Homemade Donuts - SUPER easy recipe!

Not much makes my kids happier than DONUTS for breakfast. But seriously...who feels like getting up and running to the store bright and early? Not this girl!

Thus, you can understand my excitement when I came across this SUPER easy recipe for homemade donuts! My kids were STOKED (as was momma...not gonna lie!)

We paired ours with a Danimals Crush Cup yogurt and breakfast was complete!

1. Open a can of southern style biscuits. (Do NOT use the "flaky" kind with the layers!) I just used a generic brand.

2. Using a cap from a 2 liter bottle (or any other small round something you may have) cut a hole out of the middle of each donut. Don't throw that extra dough away!! Fry it up for donut holes! YUMMY!



3. Heat oil in a skillet until "hot enough" (LOL...how helpful am I right now? Sorry!) Cook donuts on one side for about a minute.



4. Flip and cook on the other side about a minute. (I slightly undercooked mine on accident so they were doughy in the middle...icky.)



5. Remove from oil and place on paper towel. Blot to remove oil.

6. While still warm, dredge in a plate of sugar. (Next time we're going to try homemade icing and sprinkles!!)



7. FEAST!


(Edited to add: For the record, my wall isn't filthy! That's spots on the camera lens. I forgot to touch them up in this photo! LOL!)

Try it out! You won't be sorry...TRUST me!!

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Got stuff to do?? Check out 10 in 10!

I am going to start taking part in Night Owl Crafting's "HOO ARE YOU" Tuesdays!

Stop on by to participate and get to know some new friends!

1. How tall are you? How tall do you WISH you were?
I am 5'8"...and so wish I was 5'7"...yes that one inch makes a big difference in finding jeans that are long enough!

2. Do you have a birthmark? Where?
Yes...on my neck...and I hate it and WILL have it removed someday.

3. What is your biggest money waster?
Ooo...good question. Ummm...just random stuff, I think. I can't go into a Walmart without leaving with a cart full of stuff (which is their intent I suppose.)

4. What song are you tired of?
Anything by Kesha. Yuck.

5. What stresses you out the most?
Couple things...money worries (guess I should stay out of Walmart...LOL!) And Luc's behavior. I wonder if he has ADHD...I worry that he isn't going to have an easy life is he continues on the behavior path he's on...I wonder if it's something I did or if there's something I can do that I haven't thought of...I worry.

36 weeks today and feeling it!

I've been SO sleepy lately! I don't know if it's because it's hot out or what, but I'm TIRED, and ready to be DONE!!!

Only one more week until I'm considered full term (and I had both Luc and Mikey at 37 weeks!!). It is just crazy to me to think the little man (yes, he's still nameless) could really be here any day! Exciting though...I can't wait to meet him! :) (And to be done being pregnant FOREVER! LOL!)

The kids and I are hoping to squeeze in a couple more projects before he gets here, but we'll see how things play out! And SOON, we will have lots of photos to share of our bedroom makeovers! We moved to another bedroom, and are moving the kids around to different rooms, so as those moves are finished up and the rooms decorated, I will be sure to share photos! It is an exciting and busy time in our lives right now!!

Beyond all that, not much else to update on...just busy with life, getting ready for the little guy, and working on the barrage of senior photo sessions I feel lucky to have been hit with this summer! (Sneak Peeks and Specials on my other blog...link in the side bar!)

Anywho...talk soon!

xoxo

23 Weeks...and Projects Coming Up!

I'm giving the 23 Week Update a couple days early...technically, I'm not 23 weeks until Tuesday.

I've been having some pretty severe pelvic pain (as in, pain actually IN the bone...or so it feels like) so I will be making an OB appointment for this week, and hopefully they can do something for me. I talked to the nurse last week and she thought it was probably round ligament pain. I've done this a few times though, and know round ligament pain when I feel it. (Although, I will say I have noticed much more round ligament pain this time than with the other pregnancies.) This is different, new to me, and not "normal". Standing or walking for extended periods of time is getting harder and harder, so that's not fun. I've done some research on what the problem could be...but I'll wait until I see the doctor and see what he says.

On a happy note, little Mister Man has been squirming and kicking up a storm! That is fun for his older brothers who have been able to feel his kicks! :)

According to baby center, little dude is almost a foot long and is starting to recognize loud noises that we hear often...like the dogs barking (or dirt bikes!!) Fun!

