Searching for a Baked Donut Recipe

Attention Blog Followers.

I need help.

This is important.

Very important.

We received a donut pan as a wedding gift.  (Just guess who scanned that little sucker in!)  Along with the pan, we received a donut cookbook.  My initial hesitation soon turned into excitement over this new baking project.  My first attempt, to the chagrin of our unsuspecting dinner guests, turned out... well, a little doughy.  Not terrible, but not good either.  The majority of the donut recipes are for frying the little suckers which is just not going to fly in my household.  I'm attempting Baked Recipe Round II tonight but have been searching high and low for alternative recipes and suggestions.  

My question to you:

Have you ever made donuts?

     If yes, did you bake or fry?

          If they turned out delicious, will you please send me your recipe or provide some helpful tips?

PS.  Judging by Round I, donuts are really fun to make!  Can you imagine the possibilities?!

L'Shana Tova!!

Happy New Year to all of my Jewish friends and family!  I hope you're all having a sweet celebration full of apples, honey and challah!  The Mister and I went to services at the reform Boulder synagogue last night.  Only in Boulder are bagels and lox referred to in the same sentence as organic beets and tofu!  Overall it was a good service and we're going to give this Rabbi another shot for Yom Kippur next weekend.

Rosh Hashanah is all about reflecting on the past year - whether good or bad - and praying to be inscribed into the book of life for one more year.  It seems fitting that our wedding was just one month ago because, as we start this new year, we are also starting a new life.  Yes, things are different since the wedding.  Different in a way that I cannot describe in words but in the feeling I get when I think about my home, my life, my husband.  Different in the security I feel.  Different in the love and warmth that I feel.  Life is good.  Needless to say, I am doing my fair share of reflecting this year!

My wish to you, dear readers (does anyone still read this anymore?!), is a year a good health, positive attitudes, time with family, wealth, and, most importantly, good food.  L'Shana tova!

*Recipe* Banana Cupcakes + Honey Cinnamon Frosting

I love bananas. Like, really love bananas. The Mister (formally known as The Groom) likes to buy a bunch at the beginning of the week and then forget to bring them with his daily lunch. This results in a fruit bowl full of overly-ripe bananas by Saturday. Jackpot! There is nothing better than baking with bananas, whether waffles, pancakes, banana bread, or, like today's project, CUPCAKES!

I found this killer recipe on Martha Stewart's website: http://www.marthastewart.com/314063/banana-cupcakes-with-honey-cinnamon-fros

I'm blogging from the iPad right now so I can't upload a photo but please trust me when I say you won't be disappointed. The frosting alone, ohmygosh, it's heaven in your mouth. Combine these cupcakes with Sunday football and I think you'll have a good ending to your weekend!

Man Lounge

I read a funny article in the Denver Post this morning that required immediate work-stoppage-for-blogging.  A popular Denver wedding showcase, one that I attended last year, has added a "Man Lounge" for bored fiance's, fathers, etc.  The article interviews several men who are all raving about the movie, Tombstone, the Wii, the beer and the food ("It's cheese, and that's always good,").

Interesting...


My thoughts:
Why would you ever bring a guy to a wedding show with you?!
If you were to bring them, doesn't that mean you want their opinion on something that you deem important?

My Groom was lucky enough to never have to accompany me to a wedding show because, fortunately, I was always able to find a girlfriend to drag along.  However, on the few occasions that I asked him to join me for wedding-related meetings, it was because I truly wanted/needed his opinion.  It is, after all, our day that we're planning.  Yes, I did most of the planning, but it was always with both of us in mind.  Case in point: The girls wore pink.  The boys did not.  They weren't even allowed to have pink boutonnieres.

I digress.

The article made for a good morning chuckle but I imagine that this isn't a trend that will catch on...

Happy Tuesday!

Lesson Learned: Bridesmaids

Blogging live from Raleigh, North Carolina...

Bridesmaids.

The word just leaves a bad taste in your mouth.  At least it did for me when I first started the wedding planning process.  Ugly dress, matching hair, tacky jewelry, chores, bridezilla fits, ... the list goes on and on but never once is a word associated with bridesmaid a positive descriptor.  Why?

We clearly always think of it from the bridesmaid point of view, which involves spending a lot of money on a friend who may not seem grateful.  Here's the Bride's point of view (that's me).

