food, crochet, merriment
“Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly, including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone once said, ‘Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled that everything looked too yellow.’ Yes, life has its problems, and yes, there are negative things to face, but please accept one of Elder Holland’s maxims for living—no misfortune is so bad that whining about it won’t make it worse.”
Jeffrey R. Holland
“Faith is not a theological platitude. It is a fact of life. Faith can become the very wellspring of purposeful living. There is no more compelling motivation to worthwhile endeavor than the knowledge that we are children of God, the Creator of the universe, our all-wise Heavenly Father! God expects us to do something with our lives, and he will give us help when help is sought.” ~President Gordon B. Hinckley
Happy Birthday Pam!
It’s just not a particularly fair planet–is it?
I mean, come on.
Haven’t I been doing really well…
resisting every snack…
every treat…
every goodie, for weeks now?
All for the sake…
of the dreaded scale?
Doing quite well, too–thank you very much.
And then, my talented kids…
take an otherwise innocent afternoon…
and pull this.
Chanting, chanting, chanting…
“Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels. Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.”
No.
But I bet it’s dang close.
Sheesh.
Ingredients
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups buttermilk
Oil for deep-fat frying
Additional sugar, cinnamon-sugar or confectioners’ sugar, optional
Directions
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until light and lemon-colored. Add butter and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. doughnut cutter.
In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375°. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 1 minute on each side or until golden. Drain on paper towels. Roll in additional sugar if desired. Yield: 4 dozen.
(Recipe from Taste of Home Magazine)
So for the past two days I’ve been far away from home–in Salt Lake City–ok, not terribly far away, I’m just saying…
Anyway, April and I are at the Art Weekend taking “Nicole’s Classes” on computers, blogging and becoming magnamonious in every possible way. Yes, I made up that word. You will not believe how brilliant we are becoming!
I took a class yesterday on starting an Etsy shop. The good news is that while only about a third of the class already had an Etsy shop, I was one of them. See, the reason this is such good news is because I was BY FAR the oldest person in the classroom–and that includes the janitor that popped in the back of the room to grab trash a couple of times. So I must say that it felt good to raise my hand when the instructor asked if any of us already kinda knew what we were doing. Not to imply that I do know what I’m doing–but it felt good to be on that side of the roster.
Ha! Take THAT all you pretty little youngsters!
I did learn a great deal about how to make my silly little shop into a cute little shop, that people will be captivated by–which of course, is the reason for the class. So prepare to be dazzled in the very near future!
Oh, one funny moment that I must tell you about…
The gal sitting next to me raised her hand and asked, “What are the demographics of the people who actually purchase handmade items from Etsy? I mean…” and here’s the good part, “…I can’t really picture old people, like, you know, fifty-year-old ladies clicking around buying stuff.”
About the time she said, “old people” I sat up straight and turned my head towards her. But when the word, “fifty” came out of her mouth, I grinned at her and mumbled, “Waaaatch it…” She paused and slowly looked at me as everyone started laughing. Hoping she felt a bit–silly.
I suppose I shouldn’t have teased her. After all…I’m not 50 anyway…
I’m 51.
Ha! again my lovelies.
Oh, and the other good stuff—since I seem to have swallowed a big dose of truth serum–is that April and I have been doing wonderfully on our “lifestyle modifications.” She has lost 15 pounds and I have lost 28.6. She–will be perfect and gorgeous any second now–goal wise, while I still have a ways to go. But I’m wearing clothes that haven’t seen daylight since Laura Ingalls loaned them to me and close friends are noticing, “something.”
I’m liking THAT a lot.
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
Oh, and it’s “Hug a Bear Day” so…
get on that.