On NON-baby notes...RUMMAGE SALE SEASON has begun!! (Ok...I guess that's baby related too because I'm always on the lookout for cute clothes and great deals on baby stuff!) The man and I hate a few around town this past weekend and scored a chest freezer (which we NEEDED) for $25!! Nice!! AND, this was our first time yard sale-ing in our new MINIVAN!! That's right...I've crossed over to the dark side, and I'm loving every minute of it! :)

As for upcoming projects, as promised, we'll be starting the kids rooms soon and will have lots to share on our progress! I've been researching lots and am excited to start some canvas art for their rooms!! I also want to make a weekly menu board...just something to keep myself organized, and the family informed of what momma will be serving up that week! Those are the couple things close on horizon, so be watching for those. OH! And I will have a new recipe to share this week...YUMMY!

Alrighty folks...I gotta try to get some sleep. (Getting harder and harder these days...)

Ciao,

Loving Life & a 21 Week Update

Quick pregnancy update...things are going well. I'm measuring right on target. Not gaining ANY weight, which is fine by me as long as our baby BOY is healthy! Yep...I am soon to be the mom of FOUR boys! Love it! I'm feeling better (minus a punishing UTI I'm dealing with right now) and baby is rocking out, kicking up a storm in my ever-expanding belly!

PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!! We have SO much on the horizon!!

I've found a project I am including the kiddos on that I cannot WAIT to try! We are going to make onesies for our baby BOY, due August 10th! Now that I am finally feeling better after what seemed like NEVER-ENDING "morning" sickness. I can cook again...and clean...and CRAFT! Yay!

So I will be much more present, now! Spring is in the air...which always invigorates my heart! I've got photography work going on which makes me happy. The baby is seeming more real to the kids now that I'm getting a big belly and since we found out it's a boy! I just feel so much more like myself! Ahhh...bliss!

Now that I'm back COOKING up a storm, you can be expecting more new recipe posts! (And this is a long way off, but I am very much looking forward to trying something new...making our own baby food!)

We've got LOTS of home renovations going on too...we're doing some bedroom swapping, and all the kids (and the man and I) will be shifted around and in new and improved rooms! Lots of fun...and lots to post about!

Ahhh...I am feeling GOOD about life today! Love days like that! Back tomorrow with my son William's favorite dish to post about...SUPER EASY "Half-Homemade" Chicken Enchiladas!! Yummy!!

xoxo

Pregnancy - Week 10

I want to start posting weekly updates on myself and the “babycakes”…I will eventually be including frequent photos but definitely not yet. ;-)

So I’m in week 10 (my weeks actually change on Thursday…so this Thursday will start Week 11, but it’s easier for me to update on Sunday or Monday so that’s the plan for now…dig it?)

Apparently the baby is the size of a “kumquat”. I can HONESTLY say I’ve never in my life seen a kumquat, but it’s bigger than last week which was “small plum”. He or she is growing really fast right now and I am looking forward to looking pregnant instead of fat and bloated. :)

I’m still feeling sick more often than not, but I do have “good” days where I can actually make dinner or do ONE load of laundry before falling back onto the couch moaning and sick. I am definitely ready to be feeling better. I know that generally that takes place around the end of the first trimester, which is in a couple weeks for me, BUT, I also know (from experience) that it’s not like I’m going to wake up Thursday a couple weeks from now and magically feel better. Hopefully, though, a little bit at a time I will improve and can get back to feeling like myself again.

I’m on a cloth diaper kick right now and trying to talk the man into jumping on board (so far he’s pretty adamantly against it…I’m holding out hope though…) and reading as much as I can on the subject. I’m also REALLY anxious to get our new master bedroom finished, get the boys into their new room, finish Will’s and McKenzie’s beds/rooms…and then wait impatiently until the big ultrasound to find out who gets to share a room with the new baby!

OH…and we got a new puppy. (Yes…I am indeed crazy. How’d you guess?) He’s a Chihuahua/Yorkie mix ( Chorkie?? Yorkie-huahua??) He is the CUTEST thing I’ve ever seen…now if he could just stop peeing on the floor we’d be all set! :)

Ok…that’s about it for now. Nothing else new on the home front. I’m not feeling well enough to be doing any new (or finishing any old) projects, but soon I hope! Oh, and I do have a new recipe to share soon. The family LOVED it…but I’m so turned off by the thought of food right this second, that the thought of typing any more about it is going to make me gag, so that’s going to have to wait.

xoxo

Jenn's MUST HAVES...2009!

