Grocery Games from the Couch

Counting my words again. 

Today my fellow Word Counters and I are sharing our monthly group post. Each month one group member picks  a number between 12 and 50. All participating bloggers are then challenged to write something (or a few somethings, as the case may be) using that exact number of words. Today we all share what we came up with. 

This month's number is 18. 
It was chosen by Me!

As I've been doing in these Word Counters posts, I've chosen a theme and am using my word count multiple times in keeping with the theme. This month I've chosen the theme Grocery Games from the Couch.

 

~ There's Guy's Grocery Games, then there's mine. Guy's winners get ten thousand dollars. My prize is . . . way less.

 

~ I don't run down aisles with a kiddie sized cart, in fact, mine is played from my couch.

 

~ But I do still buy some of my groceries online for pick up. It's quicker, safer and easier.

~ But no more absurd ingredient substitution game. Seems oregano in place of cinnamon just doesn't work. Who knew?

 

Toffee Crunch Cinnamon Donuts

~ Sometimes I win. Fifty dollars a pound for chicken wings, I got four pounds for thirteen dollars. SCORE!

~ Strategy hint, don't just look for what ingredients, pay attention to cost. Avoiding twelve dollar frosting? Another win.

~ Read the ingredients! Don't buy fig jam made with pee . . . unless you want fig jam made with pee . . .

~ And sometimes I lose. Couldn't find fresh squash anywhere (why?). Stealing from someone's garden would be cheating, right?

~ Finally gave in, took a chance buying frozen. And what's in the bag wouldn't fill a cavity. LOSE!

~ Going to apply for Guy's games. Maybe if I win ten thousand dollars I could afford some zucchini.

Here are links to the other Word Counters posts:

On the Border 

Messymimi’s Meanderings 

 

Toffee Crunch Cinnamon Donuts        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (makes 12 donuts): 

5 TBSP butter

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup cinnamon baking chips

1/3 cup toffee baking bits

1 cup milk

3/4 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

4 TBSP butter

1/8 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup toffee baking chips

Directions:
*Melt 5 TBSP butter and set aside.

*Grease 12 donut pan wells. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

*In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, the cinnamon baking chips, and 1/3 cup of the toffee baking bits.

*In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, ,vanilla, and eggs. Add the wet ingredients and the melted butter to the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated.

*Spoon evenly into the prepared donut pans and bake for 10 - 12 minutes, just until the center springs back to the touch, don't over bake. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges and removing.

*Using a food processor or clean coffee grinder, chop the remaining 3/4 cup toffee baking chips to fine crumbs. Place in a bowl.

*Melt the remaining 4 TBSP butter in a bowl and mix in the remaining 1/8 tsp cinnamon. Dip the top of each donut first in the butter, then in the toffee chips.

Going and Gone: Secret Subject Swap

 

Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 6 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.

 

My subject is: What was your best/worst vacation? Tell us about both.
It was submitted by: Rena of Wandering Web Designer.

I know many people who could answer that question in a hot minute. For me, that would be really hard. I've traveled quite a bit and each time there was something spectacular about the destination. Even when the trips were for business, there was always time to explore, mingle with the locals and have fun. 

As far as a worst vacation goes, I can't say that I've ever really had a full bad vacation experience. There certainly have been some difficulties, mostly with travel. My top three:

Taking off in a very small plane with my sister for the jump over to St. Croix. Just as the wheels lift off my sister laughs and points out the window "ha, ha, look, there's your luggage on the tarmac." I pointed and answered "ha, ha, that's yours next to mine."

A real travel nightmare was when we were flying home from Marco Island, just me and the boys, who were little. Flights were delayed and canceled, I can't remember why. I stood in line for over an hour, staring the whole time at the boys sitting in airport seats to be sure they didn't wander off (thank goodness for hand held games). When it was my turn, they put me on an alternate flight through Dallas/Ft. Worth. I begged them, "please, if there is any chance I'll get stuck overnight with two very little boys, tell me now, I'll go back to my mom's tonight and try again tomorrow." They assured me I would make it home tonight.

You know what happened, right? 2:00 am I'm stuck in a hotel line with not only cranky boys but a whole lot of cranky adults (me included). They would not give us our luggage so no clothes, contact lens cases or fluid, nothing. We slept in our clothes, got up before the butt-crack of dawn and made it home looking (and feeling) like zombies. The boys were angels, btw.

