Friday Fun Food: Baked Donuts

So, Mommy Maggie has tempted me with her baked donuts.  I tell you, I couldn't get it off my mind.  I was waiting till she shares to us her recipe I am able to find a donut molder  (Just teasing, mommy Maggie! :-D ) but hoo hah, one time while Pinteresting, I found this recipe and I just couldn't wait anymore.  I still don't have a donut molder but I thought, what the heck.

 

I said,  I will turn them into a full-fledged donuts, holes included... by hook or crook!

 

I used my good ol' cupcake silicon molder and just poked a hole in the middle of each "donut" using apple core remover (is that how it is called?)

 

The secret weapon

 

When I was all done, making my improvised donut holes, I was blowing the smoke from my apple core remover Lara Croft style.

 



 And there they are!  They look poorly but hey, wait till they get all dressed up!

 

Patience is not one of my strength.  Consider this a warning... let the donuts cool off before trying to remove them from the molder. Or they will end up like this!

 

Peanut butter glaze, baby!

 

So there.  The recipe yielded about a dozen donuts in a mini size... (think of the diameter of a normal cupcake).   There is definitely going to be a repeat of this recipe! Ñom!

 

Recycled Nescafe Jar

Have I already mentioned that Pinterest is addicting? Man, it seriously is! I find myself pinterest-ing every.single.night. Once the little one starts to do her little snores, I'd take my mobile and put myself under the blanket and start browsing through the bazillion ideas one can find in the sweet addicting world of Pinterest.  Yes, it could be possible that I am losing sleep because of too much Pinterest-ing.

Anyhoo... as I was browsing and pinning, I found this work of a really artsy man named Eric Barclay.  One of his works is this:

Isn't this too adorable??? I tell you, the guy is full of creativity and talent!

And since this is about recycling (I've been very gung-ho about recycling but just couldn't find time) and by a very, very good chance, I have one empty Nescafe bottle lying around the house, I said I must try this! 

And here is the result of my wannabee-artist work.  I know, it's far (like oceans afar!) from Eric's work but hey, the colors I used are all I have at the time AND I swear, my hand wouldn't just stop from trembling while I was trying to paint the bottle.  I don't really know what I was so nervous about.  And that crackled effect near the whites... and what's going on with the white?  Looks like I used a liquid paper.  I tell you I did not.  I used a super old white paint marker... but I guess it's already super old, that's why.

 

 

But I am still happy with the outcome.  My striped cat turned out cute in its own unique style, yes?  Maybe I'd get better on the next ones.  Maybe I should also get nicer colors to use, yeah? I still have to think of what to store in it.  For now,  it holds small knick-knacks in the kitchen.  But it should find a better purpose.  Maybe nuts? Or Sugar perhaps?  What would you use a bottle like this for?

 

 

Friday Fun Food: Peanut Butter and Choc Chips Muffin

Whoa! I've almost forgotten I have blog.  Thanks to some of you lovely readers who have reminded me that I'm somehow being missed :) 

I do have tons of stories to tell and most are about the dramatic and at the same time blissful moments of a mama but today is Friday so I decided to share something yummy.  See, ever since the Little Spanish Pinay started daycare, I've been cooking and baking nonstop because this mama strives hard to prepare homemade packed lunch and snaks for that little woman.

I got this recipe from Pinterest.  Ugh, this website is addicting, I tell you.  Here's the direct link where I copied the recipe from. 

So here is the recipe lineup:

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2/3 cup brown sugar

6tbsp butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup peanut butter (cruncy or smooth)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

3/4 cup chocolate chips

See that big tub of baking powder? A product of compulsive buying! I don't know what was I thinking buying that humongous amount of baking powder.  Not like I own a baking shop!  

And oh, that carton on the upper right corner?  That's milk.  Sheep's milk!  It's actually equivalent to a half and half milk.  The recipe calls for a normal milk - whole milk I suppose but since this is all I have (and soymilk), then this is what I used.  Sheep's milk is more digestive than a cow's milk so this is our staple milk at home :)  I won't be able to tell the difference it will make on the muffin but I can tell you that the muffins turned out quite succulent!

Eeeeniways, here's the direction.

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC).  I do not usually preheat my oven before I start everything.  I do things slowly... most often than not, even the instruction says 15minutes prep time, I would consume double or so. Hence, so as not to waste power (and money), I usually preheat the oven when I am starting to pour in the batter into the molders.  I just make sure that the even preheats for at least 10mins.