It's that time of year again! I want to share a list of some of my favorite things from the past year...maybe you'll find something you too, MUST HAVE! This year, my list is mostly simple things...items for around the house, but every single one of them is great!

Without further ado...

JENN'S MUST HAVES OF 2009

Palmolive Aroma Sensations lavender dish soap.
I LOVE this stuff! Don't get me wrong...I am so very anxious for my dishwasher to be installed, but in the meantime, this soap smells so wonderful and rinses clean. Plus, it's not too harsh on my hands. I'm a big fan!

Dial "White Tea" scent Foaming Handwash. This is a completely clear bottle and soap so it looks great, and the foaming action makes my boys EXCITED to wash their hands. Plus it smells delish!

Blistex Herbal Answer chapstick. Easily my fave chapstick EVER! Trust me!

I know this next item isn't new to some people, but I recently upgraded from Adobe Photoshop 7 to Adobe Photoshop CS3 and I'm in heaven. For the layout changes alone, it was worth the upgrade! I recommend it! Check out Adobe.com for details!

Have you heard about music available under the Creative Commons license? www.jamendo.com
You MUST check this out! It's free and legal downloads made available by artists who believe in sharing music with the masses. FANTASTIC!

REDBOX! Oooo...I love me some Redbox!!! $1 DVD rentals?? Yes, please! LOVE it!

Still to come...JENN'S MOST WANTED LIST for 2010!!

I know...I know...

I'm the most ABSENT blogger EVER! But I have a good reason...I promise!

I've got a big surprise coming SOON! And lots of changes taking place...

Some lists to share, some homemade ornaments, recipes, projects, etc. I've been busy...trust me there!

This weeks blog schedule:

WEDNESDAY: RECIPE POST...I will share some of my favorite holiday recipes...tried and true...gotta love it!

THURSDAY: THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

FRIDAY: JENN'S MUST HAVES 2009 Edition (Check out last year's list here!)

SATURDAY: Homemade Christmas Ornaments...DIY and How-To!

SUNDAY: Christmas Tree Reveal...and MAYBE a sneak peek at how our new bedroom is coming along!

MONDAY: Another BIG Announcement...so excited!

Sooo...STAY TUNED! Lots of stuff happening soon! :)

Choosing Your Battles

**aaaaahem....clearing throat and stepping up on soapbox**

So I went to my youngest sons Pre-K Parent Teacher conference last week. All is good, for the most part. He won't hold his pencil right...which is causing the difficulty he has with writing legibly...but we're working on it. :) He's friendly...he's quiet...he's a fan of routine...he is good at math and patterns...etc.

But something else she said stuck with me and while I've tried to brush it off, I can't stop thinking about it.

We were discussing his progress report and she mentioned how he has not shown much interest in coloring. I responded that he's never really been one to sit down and color in a coloring book...he finds it "putzy"...he prefers to be outdoors playing, or wrestling with his dogs, or helping me cook dinner. Her reply was "Well, that will change. We'll keep working with him and eventually he'll realize 'Hey! This isn't so bad'. We'll change his mind."

Ok...first of all, I do like his teacher. Don't take this AT ALL as a personal issue with her. And second of all, yes...I want my kids to be well-rounded...of course I do...but you know what?? Maybe he just doesn't like to freakin' COLOR!?!?! SO WHAT?!?!?! It's not like he's flat out refusing to do it...he just doesn't want to spend ten minutes coloring a snowman, when he knows that once he's finished with that he gets to play in the toy kitchen. You know?

Is coloring a life skill? Not so much! Math? YES! He needs math. He even LIKES math! Great! When he's 25 is he going to have a hard time finding a job because he doesn't want to sit down and color in his Madagascar coloring book? I really think he'll be alright.

Like I said...I think it's important to be well rounded. I think it's important for him to spend time doing things at school, even if they may not neccessarily be something he loves. But more than anything, I want him to enjoy his time there...to love learning...to enjoy the things he wants to enjoy! I'm not asking for him to be exempt from coloring...I'm asking for him to be allowed to make the choice not to like it. I want to raise well-rounded, open-minded, creative, artistic children. But I don't want to force them to like something. I just can't.


Maybe I'm overprotective because he's my baby...and my most sensitive child. Or maybe, as my kids grow older, I'm finding more confidence in both myself and in my kids to recognize that hey...we don't have to accept every social norm on the planet. One kid doesn't want to color? Fine...sometimes we have to color because our teacher is in charge, but you don't have to like it. Tylenol for a fever? No thank you! No long hair on boys? Says WHO??