 

There was also a time when our vacation plans changed dramatically. The boys and I were again flying out to Marco Island to spend some time with my mom. The boys were about 6 and 7 years old. It was February, freezing cold in the Midwest and we were looking forward to the warm weather and the beach. The night before we were to leave, my grandfather died. Mom was flying home to Boston from Marco. I unpacked all of our summer clothes, repacked with winter clothes and we flew out to Boston instead.

But the good experiences far outweigh the bad, and that's the reason why I can't really pick a favorite. I can pick out some highlights, though, from some of my travels. First in the US:

California: doing a tour of wine country and finding new favorites.

Maine: the fresh lobstah, of course.

Vermont: learning to ski with my family.

Massachusetts: I thought, when I went to Nantucket Island, that I was going to spend a long weekend in a quaint New England bed and breakfast, didn't know I was going to end up engaged.

Nevada: Las Vegas always has something fun in store, but the Billy Joel, Elton John concert was the highlight of the trip.

Indiana: having PurDude show me around his school just a few months into his first semester.

Colorado: Breckenridge was my first time skiing on powder. Wow, what a difference from New England skiing.

Hawaii: the diverse scenery.

St. Croix (USVI): the beautiful Caribbean beaches.

Louisiana: the French Quarter at night, (though not as much fun as it could have been since I was pregnant and couldn't drink). And the beignets, even better than donuts (shhh, don't tell).

 

Baked Caramel Apple Donuts

And in some of the other countries I've been to: 

Mexico (Cozumel): snorkeling in the beautiful clear water. Fish every color of the rainbow. 

Israel: the history (certainly not the food), and the unique experience of floating in the dead sea.

Taiwan: dancing the night away with the locals in Taipei.

England: so much to see and do, but the highlight was seeing my brother graduate from Cambridge.

Venezuela: just getting away for a peaceful beach vacation with my mom and my sister.

Hong Kong: the shopping, the shopping and the shopping. I even worked with a tailor and designed some of my own clothes.

Montreal: the cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes of Old Montreal.

St. Lucia: The rain forest. And having a private pool outside the bedroom slider of our honeymoon suite.

Mexico (Cancun): parasailing for the first (OK, and so far only) time.

 

I know in the future I'll be able to answer at least what the best vacation was. It's the one I'm looking forward to now. One day, when it's safe, I will fly to Colorado with Hubs and College Boy. We'll finally get to see the condo PurDude has been living in for over a year. He'll show us around his new home town, parks, hiking trails, and Pearl Street with it's shopping and restaurants. He'll take us to Louisville so we can see where he works. We'll ski together for the first time since he learned to ski in Breckenridge all those years ago. And it will be the best, the absolute best, vacation ever.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

Wandering Web Designer 
A 'lil HooHaa 

The Crazy Mama Llama 

Climaxed 

Part-time Working Hockey Mom 

Baked Caramel Apple Donuts

                                                              ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe


Ingredients: 

2 1/4 cups flour 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

4 TBSP canola oil

1 1/4 cups milk 

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 apple, cored, peeled and chopped 

1/2 cup caramel baking bits

 

1 1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp apple pie spice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

3 TBSP apple juice

 

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 15 donut pan wells.

*Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, 1 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp apple pie spice. Set aside.

*In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, vanilla and eggs.

*Add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Add the apples and caramel baking bits and mix in briefly.

*Spoon into the prepared donut pans. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch.

*Run a knife gently around the sides of the donuts, then cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, remaining apple pie spice remaining cinnamon, and apple juice. Drizzle evenly over the cooled donuts.

Baked Cinnamon Carrot Donuts: Carrots Blog With Friends

Today’s post is the next in our series of Blog With Friends themed collaborations. Each month a group of bloggers get together and each publish a project based on a theme. What I love about his partnership is that it's not bloggers with similar interests or strengths but a diverse group coming up with a variety of posts. In any given month we may a recipe, sewing tutorial, crocheting, crafts project, book review, and/or technology post all related to the theme of the month.

This month's theme is Carrots.

There will be individual project pictures and links to what everyone else has to offer at the end of my post, but here's a peek at what we all came up with:

I made Baked Cinnamon Carrot Donuts.

Baked Cinnamon Carrot Donuts

Carrots? Yay! My time has come! 

Since I add recipes to most all of my posts, when it comes to these monthly Blog With Friends theme based posts, I've often had to interpret the theme loosely. Often very, very loosely.

But carrots? OK, this is going to be the easiest theme yet.

Or . . . not so much.

