When Our Paths Cross: Back to the Basics

I've realized lately that I have been trying to hard to make everything so amazing that I'm getting lost in the details. So, back to the basics this week! Back to the chocolate chip cookies and the BK for date-night...okay, In-N-Out (It's Chad's favorite, so why not?).

This past Sunday Chad and I were craving donuts, so out comes the beautiful deep fryer we got at Bed, Bath & Beyond a couple weeks ago!

Delicious Delights: Donuts/Doughnuts
I used the same recipe for the donuts that I used for the Pizza Bites (Rolls). Here it is again:

Scones--Peggy

2 C warm water

1 T yeast

1/2 t salt

2 T sugar

4 C flour (2x water) (I always end up using more flour, because I like my dough less sticky)

5 T oil

In large mixing bowl combine water, yeast, salt, sugar and oil. mix slightly. Wait for yeast to bubble and float to top. Add enough flour. Knead five minutes (I don't ever count how much I knead it. I just knead it until it is the right texture) Roll out. Cut. Fry.

The glaze I used was the same one I put on the Danish Puff Pastry

Here it is again:

Traditional Buttercream Frosting: (learned from Mom)

2 C powdered sugar

1-2 T butter, melted

sprinkle of salt

1/2-1 t vanilla/almond ext

milk

Put everything but milk into a bowl and mix until you can't anymore. Add milk, 1T at a time until glaze is consistency you want it. (I like mine pretty soupy)

And that's that. :D

While I was at work, one of my coworkers and I got talking about healthy food--we work at a bakery, so it doesn't come up all that often. :) While we were talking about it, I told him I make a fruit smoothie every day and without it I can definitely tell the difference. I'm more tired and everything's a bit more fuzzy. He asked me what I put in it, and here it is:

Delicious Delights: Daily Smoothies

1 banana

4 very large frozen strawberries (or the equivalent of frozen fruit)

1 normal yogurt--whichever flavor you choose. I use Activia from Costco, or the low-fat kind from the normal grocery store, and I love the combo of peaches with the frozen strawberries.

2 Tbsp Jell-O powder--supposed to help your joints, again, any flavor. I usually use raspberry.

Milk, to make the blender work

It's best if you blend the frozen strawberries with the milk first. I usually don't, just because it takes a bit longer. I use the magic bullet type thing I have to make my smoothies. (I'll try the blender soon!) I layer it like: (the list is like it is, the ingredient on the bottom, on the bottom--closest to the blades, and the ingredient on the top, on the top)

Banana Pieces
Yogurt
Jell-O Powder
Strawberries (or other frozen fruit)
Milk

They are wonderful, and I presume pretty healthy for you. :)

I volunteer in the elementary schools frequently, and the other day I was a couple minutes later than I usually am, so I was in the middle of the hallway when all the students began singing the Star-Spangled Banner, the national anthem. Which, despite the incredible talent it takes to sing the song well, it touched my heart to hear them all singing together, memorized by heart, the anthem of our country. Needless to say, they probably don't recognize the significance that it has to me. I was alive and in elementary school myself when the attack on the Twin Towers in New York occurred, so it can only be natural for me to find comfort, strength and courage in this song. Just my experiences. :)

This week I also cleaned Chad's muddy tennis shoes that have been muddy and waiting for me since November's Turkey Bowl...I used the fabulous knowledge source of Google, which led me to many Yahoo questions about it, and determined I would brush off as much mud as I could with a toothbrush, then wash them in the washer with Oxi-Clean and air-dry them.

This is what they looked like when I took them out of the bag to clean them.

Close up. It's pretty caked on there.

After I cleaned them with the toothbrush I decided

I needed to clean it with a wet toothbrush.

Here they are after the wet toothbrush. Amazing wouldn't you say!? Just water and a toothbrush.

And this is after the Oxi-Clean in the washer. I'm impressed. Now you know what to do! Thanks to a conglomeration of Google and Yahoo. :P

Today Chad and I went with our congregation up to Salt Lake to do service at the LDS Temple there. It was such an uplifting experience, and the temple is so beautiful!