You know...maybe some day he WILL change his mind. Maybe someday he'll LOVE to color. I hated mushrooms when I was little. Now I add them to so many meals...we love them. Yummy! I also used to hate the color purple...but you know...it has it's place. :) Or...maybe he won't. But that's his choice to make...not mine.


It's such a fine line, I think, between raising open-minded kids, and making their choices for them. It might seem worlds apart...open minded vs. my call...but it's not. Maybe their choice as an open minded child, is not to be so "free" and open-minded. So maybe in "failing", I'm succeeding. (Or maybe I'm just overthinking it alltogether...haha!)

At any rate, I hope I'm doing a good job walking that tight-rope. At least I know that no one can tell me I'm not trying.

**annnnd stepping down**

So far, So good...

Ok.

So we've got a ten in ten list...here.

My mini-recap is as follows:

1. FINALLY organize the office/dining room.-DONE! Woot!
2. Paint Will's Headboard - Not even started!
3. Hang my chalkboard and washboards in the laundry room - Haven't thought about it but I think I can...I think I can...I think I can...
4. Make fridge photo frames - I'm on it. Gotta find the magnets I misplaced though. Hmph. :(
5. Finish Kids artwork display Project - I need a 1x4 and therefore, I need a trip to the store.
6. Finish Family Rules Canvas - FINITO!!!!! YES!
7. Work on my door turned dining room table - Ugh! I want to work on this...I do! I will! Yes...I will.
8. Put up beadboard in kitchen - I need the man's help...wish me luck.
9. Finish painting (kitchen, trim and hallway) - I painted the trim (I hate it now, remember?) but it's a work in progress.
10. Make gourmet caramel apples - WTF did I do with those apples? Hmmm...seriously now. Hmm.

Sooooooo...that's where we're at right now. Tonight I've made a vow to RELAX. I'm making appetizers for dinner (FUN!) and hoping to coerce the man into watching a movie after I blast my way through some design work I need to finish up. Sooo...tomorrow. Tomorrow's my night. I hope. :) Lots to do...I'm on my way!

(FYI...photos will be shown soon. I'm saving my family rules canvas for DIY day on ASPTL and a couple other linky parties! But it will be up soon! Promise!)

xoxo

Am I NUTS?!?!

Yep! I think I might be!

So my kitchen and living room sit unfinished...we refloored (yay!) and painted the living room walls, but that's as far as that went. We never did get to putting the trim up (yet), and the kitchen remains without it's new fun GREEN paint on the walls, the beadboard never went up over the tiles (still), and that HIDEOUS linoleum is still haunting the entryway...BUT, what do I decide to do? THROW A PARTY!

Yep, you heard right! I am hosting a PartyLite party (Ooo...I LOVE me some PartyLite!) tomorrow in my unfinished palace! WHAT WAS I THINKING?!?!?!

The man TRIED to talk me out of it, but I would not be deterred...OH NO! I was tired of putting it off...been promising to schedule for weeks, so I finally went ahead and did it. And now, I've got to try to create a presentable area for HOSTING A PARTY overnight. And of course, I choose THIS week to do my 10 projects in 10 days!!!

Yep...I MUST be nuts! Luckily, I made a HUGE pot of stew yesterday that will easily feed us tonight also, so at least I'm off the hook for dinner! I'll share that recipe later today...check back!!

Oh...and as a mid-day update to my list...I started the dining room, and I bought the apples...and that is as far as we've gotten. :)

Tired.

I'm tired and I'm sick. Sick and Tired if you will.

I'm battling an infection and have not had one extra ounce of will power for anything. Want proof?

I love to cook...we know this. My children had PIZZA ROLLS for dinner last night. That's right...pizza rolls. (Not that there's anything wrong with pizza rolls...it's just that there's something wrong with ME if I don't feel like cooking! LOL!)

Soooo...I'm on some different meds and trying to get better and when that happens, I'll be back to posting regularly, I PROMISE!

I've got some fun projects coming up...a family rules canvas, my kids art-work display, the work-in-progress that is my kitchen, lots of painted furniture (will post that as we finish pieces), makeover to my "mud room" (entry hall), and dining room/office makeover. The work never ends...but I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ok...back to work (aka: gazing absentmindedly at my computer monitor wish I could lay down while trying not to fall asleep at my desk...ahem.)