3. Try 30 New Recipes : Doughnuts

Again, using Emily Bites, Katie and I decided to try our hand at homemade (baked) doughnuts! These cake doughnuts are hands down, THE BEST doughnuts I've ever had. Think cake doughnuts, only fluffy and moiste and melt in your mouth delicious. They are perfect to fit your sweet tooth, without the sticky sweet frosting!!

The two recipes we made are Strawberry Doughnuts (which can be made with ANY fruit, really) and PB&J Doughnuts!

Ingredients:
1 c white whole wheat flour
1/3 c sugar
1 t baking powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/3 cup skim milk
1 egg
1 T melted butter
1/3 c diced strawberries
1 T agave nectar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 425. Lightly spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine strawberries and agave/maple syrup and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add milk, egg and melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix until just combines. Stir in berry mixture.
4. Fill each space (6) in your prepared doughnut pan about 2/3 full. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Ingredients:
¼ c peanut butter
¼ c sugar
1/3 c plus 1 T skim milk
1T fat free Greek yogurt (I used Fage 0%)
½ t vanilla extract
1 egg
1 c white whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
¼ t salt
2 T sugar free preserves (I used Smuckers Raspberry)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly spray a doughnut pan with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar and blend with an electric mixer until combined. Add the milk, yogurt, vanilla and egg and mix again. Add flour, baking powder and salt and use mixer again until just combined.
3. Using a spoon or piping bag, evenly distribute the batter mixture into the spaces in the doughnut pan. Put the two rounded tablespoons of jelly into a small dish and microwave on high for 10-15 seconds. Drizzle a teaspoon of melted jelly over the batter in each doughnut space. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in comes out clean. Cool before eating.

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We did find that the PB&J donuts were just a bit rich, although they would be DELICIOUS with milk to dunk in! The strawberry were by far our favorite, and with a bit of extra cinnamon they were extra yummy.

Again, both recipes are property of Emily Bites and only pasted here for my personal storage and to share with my family and friends! I definitely think you should check out her blog and make a few of her delicious recipes! They are healthy and everything we've tried has been delicious!

3: Try 30 New Recipes: Cheeseburger Cupcakes & French Fries

On my most recent trip to Nebraska, my sister and I were both trying to find healthier ways to make some of our favorite foods and we stumbled upon the website Emily Bites. She has a lot of healthy recipes, mostly Weight Watchers themed. And they are all yummy. Every one of them that I've tried.

Today? I bring to you, the Cheeseburger Cupcake! I've since made these multiple times, each time better than the last and with rave reviews from everyone who has tried them! (Although the recipe below has a few tweaks of my own...) And what better way to get a 3 year old to eat than to give her a cupcake for dinner?

Ingredients:
¼ c onion, finely chopped
½ lb Ground Turkey (or extra lean ground beef)
1/2 T Garlic Powder
1/2 T Your Favorite Mrs. Dash Sodium Free Hamburger Seasoning
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
4 Laughing Cow Queso Fresco & Chipotle wedges, chopped (Swiss also works GREAT!)
3 T ketchup
1 T mustard
16 wonton wrappers (typically found in the produce section)
½ c tomatoes, chopped
4oz (1 cup) reduced FF shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 375. Lightly mist 8 cups in a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
2. Mist a large skillet with cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté until cooked. Add ground beef and Hamburger seasoning and cook until meat is browned. Add mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until mushrooms are browned as well.
3.    Add in cheese wedges, ketchup and mustard and stir frequently until meat mixture is fully coated.
4. Push a wonton wrapper into the bottom of each of the eight sprayed cups in the muffin tin. Using about half of the meat mixture, spoon evenly into the wonton wrappers. Follow by sprinkling some of the chopped tomatoes into each cup (using about half the total tomatoes). Sprinkle about half the cheddar cheese evenly over the top of each cup. Press another wonton wrapper on top and repeat the layering steps with the remaining ingredients.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from muffin tin.

And what Cheeseburger is complete without some French Fries? I have to say, this recipe for (baked) Fries? One of the best I've ever had - and so simple!!

Ingredients
2 large potatoes, russet
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp herbs (your choice - I used Rosemary and Thyme)
1/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp  paprika
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 475°. Line baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Lightly coat with cooking spray.
Cut each potato lengthwise into 1/4 inch slices; cut each slice into 1/4 inch fries.
In a large bowl, combine cut potatoes and oil; toss well. Add  seasoning. Toss to coat.

Place in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes or until tender crisp, turning once half way through.

53. Send a Postsecret

I've been following Post Secret for a long time - since before I was pregnant. But not long after Skyler was born, this secret was posted. (If you somehow stumbled upon this blog and don't know - my daughter has a hand similar to that little girls, a small ball for a thumb and no other fingers.)

I saved it. 

It was somehow a sign to me. A realization that my little girl is far from alone. And I've looked at it when I've needed to know that through the past three and a half years. I've gotten a lot of comfort from it - although I haven't really noticed big problems with people staring at Skyler's hands. (In fact? I've known a few people who hadn't even noticed until I said something - other mom's from our playgroup, etc.) 