See, I've featured carrot recipes on this blog, bunches (so to speak) of times. Pretty much in every way:

With an appetizer: Red Pepper and Spinach Hummus
In soup: Kielbasa Soup, Crockpot or Not
In salad: Layered Thai Shrimp Salad
In a main dish: Shrimp Pot Pie
In a side dish: Pralined Snap Peas and Carrots
In bread: Simple Carrot Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting
In cookies: Cinnamon Toffee Carrot Cookies
And, of course, in cake: Carrot Cake

Jeez? What's left? 

Sometimes inspiration comes with a bit of luck and a touch of necessity. As it happens, I was pondering this in the morning, coffee was brewing, Hubs was scrounging for something to eat and College Boy was walking in the door. That's how it came to me. Donuts.

I quickly put together a recipe in my head based on a basic baked donut recipe, what ingredients I had on hand, and what would go with carrots. 

I started by finely chopping the carrots in my food processor and the cinnamon baking chips in a clean coffee grinder. If you don't have cinnamon baking chips, you should look for them wherever you go shopping, I love them, but for this recipe you can just increase the cinnamon in the dough.

This is an easy recipe. Mix the dry ingredients, whisk the wet, mix them together briefly, 

fill the pans 

and bake.

I could have chosen any topping for these, something with cream cheese would go beautifully, but I chose a simple cinnamon sugar topping, and I'm glad I did. 

Breakfast is served:

As always, any time you make one of my recipes, feel free to post a picture of it to my Baking In A Tornado Facebook Page. I'd love to see it!

Be sure to visit all of this month's other Blog With Friends projects:

Tamara of Part-time working Hockey Mom shares Carrot Muffins. 

 






Dawn of Spatulas on Parade shares her recipe for Apple Carrot Salad. 


 




Lydia of Cluttered Genius shares Make Your Own Scavenger Hunt. 

 





Melissa of My Heartfelt Sentiments shares Spreading Easter Joy. 

 






P. J. of A 'lil HooHaa shares Carrots from the Eyes of a Mischievous Youngster.

 

Baked Cinnamon Carrot Donuts

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (makes 12 donuts):
1/4 cup cinnamon baking chips, finely ground (I use a clean coffee grinder), if you cannot find cinnamon baking chips, see note in the directions below
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup finely chopped carrots 
1/4 cup milk
3 TBSP butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 egg

6 TBSP butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
*NOTE: If you cannot find cinnamon baking chips, you can omit but increase the cinnamon in the batter recipe to 1 tsp.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 donut pan cups.
*Mix together the flour, 2/3 cup sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon (or 1 tsp if not using baking chips) and the ground cinnamon baking chips.
*Whisk together the milk and egg. Add to the flour mixture, along with the carrots and melted butter and mix just until incorporated.
*Spoon evenly into the prepared donut pans. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch and the tops start to brown. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing.
*Mix together the 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp cinnamon on a plate. Melt the remaining butter in a bowl. Dip the donut tops first in the butter, then in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Allow to set, dipped side up.

Chocolate Covered Everything: Chocolate Covered Anything Day Poetry

If stress is on your plate,

this holiday season.

No reason to despair your fate.

and here's the reason. 

December 16th is a special time,

Chocolate Covered Anything Day.

Our poetry group will celebrate.

And you know in what way.

 Chocolate Covered Everything

Let me just say,

loud, proud and true.

Everyone knows there's

nothing chocolate can't do.

Some cultures even dunk

scorpions, bees and ants.

Cover anything, everything,

and make 'em look like Rembrandts.

I'm not as artistic, not

ahem . . . adventurous too.

But I approach this day,

as you'd expect me to do.

Baked Chocolate Lovers' Donuts

I'm a kitchen disaster,
but really, that's okay.
Because the results of my mess,
Always saves the day.

Melted chocolate everywhere,
on nuts, fruit and chips.
Even gave some thought
to those licorice whips.

In walked the family,
proudly showed my display.  
Eyes popping in awe,
here's what they say: 

"You've done yourself proud,
that much is true.
But is chocolate covered everything
supposed to include you?"

Before you go, click on these links to more poetry from some of my friends:
Diane of On the Border shares Are You Going To Eat That?
Dawn of Spatulas on Parade shares Dear Chocolate Lover. 

