Dear San Diego

I wish I could stay with you all summer long.



I love your ocean,



 

your beaches, 

 

 

 

 your sights,

 

your food,

your wildlife,

  

getting licked in the face by my son who thinks he's a dog,

and everything in between...

 

 

 

 

  

 ...except maybe Brown Eyed Boy's rage everytime we put him in his carseat. And 7-11's watered-down hot chocolate.

Besides that, perfect vacation.

See you again in September, San Diego.

Your best friend,
The Brown-Eyed Girl

Summer Vacation Blues

Does anyone besides me get the post-vacation blues?

We spent this past weekend in San Diego, and even though we've been home for three days, I still find myself dragging, sighing wistfully over memories of cool sea breezes, fresh seafood, and the glory of lounging on the beach without a care in the world.

After a weekend like that, coming home to temperatures of 100+ degrees, dirty laundry, and a whiny cat can make anyone a little depressed.

Thank goodness for air conditioning, my washing machine, and...a door that I can shut so I don't have to listen to the cat.

Pictures to follow. Of my vacation. Not of my cat.

Happy Friday,
The Brown-Eyed Girl

Mini Chocolate Cake Donuts

Once upon a time, I fell in love with Mr. Brown Eyes.

And then Mr. Brown Eyes took me to a place in Kansas called the Louisburg Cider Mill. He handed me an ice cold bottle of Lost Trail Rootbeer and a warm, melt-in-your-mouth apple cider donut.

And I fell in love again.

The problem: Lost Trail Rootbeer and apple cider donuts the way the Louisburg Cider Mill makes them are only to be had in Kansas. Someday, maybe, they will become available at my local grocery store. Until that day, the world will never be quite right. Until that day, every time we go to Kansas, Mr. Brown Eyes and I will drive home with four cases of rootbeer in the back of our car.

Anyway, for Mr. Brown Eyes' first birthday after our marriage, I decided to surprise him by ordering a case of Lost Trail Rootbeer. And then I found, to my delight, that the Louisburg Cider Mill's website also offered apple cider donut mix. Wouldn't I be the best wife ever if I not only bought my husband the best rootbeer in the world, but also made him his very own donuts?

So I did. And the donuts didn't turn out quite the same as the ones in Kansas, but just the fact that he had his very own case of Lost Trail Rootbeer made Mr. Brown Eyes oh-so-glad he married me.

I tell you all this to explain why I have in my possession this cute little mini donut pan.

As would be expected, it makes the cutest little mini donuts. And they're so easy.

Mini Chocolate Cake Donuts

            1 ½ cups flour                                               

            1/3 cup unsweetened baking cocoa                            

            1 tsp baking powder

            1/8 tsp salt

            2 eggs

            2/3 cup sugar

            1 tsp vanilla

            ½ cup milk

            2 T butter, melted

Preheat oven to 325. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl mix eggs, sugar, and vanilla until thick. Combine milk and butter. Alternately combine eggs mixture and milk mixture with flour mixture and mix until smooth and soft. Spray donut pan lightly with cooking oil. Fill with batter 2/3 full. Bake 8 minutes. Cool. Carefully remove from pan. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

To make the glaze, combine one cup of powdered sugar with 2 T hot water. Drizzle the cooled donuts as desired. Add sprinkles or nuts or whatever floats your boat.

As you can see, I made a big mess with my glaze and sprinkles. Be wiser than me. 

I had to include this picture because his expression is hilarious. I think I caught him in the middle of saying something. Probably, "I love sprinkles." Because he does.

Happy (belated) National Donut Day,

The Brown-Eyed Girl