2. In a large bowl, wisk together the dry ingredients.   

That wisk without a handle is from my stick blender that broke.  The wisk works just like any other wisk so I decided it will not go to the trash :-)

3.   In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, peanut butter, eggs and milk until smooth.  Now, I may or may have not purposely let the peanut butter overflow from the measuring cup... but hey, I love peanut butter! Especially my homemade peanut butter!

4. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined. 

5. Stir in those yummy choc chips!  Batter will be thick.

6.  Divide batter into the paper-lined muffin or cupcake molders.  Each cup should be filled to the top and not just half way up to get that nice dome on the muffin.

note:  The original recipe said this will make 24 muffins... I was only able to do 17!  I think when it says fill up to the top, I understood it like overflowing a little bit.  I guess I have the tendency to exagerate a bit.

7. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the top of the muffin springs back when lightly pressed.

 

Hello beauties!

They are really nice to the pallette.  One bite and you'll be asking for more!  Hubby's comment is that it could still probably use some more sugar... but what can I say? Hubby has a very sweet tooth.  He's on the upper extreme of the sweeth tooth level.

So, tah-tah for now and happy weekend everyone!

Our breastfeeding journey coming to an end and sharing another mom's must-read breastfeeding success story

2 yrs and almost 5 months and we are still breastfeeding.  I've been really on and off about weaning.  Some difficult days, I'd stick a middle finger about "child-led-weaning" and some days where unicorns fly around us, I'd wish the moment that she'd ask to be nursed won't end.   I am seeing the near-end of our breastfeeding moment, though.  My supply is very low already.  Little Spanish Pinay herself would even tell me ya no hay leche, mami (no more milk, mami) like as if she's complaining and demanding for more.  So I guess, sooner or later, she'd get tired of sucking and would move on to her life without Las Boobies.  

How do I feel about that?

I am already nostalgic about it.

I am looking forward to it at the same time.

I feel triumphant as we really had a tough start on breastfeeding and that I have told myself 2yrs is the minimum time I'd breastfeed LSP.

If this is a novel, we are indeed nearing the denouement.

Speaking of a novel, I'd like to share another success story of a friend on breastfeeding.  Because novel = story.  I know, I'm good on segues. 

It is a really touching and beautiful story of courage, dedication and pure mommy love!  I do feel compelled to share this because I know that it may help other moms or mom-to-bes who want to really succeed on breastfeeding.  Please click the whole quote below to read the whole story.

"I set out with the benefits for the baby in mind, but I never thought that it could also be the best for me, in ways I didn’t intend. " -- Chichi Sotomil

Photo grabbed from Chichi Sotomil's fb page

p.s. Last month is Breastfeeding Awareness Month.  But I am extending it to this month and to all the months of the year. Because breastfeeding is that awesome!

Worldless Wednesday: "Fashion Fades. Style is Eternal"

Author, educator and parenting speaker, Vivian Kirkfield: Is Your Child Being Bullied?

I am really excited to share this clip of a short interview of Vivian Kirkfield by 9News TV. She has stated great tips on detecting whether your child is being bullied at school:

   Vivian is also the author of this equally amazing book: Show Me How! Build Your Child's Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking

I have personally own (with Vivian's authograph, nothing less!!) and read this book and been trying some of the activities with my little one.  It is surely one way to spend quality time with your children and be involved with them.  Getting involved with your children can also help them be more confident of themselves and open to communication with us, parents.  This may also help them easily talk to us when they experience bullying at shool.

 

p.s. I am a fan of Vivian :)

To the most wondeful man on earth and in the universe...

Happy birthday.

... did I say he rocks as a father too.

 

He's all good. All good.   There's really not much men like him in this world anymore.  Little Spanish Pinay and I are the luckiest girls for having him in our lives.  He got us fallen in love with him.  More everyday.  We love you, papi!

Wordless Wednesday: Strut the street

My Storyteller

Sharing a video of the Little Spanish Pinay reading for her dear mami at night.  I seriously died of cuteness overload here.   It's a good thing that I am trying to watch my diet these days (since we are still camped out at my inlaw's house and they seem to see me like some anorexic 16yr-old that they never stop stuffing food in my mouth) because I can really eat her up and swallow her whole!

She's the one...

... that constantly makes my heart skip a bit

with her bravado and tender nature in superlative form

... that would give me such emotions

as varied and colorful as the fishes and the corals in the sea

... that kills me with too much laughter in a day with her silliness

because she's just too darn funny

and alive and full of energy and too crazy

... that for God's divine reason, has completed our family.

... together with hubby, makes life not perfect but absolutely wonderful.