Better late than never, right?
We had a pretty relaxing day this past Monday. I worked over the weekend, so on Monday we tried to squeeze in some good family time.
I wanted to do something 'special' for breakfast......so I decided to make 'homemade' donuts (the term 'homemade' is used very loosely here as they are made using a can of biscuits). (I also just noticed that I bought reduced fat, and I did not mean to do that. Not that there is anything wrong with reduced fat, but seeing that I am making donuts.....in grease.....why would I bother with the low fat?)
Although my grand plans of making a special breakfast were a little thwarted when these 2 girls could not wait for them to be done, and had to have a small bowel of Rice Krispies to hold them over.
This is the face she made when I asked her to smile.
So I opened up the biscuits and used an old medicine bottle to cut out the hole in the center.
I threw in a donut hole to see if the grease was ready. This oil is a little yellow because it is actually sunflower oil. Geoff uses this for grilling instead of olive oil because it supposedly has a little less fat.....but my reason for using it was simply because we were out of canola oil. The directions also say that you should heat your grease to 350 degrees, but I could not find our thermometer (and we may not even have one).
So it really only takes about a minute and a half on each side to make them lightly golden brown. If you try this....I highly recommend making sure you don't get the grease too hot so that it can have time to cook through. Ours were cooked a little too fast, and although they look a good golden brown color, some of them were not quite cooked through.
Then I mixed up some powdered sugar and milk for the glaze and dipped them into the bowl.
This little missy
loved hers. Surprised? ;)
Believe it or not.....this is her smile......
Parker wanted sprinkles. Why not?
So she would sprinkle a few on while I was watching.
Then after she thought I was gone she would open them up for more.
And she did this about 4 times before I actually let it sink in and finally put a stop to the madness.
Parker's donut. She ended up only eating the sprinkles.
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Then Geoff made our first batch of cucumbers for the season. I am the most excited about these. I also need to find some good squash recipes. Any suggestions? On Monday- he only had enough for 1 jar....and now we have enough for another jar.....but am hoping that they will start to pour in at a faster rate so that
we he can pickle several jars at a time. Even at this rate, though, I am thankful.
You really have to move and and mingle them to really fill the jar.
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I couldn't help myself. Parker was sitting at the table coloring.....and Grace about had a conniption. She r
eally really wanted to color, too. And when I saw her little feet standing on her very tippy tip toes, I could not resist.
Now trying to climb up with the other foot....
She really thought she was so special to be up there coloring....and with a marker (for a short time).....and right beside her big sis.
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Later that afternoon we went over to some friends' house for swimming and visiting. I tried to get a picture beforehand because I know how good I am about taking pictures while at outings. And this is what I got. ;)
I took 2 pictures there.....and in one, nobody was even looking at them camera.
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On our way home, we got the girls guacamole and rice from Chipotle, then ran by the grocery store to pick up a steak for Geoff. I was a little full from snacking so I just snacked some more. :)
The girls played outside a bit.
Grace and this big shovel just makes me laugh.
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Another garden update:
This is Geoff's newest 'creation.' He just used a milk carton and I think that is a tomato plant in there. If you are not gardening, and want to, but don't want to have much hassle- this really is a great and easy idea. This gardening thing has been so much fun for us. I was telling my granny earlier today how I really have some fond memories from when we lived in the country when I was little, and we would snap the green beans, and shelling (is this the right word? I am drawing a blank) black-eyed peas. We'd sit and do it for hours. Anyway- I really wanted beans this year, but then forgot. So I guess I didn't want them that bad, huh?
The cilantro and jalapeno plants in the Lowe's paint bucket.
And that's it. I guess I didn't take a picture of anything else? We do have one corn coming in, so that will be interesting to see. No okra yet, but we planted those late and they are growing. We have a 'surprise' vine-ey plant that I am hoping is watermelon-- we shall see. Our sunflower plant......is ENORMOUS. And I want to just pull it out because it is so huge, but it will be really neat when and if it ever blooms.....and we'll read
Mortimer's First Garden and show Parker how it all came from one tiny little seed and how God provides. We have read this book before, but I am excited to think that doing this will bring more meaning to her.
