Monday, August 26, 2013

Birthday Weekend - Instagram Style

A few weeks ago, Rob and I begged my parents to take the kids snuck away for a weekend.  It was a gorgeous summer weekend that felt like fall and we were ensconced in the beauty of the family cabin.  We left on a Friday afternoon and were joined by my parents and the kids on Sunday morning - for a little atv riding.  I'll provide some captions, as the instagram colors can be a little hard to decipher.  What you can't tell from the pictures is the sheer quiet of the surroundings.  No tv.  No cell phones.  No fighting children - in fact, I didn't hear the words "stop", "mom", or "ow" until Sunday.  It was pure bliss. 


baby deer unfazed by our presence

my steak - I think the USDA recommends 19 oz. per meat serving, right?

the vista after a long ride

getting ready to coach me through a stream

my ride

breakfast


the world's best donuts - still warm, my friends


summer sunshine


hard to see - but a whole flock(?) of turkeys - babies and mamas


we had walked until we realized the height of the grass - then we rode!
Kate and her Daddy!

Rob, explaining something (as only he can do)


my Dad!

Rob - getting some wood ready for the winter

sunset - from the sunroof!

relaxing on the porch

morning tradition - coffee on the porch

waiting for donuts - in a little town (with cell service)

still waiting

how do I look in my helmet - kinda slimming, right?

it's a lot of work to suit up for a ride!

I realize the pictures aren't in chronological order - still trying to navigate google live with cell phone pics, an ipad, and transferring that to a laptop.  I am quite limited! 

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Baked Apple Pie Donuts

As I was perusing Pinterest this morning, I happened upon a recipe for 
gingerbread baked donuts.   I was waiting for everyone else to wake up and 
remembered the kids complaining that we had no food in the house 
(who knows why my grocery bills top $200/week).  
Anyway, I didn't feel like the gingerbread donuts but after a quick search, 
I happened upon this recipe. 




A few things drew me in: I had all of the ingredients (including leftover 'baked apples'), 
prep time was 15 minutes, and I had a donut pan (I'd only used once). 
Not 30 minutes later, I was dipping the donuts in butter, dusting them with 
cinnamon and sugar, and drizzling them with 
this leftover caramel sauce. 

Let's just say that I was a hero this morning. Now I feel better about 
purchasing the donut pan! They taste like an apple fritter 
without the fried taste. 

The great news is that you can easily make these with or without leftover 
apples, with or without  caramel sauce, and you can use a muffin tin if 
you don't have a donut pan!  

They were the perfect breakfast for an impulsive baker like myself!