The sleepover the night before the wedding was so much fun.  I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent laughing and telling stories with 3 bridesmaids and 1 that's-why-I'm-not-a-bridesmaid! (jk, KT, I luv u).  I woke up early on the day of the wedding only to roll over and find that my east coast bedmate/bridesmaid was sticking with her timezone and was also awake.  We began giggling like school girls, well, maybe that was just me, until enough time had passed that I deemed it safe to start moving.  The day progressed complete with a bridesmaid (minus 1) brunch, mimosas and a hike up to the venue.  It was bliss.  The perfect way to start a day, any day.  They laughed with me, laughed at me and helped me begin the celebration early.  

That afternoon, as I presented them with robes, they became my (self-named) brothel.  They lounged around me.  Told me I looked pretty.  Inspired me with their own beauty.  And really seemed to enjoy the day as much as I was.  

Time flew by.  

Suddenly, pictures were done, the ceremony was over and the Groom and I found ourselves back in the Cattle Baron Room taking a breath before the reception.  Out of nowhere, my fairies appeared and immediately began bustling my dress so that I could have the dance party that I'd always dreamed about.  Throughout the night, I was brought water, my dress was fixed while I danced, and someone was always near to provide whatever it was that I needed, which was typically just a dance partner.

Moral of the Story:  I get bridesmaids now.  I understand why I asked my 5 best friends to wear a pretty pink dress.  They were more supportive than a Victoria's Secret bra.  They kept me calm.  They kept me on pace.  They made my day perfect with their unending love.  I honestly could not have done it without them.  

To: G, Yael, Sarah, KTC and Jess... THANK YOU.

Sincerely, 

A Grateful Bride

We're Still Married

I have to admit that I've been in a weird state of mind lately.  I think it's a wedding high and I sure hope it stays this way for a while.  We're going on day 10 post-wedding and, as my husband likes to tell his friends, we're still married!

I have several things that I want to blog about in coming posts - mostly wedding related - but for today I'm ready to just talk Day Of.  It was magical, perfect, amazing, better than we could have ever planned.  The day was sort of a blur but there were a few things that stood out more than the others:

While I was getting my makeup done, so sometime between noon and 1:30pm (because I had absolutely  no concept of time all day), Diane, the world's most amazing wedding coordinator/B&B owner/nerve calmer, came into the Girl's Room to announce that the ceremony was going to have to be moved to the backup location.  It had been raining on and off all day, as is typical for this region in the summer, and the doppler showed no signs of letting up.  I was disappointed but couldn't help but laugh when she mentioned that she had told the Groom first and his only concern was that he NOT be the one to pass the news on to me!  I knew that it would still be beautiful, this is why we had picked the venue after all, so the getting-ready process resumed with the hope that we could take some pictures outside before the ceremony.  I think that this was a blessing in disguise.  The ceremony was perfect and the space on the outdoor covered deck fit our group a little better than the original hillside location.  We were still outside and the views of the mountains behind the Chuppah were unreal.  And yes, we were still able to take our pictures outside.  Any doubt we had about the location of the ceremony was officially erased when, 5 minutes following the end of the ceremony, the weather turned to a complete downpour.  I thought it was beautiful :)

Another moment that I'll never forget was standing behind two closed doors with FOB, after the Bridal Party and Groom had walked to their ceremony places, waiting to take our walk down the aisle.  I was shaking.  Like, seriously, shaking.  I wasn't nervous but it was a feeling that I've experienced before.  Crazy adrenalin, perhaps?  My dad was whispering calming words and Diane threw out a few bits of advice although I don't think I ever comprehended what either of them were saying.  The walk down the aisle... well, did I even walk down the aisle?  I certainly don't remember it but somehow I made it to the Chuppah.  I don't remember seeing or hearing anyone else there except for me, my Groom and the Rabbi.  It was magical.

Someone came up to us during the reception and asked, "What were you two talking about during your first dance?  You looked so involved in a conversation."  Well, funny you should ask because that was another unforgettable moment.  The dance started off with lots of I love you's and you look great but quickly turned into a conversation of look, everyone is either in line for the bar or the dessert table! which then led into didn't we tell him to shorten this song to 2 minutes? why is the music still playing? I'm going to give the DJ the cut-off signal behind your back.  True story.  I wish I could tell you that we were whispering sweet nothings to each other but we weren't.  We were ready to get the real party started.

Coming up:
Lesson Learned: Bridesmaids
What Went Wrong (that you didn't notice)
If We Were To Do Things All Over Again...

PS.  Dear Friends, If you have pictures, please, pretty please, send them to me!!