Are you looking for a recipe to use all that summer squash or zucchini from the garden that your family will ask you to make again and again? Here it is! I have made this twice in the last week to rave reviews. It tastes like sausage pizza but with healthy spiralized squash noodles (“zoodles”) instead of the bread. I wanted to call it “lasagna” but you can’t cut it into squares like lasagna, and there’s no ricotta layer. The broth is so tasty that my family has been eating it in bowls so they can sip the last of the luscious juicy goodness. (scroll down for recipe) Continue Reading →
This Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce is so tasty, you’re going to want to eat it with everything from now on. Fresh cauliflower that is steamed or roasted makes a one-plate meal when topped with this sauce. Continue Reading →
If you have ever thought you might want to be a writer, this post is for you. What makes a writer? Someone who writes! When life gets chaotic and we need to live each day despite difficult challenges, journaling can be a way to preserve our memories and find a pathway to balance during difficult times. How to begin? Read on!
Journaling Through Uncertainty
A new book called “Journaling Through Uncertainty” by Courtney Kilian offers a guide to beginning the process of journaling for those who are just beginning, or for experienced journalists who need a nudge in a new direction. The author is a well-qualifed and experienced teacher who brings her broad experience to offer tools for inspiring confidence in uncertainty, strength in difficulty, and balance for joyful living.
Today I’m sharing an interview with Courtney Kilian, who did what many of us wish to do: wrote a book to share how journaling has made a difference in her life, and to inspire others to use journaling during difficult times.
I used a pouch of fruit and veggie applesauce to make these glorious donuts. (scroll down to go straight to the recipe) Our grandchildren love pouches filled with organic fruit and vegetables. These are from North Coast Organic apple products of Sebastopol, CA. Recently North Coast sent me an “inspiration box” of their products, including these boxes of North Coast Organic applesauce pouches.
Applesauce Pouches with Fruits and Veggies
The flavor choices are fun! My grandchildren love these resealable pouches, especially when they don’t want to stop playing but need a snack.
There is no added sugar or preservatives. Combinations include blueberry/spinach/kale, mango/sweet potato/apricot, or pear/blackberry/beet. Each box has four servings/pouches. Continue Reading →
The local donut shops have been closed around here, and I’ve been craving a good old fashioned donut . A few weeks ago I noticed a photo on Instagram that made my mouth water. My friend Dorothy of ShockinglyDelicious had posted a recipe on her blog for Easy Glazed Baked Donuts.
Before I could make donuts I needed to order some pans. I ordered Wilton donut pans and as soon as they came I tried Dorothy’s recipe. She was right: those donuts are really easy and really tasty! I tried out colored sugars and decorative non-pareils to decorate the donuts after they were glazed — so much fun! And let me tell you, I was the woman of the hour when my family came into the kitchen and discovered those yummy donuts!
Mother’s Day Donuts: Banana Cinnamon!
I decided to try a different flavor this morning for Mother’s Day. I doubled Dorothy’s recipe, added mashed banana instead of half the sour cream, used some brown sugar along with the granulated sugar, and added cinnamon . For the glaze I used coconut extract instead of vanilla. Easy! (Scroll down the page if you are in a hurry to find the recipe.)
A Few Tips
The first time I made Dorothy’s donuts, I figured out that I had over-filled the donut pans because there wasn’t really a hole in each donut. Not that it mattered, those donuts were so delicious that nobody missed the holes! Today when I made a new batch, I was careful to fill the pans just 3/4 full, and the donuts came out just right. I must admit that I was happy to see those donuts with proper holes in them.
The donut pans I ordered online are non-stick, so I didn’t need to spray or grease the pans. What could be easier?
The glaze can be flavored with any kind of extract you wish. The first time I used lemon extract. Today I used coconut because I was making banana cinnamon donuts and coconut goes so well with banana. I found some pretty sparkly colored sugars in my pantry. So fun!
Cool the donuts in the pans for about 5 minutes, then let them finish cooling on the wire rack. Make sure they’re completely cooled before you dip them into the glaze, and then into the decorations.
Easy old fashioned cake donuts you can bake at home in your oven. Dip them in flavored glaze and sparkly sugars or sprinkles!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time12 minutesmins
Course: Quick Bread
Cuisine: American
Servings: 15donuts
Equipment
donut baking pan
mixing bowl
small bowl for glaze
small bowl for decorations
Ingredients
3medium eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1ripe bananapeeled and mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1teaspoon baking soda
t teaspoon cinnamon
Coconut Glaze
2 tablepoons melted butter
2 teaspoons corn syrup
2 teaspoons water
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
3/4 cup powdered sugar
sparkling colored sugars for decorationor sprinkles or non-pareils
Instructions
Donuts:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If not non-stick, spray donut pans with cooking spray.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs, and whisk in the sour cream, vanilla, oil, melted butter, sugars, and salt.
Stir in the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined.
With a soup spoon, carefully fill the nonstick donut pans with batter. This recipe filled two pans (total 12 donuts) and an additional 3 donuts. Bake for 12-14 minutes. The donuts will be golden brown and the top will be dry and springy.
Remove donuts from the oven and let cool in the pans for 5 minutes so that they will release from the pan without tearing. Cool completely on wire racks before glazing.
Glaze:
Melt the butter in the microwave oven. Add corn syrup, water, coconut extract, and powdered sugar to the butter and stir well until smooth.
Decorate:
When the donuts are cool, dip the tops of the donuts into the glaze and then dip into a bowl of colored sugar or sprinkles. Place on the wire rack until the glaze has set and is dry.
Notes
Recipe Source: Adapted from Dorothy Reinhold at ShockinglyDelicious.com. She adated hers from Dana Commandatore at Wakeandbakemama.com, and she adapted hers from a recipe from Thesemisweetsisters.com
Everything is Better with Bacon!
I cooked some bacon to go with those donuts. I do mine in the oven on a cookie sheet – 15 minutes at 375 degrees F. The Farmer made me a beautiful Latte and our daughter made scrambled eggs. Later our son stopped by with a friend so we shared “socially distanced” donuts and bacon out on the porch. What fun!
Mother’s Day Art
A special gift for Mother’s Day — a signed Rainbow Butterfly painting from my two-year-old granddaughter! Could Mother’s Day be any sweeter?
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