Time to make the donuts

This morning C9 & Q8 asked for French Toast. I suggested that they make it themselves. If I'm home I'll usually make C9 French Toast because it is a good way to get her to eat 2 eggs, but I was feeling a bit lazy. So then they asked if they could make pancakes. Sure! Absolutely! Grab the cookbook! Which they did, and as they were flipping through to get to the recipe they saw "old-fashioned doughnuts" which of course caught their eye. And they asked if they could make donuts. In a fit of good humor I said yes.

I basically left them to make the dough while I showered, and they did a nice job. When I came back downstairs they were almost done with the batter, and they'd followed the recipe to a T.

We floured the boards, rolled out the dough, and cut it with cookie cutters. Doughnut dough it pretty flat to begin with, but I was hoping it would pop up once it hit the hot oil.

 

The oil took a while to warm up to 360 degrees F .... good thing I had my instant read thermometer. I LOVE that thing. Thank you, thank you C45 for buying me that. I use it all of the time. And I guess I should say thank you to B for breaking my other thermometer. Yep, because if I still had that I wouldn't have this expensive and awesome one. I think all other frying problems I've had in the past have been a result of not getting the oil hot enough. Hot oil = good frying.

I did all the frying, of course. And still got a teeny burn on my thumb. But didn't want the girls doing it. Frying action shots (and yes, I'm on a stool):

 

Once the doughnuts were fried (they DO puff up to become 3D!!) and cooled a bit the girls dipped them in powdered sugar (C9) and cinnamon and sugar (Q8). 

A sample of the final product!

Ocean CIty, NJ

So. A few weeks ago I decided to go to Ocean City, NJ to visit my good friend D from college and her family while they were in OCNJ. Both children wanted to go, although C45 declined, as he didn't want to go to the beach.

THEN ... Hershey Park with grandparents happened. When they returned on Friday both C9 & Q8 decided they did NOT want to go. Because they wanted to relax at home after a week away. I got it, that was fine, a little bit bummed that nobody wanted to go with me, and a little bit thrilled that nobody wanted to go with me. Right? So, then Saturday Q8 decided she DID want to come with me. Great. Somebody did love me after all! Fun, we'd have a great time! Until Sunday morning (the morning we were leaving) when Q8 decided that she didn't want to go after all.

And then the agonizing began. For over an hour she vacillated between wanted to go and not wanting to go. She couldn't tell me why. Eventually I suggested she write it down, which she did, and I found out she was hesitant because of R12, who would also be there. We talked about it, still she couldn't decided what to do (but hadn't gotten dressed nor packed). So eventually it was 8 am, and my time to leave: I kissed everybody goodbye and suddenly Q8 screamed "I WANT TO GO!" but did nothing until we suggested she get dressed and pack and C45 helped her get dressed and pack and we were on our way. Three hours and 5 minutes later, and we were there. Great ride, no traffic, all good.

We immediately hit the boardwalk, and the rest of the 30 hours we were in OCNJ were fabulous. We rode the rides,

we played mini-golf (um ... some of us did ... Q8 gave up after 3 holes, but here is proof that she started)

Hooked up with friends we hadn't seen in almost 10 years!!!! Yay for that! That was a bonus!

... me and three others from 267 Court Street!!

And oh, my but did Q8 and M3 got along fabulously. I mean, fantastic. Q8 got to be the big girl, and M3 got to be with the big girl. It was so adorable. When M3 got out of the stroller to walk, she always took Q8's hand. And they did stuff together. Like play in the sand, stroller derby, and just hanging out. They were cute.

Random summer fun

OK, just a few photos. Q8 watering the horses.

C9 and M10 out to breakfast after a sleepover. Q8 was with C45 at the Joan Jett concert at a county fair in Pennsyvania somewhere. We went tt the Fenton St. Cafe in Silver Spring, MD. For crepes!

And Q8, who loves to make fires. She learned this at WoodsWise camp early in the summer. This came back to bite her when she accidentally set her marshmallow on fire, pulled it OUT of the fire, and it dropped on her ankle. 2nd degree horrible burns. But ... you've gotta learn somehow, right?

Another fire photo!

And for me ... Garlic! I harvested this batch mid-July

Winnipesaukee - Paddle boarding & Weather Photo

Weather! I LOVED paddle boarding. Love love loved it.

Winnipesaukee - Kayaking & Ice Cream

First: Kayaking!

Second: Ice cream! One of my vacation goals was ice cream every night. I got 6 out of 7 nights. Acceptable. This was the best place. Their mocha chip was amazing. Their mint chip less amazing, but still good.

Lake Winnipesaukee - Girl pictures!!

So, the week of July 19 to July 25 we headed to Wolfsboro on Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. G38 kept telling us that What about Bob was filmed there. Well, it wasn't, but it was SET there. And I can see why. The town was super cute, Wolfsboro bay was fantastic, and all in all it was a great place. Our house was just about 1/4 mile from the center of town, so the big girls (K10, C9, Q8) could walk there by themselves. Which was cool for them. They could go do things: shop, eat candy, go to the library, without us. Always nice.

These are the best of the silly girls photos.

  

4th of July weekend

It had been a long time since I'd been to New England for the 4th of July, so this year we decided to go. First stop, we visited K & T & J in Easthampton. Fun, of course, as always.  They have a backyard salt-water pool that was very attractive to our kids. They played in there a great deal, but at one point there was a little ... I don't know, J8 got hurt, then they had a hard time getting back to having fun ... so I decided to spice things up for them. And jump in with my clothes on.

Gloucester. I didn't take any photos at the party, but this is what I wanted to do, and nearly all of the extended L---- family was there. It was great to see nearly everybody, even if for just a few moments each We also walked to Brace Cove, which I used to call the sea glass beach. Not nearly as much sea glass as I remember, but that of course is a good thing, even though I did think about smashing 10-15 blue bottles into the sea to create some sea glass. We did find a good bunch, though, which we brought home.

On the 4th we had ice cream. At Cherry Hill Farm. DEEEEEE-licicous!!!

Here we are! Me, M45, G38! We all look great!

And ME68. She's looking awesome.

Q8 and K10 enjoyed the beach a lot

C9 went to Good Harbor Beach with other family members, so we didn't get any photos of her!!

And if you are interested, ask C45 about him taking a car, a bus, a plane, a train, and a hike to get to Gloucester!