Baked Chocolate Lovers' Donuts

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (makes 12):
3/4 cup baking cocoa
1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 TBSP butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 TBSP chocolate syrup
2 eggs, room temperature

1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream

OPT: Multicolored sprinkles or nonpareils

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 12 donut pan cups.
*Whisk together the baking cocoa, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
*Separately, whisk together the melted butter, buttermilk, chocolate syrup and eggs. Add to the flour mixture, just until incorporated.
*Spoon or pipe evenly into the prepared donut pan(s). Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch. Cool in the pans for 1 minute before turning out onto a rack. Cool the donuts completely. Put wax paper under the rack before glazing to catch the excess glaze.
*Heat the dark chocolate chips and heavy cream in the microwave until smooth when stirred. Dip the tops of the donuts into the chocolate glaze (or drizzle the glaze over the donuts). Immediately top with sprinkles or nonpareils if desired.

Need to NOT Know

There are three levels of information reception: that which you need to know, you don't need to know, and you need to NOT know.

I thought that all of this forgetfulness was because of my age. But lately I've come to another conclusion. And you know what? It makes a whole lot of sense. It's not about senility, it's not even about stress, it's about capacity. The brain is not a sieve, it's a vessel. I like to think of mine as a wine decanter, but that may be beside the point. When you're young, you can put all kinds of things in there and they just slosh around in all that space. But as you go through life, more information goes in, and it's got less space to fill, but that's OK, it's not like its spilling over. Yet.

But eventually, at some point, you need to start discriminating, choosing what you're gonna let in that glass and what is just not needed. Use your space wisely. Because if you're going to let in any inane, witless piece of junk, something's going to pour out. And, I've found, you don't get to choose. Whatever drains, drains. So, for instance, you may know that the face Suzy's dog makes looks like he's smiling, but not why you just walked into the kitchen.

And more than just not having the capacity to process it all, it's also true that there may be some flotsam and jetsam that can actually taint the waters, so to speak.

See, it's not that I'm getting old, I'm just not using my capacity wisely. 

TMI is a thing, friends. In fact, it seems these days too much information has taken on a life of its own. In light of my recent epiphany, let me just say that if there are questionable tidbits of information you share just with those on your own private "need to know" list, tell me how to unsubscribe. Because, although we applaud curiosity as a way to further our understanding of the world, and I agree with that philosophy, there are just some things I don't need to know.

In fact, as I take control of my information retention, let me be clear, there are things that I desperately seriously, critically, acutely, perilously need to NOT know.

This is true whether you're sitting in my kitchen over a cup of coffee and a donut, or you're a frequent guest in any of my social media news feeds. 

Baked Cookies and Creme Donuts

This week's treasure trove of things I need to not know:
 
* I need to NOT know how many times your reaction to your current medication has sent you running to the bathroom.

* I need to NOT know the size of your cat's hairball. And please, in the name of all that is holy, do not include a picture.

* I need to NOT know any other body function (or malfunction) that occurs when you sneeze.

* I need to NOT know what your husband calls his favorite body part. Nor what you call it.

* I need to NOT know what you stepped in on your daily walk. Not how it looked, felt, what it sounded or smelled like. Nothing.

* I need to NOT know that you wore your underwear inside out today. I do it all the time but you don't see me talking about it (oops, I think I just did). And if you wear them on your head, or if your significant other wears them or pretty much anything else underwear related, it all falls under this need to not know umbrella.

* I need to NOT know the blow by blow gory step by step details of your recent surgery. I'd be happy to wish you well, however, if you just let me know that you'd had surgery. Or stitches. Or even a little boo boo.

* I need to NOT know anything at all that includes the words: cockroaches, puss, manscaping, fungus, phlegm or tripe. Under any circumstances. Ever.

* I need to NOT know that you're dry. Anywhere. Or wet for that matter.

* I need to NOT know what color your child's poop is (was, or ever will be).

My brain thanks you.
  

Baked Cookies and Creme Donuts        
                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 TBSP French Vanilla creamer
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, room temperature
5 TBSP butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups flour 
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Oreo Thin Bites Cookies, crushed

1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup baking cocoa
about 5 - 7 TBSP French Vanilla creamer
1/3 cup Oreo Thin Bites Cookies, crushed

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 12 donut pan cups.
*Whisk together the buttermilk, 2 TBSP French Vanilla creamer, vanilla and eggs, then the melted butter.
*Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the liquid mixture, just until incorporated. Fold in the 1/2 cup Oreo Thin Bites cookie crumbs.
*Spoon or pipe evenly into the prepared donut pan(s). Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, or until the center springs back to the touch. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before removing.
*Whisk together the powdered sugar, baking cocoa and as much French Vanilla creamer as is needed to get the mixture to a glaze consistency. Dip tops of the warm donuts into the glaze. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining crushed cookies. Allow to set