Time to Make the Donuts!

The Autumn-like weather has me on a baking spree. Yesterday...oatmeal butterscotch cookies. Today...homemade cinnamon-sugar and powdered sugar donuts. This is good though, because I am at least sticking to my new philosophy that I will not purchase any "goodies" in the store. If I really want them bad enough, I must make them. This involves time, thought into what one consumes...and well, full knowledge of what goes into the ingredients. Which, by the way, is a heck of a lot better than all the preservatives and high fructose corn syrup you would get from something purchased in a store.

The magic number of ingredients in these donuts are 9. I'm pretty sure you can find all 9 ingredients in your pantry-- just in case the weather compells you to bake as well. I blended all my ingredients in a food processor (wet ingredients first, then dry). It wasn't difficult or labor intensive.

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
3/4 Tsp. salt
1/2 Tsp. ground nutmeg
1/3 cup milk (I used 2%)
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar

-vegetable oil to fry donuts (just deep enough to let them float)
-cinnamon-sugar or sifted powdered sugar to coat donuts

After you mix the dough, cover and chill for 2 hours. Then turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and roll out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut dough with a 2 1/2-inch circle round cutter. Use a 1 1/4-inch cutter to cut the hole for the donut. (I actually improvised and used an "O" cookie cutter that I make "XO" Valentine's Day cookies with.) Fry donuts 2-3 at a time in oil that is 375-degrees, for 2 1/2 minutes on each side. Drain on paper towels, and coat with cinnamon-sugar or powdered sugar. This makes about 15 donuts and donut holes.

Labor Day Weekend

My favorite 3 people in the entire world!
"This is my friend."

I can never understand why it is that summer tends to fly by so quickly. Then again, Motherhood as taught me that all time-- whether it be July or January...flies. At least from when I gage my children's growth-- they simply grow too quick. With that being said, there IS something about summer'time' in Minnesota. Perhaps, it is because we all know what is in store for us in the the months ahead? So we best embrace the good while the good is here!

When school is in session, we really don't have the flexible time schedule that summer offers. I'll miss waking up and thinking, "What shall I do with the boys today? What adventure awaits us?" I suppose I can still do that, but it will have to wait until 11:40am, as they are in school five days a week... then the rush of lunch, naps, getting dinner prepared, clean-up, daily rituals, bedtime- you get the picture.

This year, we will have two pre-schoolers in the house! Tiger moved up from the Toddler Community and is all grins and giggles about his "big" move up to the Casa. Nishad will be completing his last year of pre-school, and while he will still be in the same classroom with the same teacher the following year-- it will be his "official" Kindergarten year. Each kiddo will spend a total of 4 years in the Casa. We are THRILLED they each are fortunate enough to be in the same classroom and have the same teacher for the duration of their Montessori education. After all, that's part of the Montessori core that we love so much! It allows the teacher to really get to know the student inside out-- and they form a special bond over the years. The next transition for them will occur when it is time to go to 1st grade.

So, what to do if you are 2 and 4, soon to be going back to school? COMO ZOO with a side of COMO TOWN, of course! For the boys...it was exciting and adventurous. For Ashish and I, it was a time to reflect over the last year...all the boys have grown-- the joy they have added to our lives (one can not even begin to measure!!).

This was the 1st time Tiger went on the Swings. He LOVED them! He already named the fish in his new classroom, "BIG FISH," and is looking forward to cleaning the windows on Tuesday in addition to baking blueberry muffins.

Happy, Happy, Happy Nishad! He's looking forward to being the eldest in his class this year, working on moveable alphabet and seeing his friends!

My babies on the swings together for the 1st time.