That said? This particular secret has helped me. And I realized, maybe one of my secrets could help someone else. So, I've sent my secret to postsecret. I mailed it this morning (Saturday - February 11, 2012) and I promise to update if it's ever posted on the website. But no, I will not tell you what it is. That's the point!

89. Watch a television series from start to finish :: Friday Night Lights

 Friday Night Lights. I'm not sure why I didn't watch this show while it was on - ok, I do. I was on the truck and couldn't watch any show with real consistency. But FNL is possibly my favorite television series. Ever. The characters were so real to me, the storylines actually believable. And the football? Well, I stood up and cheered while watching...

Why? Let's start with the characters! 
Eric and Tami Taylor? (Kyle Chandler & Connie Britton) I challenge you to watch this show and NOT fall in love with them as a couple and as people. I could gush on and on about them as characters. They were real, raw and completely relatable.

Tim Riggins? (Taylor Kitsch) **SWOON** He is rugged and he is loyal and he is realistic. Besides, I always cheer for the underdog. And that's Riggins, if I ever saw one. One last thought on Tim? Texas Forever! (And I dislike Texas, so that's huge.)

Matt Saracen? (Zach Gilford) Early in the series? I fall in love with Matt. Later? My  heart breaks for him as he figures out where his life is going and tragedy strikes. The poor kid is watching over his Grandmother who has Alzheimer's and dealing with his absent mom, who left when he was young and his dad, who is in Iraq. Watching him grow up in this series was fabulous.

Julie Taylor? (Aimee Teegarden) I loved Julie, I loved watching her struggle with the normal teenage girl things. I loved her relationship with her parents, dealing with a new baby sister as a high school student and her relationship with hot shot Quarterback Matt Saracen, mixed with the fact that her dad was his coach.

There are others - many many others. All whom I loved, but those are the main ones. The characters that touched my heart and are there to stay.

The Plot?

Where do I start? Small town Texas, High school football. What's not to love? (And yes, for the record, if you're curious? There are places where people place that much importance on football. That aspect is VERY real.)

I was attached to these characters, cheered for their teams, hoped their lives turned out the way they wanted. I just fell in love with this series and watched it in quick succession.

The series starts off quickly grabbing your attention - in the opening game the team's quarterback, Jason Street, is hit and paralyzed. The first season is his friends dealing with the consequences of his injury. You fall in love with them then, with his best friend Tim Riggins who has a very natural response. His girlfriend Lyla Garrity who gives up everything to stay by his side. Matt Saracen who steps in to take his place as the quarterback on the football team.

It just unfolds from there, all these kids and their hard times. And the football? Oh the football. I cheered as they scored, yelled at the refs when there were bad calls. I was into it, to say the least.

I will leave you with one final thought. Clear eyes, Full hearts, Can't lose.

3: Try 30 New Recipes

Cheese Bacon Ranch Pulls

1 unsliced loaf of (round is preferable) sourdough bread

8-12 oz cheddar cheese, thinly sliced

3 oz bag Oscar Mayer Real Bacon bits

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place slices of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread. Wrap in foil the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Cookie Dough Dip

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup toffee bits

Instructions

Cream together cream cheese and butter.
Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

40 & 41: Complete NaNoWriMo / Write a Novel

Last year (2010) I completed my first NaNoWriMo - titled "The Baker's Husband" and I have recently finished it's multiple edits and sent off a synopsis!! (I wouldn't call it a full submission, since I've only sent it one place... but I'm working on it!

This year, despite the universes best efforts to thwart me, I have won NaNoWriMo again!

November was a rough month for finding time (or rather motivation) to write. I started with Ryan home the first of the month, then a drive to Crawford for my Great Grandma's funeral (I had 2 days I didn't write) and then mid-month? Breaking Dawn came out, and like a hardcore geek that I am? I went to a viewing marathon, and then the midnight premiere. So another day of writing gone. Finally, finishing out the month, Ryan was home again. And when he's home? I like to dedicate my time to being with family.

I spent the month of November with Lena and Josh - my two main characters, and they take an interesting journey. I don't want to spoil much, because I have high hopes for this - once I've edited at least a dozen times! I know this piece is rough, and has a long way to go. But I do have high hopes.

Now, since I've told you absolutely nothing about my novel? I have to give credit where it is due.

The idea for my book came from Ryan.

I did a lot different from his initial idea, my characters were a good 30 years younger than his original idea, for one. Which makes a huge difference. The location is different, again making a pretty big difference.

But in the end? I am proud of my story. I love it and I'm anxious to see where it goes. I am going to set it aside for a few months, let it rest. (Stephen King says to *wink* ) and then I'm going to give it a shot at editing!

Accent? Hmm...

Thanks to my good friend Lis (at A Trucker Wife) I thought this was a fun little meme!!




The instructions are to say these words: 
Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

And answer these questions:

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?

What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?

What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?

What do you call gym shoes?

What do you say to address a group of people?

What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?

What do you call your grandparents?

What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?

What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?

What is the thing you change the TV channel with?