoniously in the kitchen for a few hours slaving away at our Fall-ebration dinner, which was devoured in about 10 minutes.
My little girls had a Fall-ebration present awaiting them at the table, which were some shoes for the new season. Away with the sandals and time to bring out some boots. They were mighty excited about their little treats.
This is a new tradition we look forward to continuing each year. It is our way of celebrating the new season God has given us. Ben and I already have some thoughts on what else to do for next year. Nevertheless, the rest of the week we will be doing some special things to ring in the wonderful new season!
Next up apple cider baked doughnuts! I can’t wait to see how those turn out…
I have a large growing pile of fabric scraps. I refuse to throw them away because I am sure they can be used for something. I have been seeing different types of interesting necklaces made of buttons, beads, and fabric. Then, I figured why not make one out of my scraps...
I think it made my white shirt a little less boring. This was so quick and easy to make.
How to make a recycled scraps necklace (which is very similar to the straps on my braided tablecloth bag):
1. Take your scrap fabric, I cut a .5''-1'' snip and tear the rest of the fabric down for a nice frayed edge. Used 3 different fabrics for each strand.
2. Take 3 of the torn pieces and tie the ends together with a rubber band.
3. Braid the 3 pieces together and tie ends together with rubber band when done.
4. Repeat steps 2 & 3 for more strands. Remember you can make the strands any length you want, if run out of fabric, just weave more into the braid.
5. Once all the strands you want are braided, gather one end of each strand together and straight stitch together with sewing machine. Repeat for the other ends of the strands. Snip off any excess.
6. Gather ends of the necklace and sew together (snip excess) or a ribbon can be sewn at the ends to be able to tie the necklace closed, but I just sewed both ends together.
7. Voila! A nice way to make use of all your lovely scraps.
Sorry if the directions get you a little lost, but it really is easy. I promise. Maybe I should put some in the shop. Please share any other good ideas you may have of things that can be made with scraps. I would love to hear (read) them!
