Bella Cucina Mini Donuts Are For Me

Have you ever wanted to make donuts at home?  Alice Horton (Days of Our Lives) I have never been.  A baker sometimes yes, but really just cookies, cupcakes and cakes.

I had never tried making donuts.  A few years back a Krispy Kreme came to our town and while it did not last long in New England (which is also known as Dunkin Donuts country), it was fun to watch them make the donuts though the glass.  I was not however, a fan of all the frying and flipping in oil.

My boys are all about donuts, which really is my own fault.  From the time they were about a year and a half old whenever I made my coffee stop I would also be caving to the pouty face and picking them up some munchkins or a donut.  It’s almost like they were born obsessed.  And the older they get the quicker I find myself wanting to curb their donut intake, as well as my own.

We got the Bella Cucina Mini Donut Maker and I have to say I love it.  It’s an all around family hit.  I put it on my counter, plug it in, and when the light changes from orange to green I’m ready to get cooking!  The instruction booklet even comes with several recipes.  Small homemade bite sized donuts in minutes.  You can cook 7 at a time and from just one batch I was able to make over 30 donuts!  I do not love cleaning anything to begin with, so I had that horrified thought of how am I going to clean all these little donut spaces.  But have no fear!  It is non-stick so we are taking super easy cleanups!  So far I have only made the basic donut recipe but I am loving the ones for higher fiber where you can substitute white flour with whole wheat or oat bran.  Now I’m controlling what goes into these snacks and I love it.

What I didn’t love so much is trying to glaze them.  I would seriously recommend skipping the glazing.  The donuts are so small you get more of it on your hand as it drips through the little hole and over the sides.  Just as tasty without glaze (and healthier too I’m sure).

The original retail price at Macy’s is $39.99.  Amazon has it listed at $22.49, but you can currently get it on sale from the Macy’s website for just $15.99!  How can you beat that!

The Official Bookworm Gift Guide

Whenever my birthday or other gift-giving occasion rolls around, I always hear “You’re a bookworm. I never know what to buy you!” and I end up getting a lame gift card.

To which I say pa-shaw and present you with The Official Bookworm Gift Guide. Official because I’m a bookworm and I either have, love or want everything I’ve included.

Enjoy. Buy your bookworm friends something nice for once.

10 Gifts for The Bookworm on Your List

1. Kindle - Even the most hardcore bookworm can appreciate the ability to access thousands of books on a whim.

2. Kindle Accessories – Covers and skins add personality and protection. The Kate Spade Kindle covers are especially fabulous – The Great Gatsby is my favorite.

3. Personal Library Kit – All bookworms love their books. If you borrow one, you better damn well give it back. Late fees will be assessed.

4. Coffee Mugs – What goes better with a good book than a mug of hot coffee or tea? These knee mugs and lap mugs from Uncommon Goods are fun for curling up on the couch!

5. Blankets – Not a Snuggie. Not a Slanket. (Though if you must choose one, the Slanket is the superior blanket with sleeves.) Something warm and comfortable and not As Seen on TV to cuddle up with while reading.

6. Book Lust and More Book Lust by Nancy Pearl – Books about books by a former book critic and librarian. A modern day canon of book recommendations for every mood and subject.

7. U Star Books – Does your bookworm have a favorite classic novel? Make them the main character! The plot remains the same, the only thing that changes is the name of the main character. You can also incorporate friends and family into the story, change the title and add your own dedication inside. If you’re especially close with your bookworm, you can personalize romance novels and erotica, too.

8. Bookends – A classic gift for any book lover that’s easy to personalize. You can find great bookends at thrift stores, book stores, and even Target. The Jonathan Adler dachshund bookends are delightful.

9. Book Lights – Book lights make great stocking stuffers. My favorite are by Mighty Bright. They have a huge selection, including USB lights and eReader book lights.

10. Bookmarks – I know it sounds cheesy, but bookmarks are another perfect stocking stuffer that avid readers can’t have too many of. There are book clips, digital bookmarks, and bookmark pens, so find something unique and fun.

Featured image by zitona

Because Coffee Really Is The Most Important Food Group

Meet my precious: the Keurig coffee maker. The Mother’s Day gift I made my husband and son give me last year. Best gift I ever picked for myself, and trust me, I’ve picked a lot.

I was an avid coffee press person right up until the time my husband suddenly decided to start drinking coffee (what is up that, anyway?). The press became a huge pain because it only holds a couple of cups of coffee, so I would have to boil a second pot of water, clean out the press, etc. Really too much effort for a weekend (I wait for free work coffee during the week), don’t you agree?

Now, I had considered the Keurig before but since I was the only one drinking coffee the press was really ideal. But now that there were two (three if you count my son, who, inexplicably likes coffee) coffee drinkers in the house, this started to sound like a good idea. I could have my stronger coffee, and my husband could have the coffee equivalent of training wheels. And, my son could have a cup of decaf once in a while. Brilliant.

Let’s start with the obvious. This is a nice looking machine. It’s not huge; it probably takes up a bit less space than a conventional coffee maker. It’s slightly rounded in back rather than square so it fits nicely in a corner. The pan on the bottom, where the cup sits, comes out for cleaning and for tall travel cups.

There are three “strengths” you can choose for your cup. A small cup, which would be pretty strong, a medium (think Startbucks) and a tall. You’ll have to play around and try them all to see which suits you. Which is the beauty of the thing really. You can have one cup strong and the next a little mellower. Everybody gets exactly what they want every time with no compromises. I love it when I don’t have to compromise. It’s a little bit of Christmas and my birthday all rolled into one.

The other great thing is that you have many choices in coffee, from mild to bold, organic and not. You can mix and match so there’s something for every mood. Plus you can also get all kinds of tea and hot chocolate. Honestly though, I’m not a huge fan of the hot chocolate (at least the one that comes in the sampler you’ll get with the machine) because it is made with water rather than milk. But that’s a personal preference. And I see that Godiva makes a hot chocolate for the Keurig, so that’s an enticement for me to give it another try. You’ll find the most choice online at Keurig.com, but you can also buy the K-Cups (as they are called) at Bed, Bath & Beyond, Kohl’s, Target and other places. We buy a huge box of the Newman’s Own at BJ’s once a month. It has about 80 cups in it. You can also purchase a refillable cup to use your own coffee in, but to me that defeats the entire purpose because then you have to clean that thing.

Now, the cleanup. Ready? Just take the cup out and toss it. Done. Brilliant.

And the coffee? It is good. And hot. And takes only a few seconds to brew. The machine needs a minute to heat the water when you turn it on, but after that your cup of coffee is done in a flash.

Mother’s Day is coming up. So is Father’s Day. And bridal season. And your birthday. You can thank me later.