My Uncle Jimmy

Once upon a time, I had this uncle.  To me, he was one special guy.  He wasn't liked by all.  I sure loved him, though.  He was a hard working man.  He was missing some teeth.  He liked to eat his dinner while laying on the living room floor.  He loved to change into his cut off jean shorts as soon as he could, after work.  He carried his beer and cigarette in the same hand.  He read the morning paper at the dining room table so his daughters and crazy niece could sleep on the sofa-bed.  He would come in when we were having sleepovers and while we were giggling and chatting, instead of sleeping, and would say things to make us laugh harder.  He loved his girls.  He was so tough on the outside and so soft on the inside.  Being the father of my life-long bestie, made him like my second dad.  I loved him so much.  He appreciated music.  He had an attrack player in his work van.  He heard the Mannheim Steamrollers version of Silent Night and was like putty. He really loved the end where the toy piano played.  One Christmas Eve, twenty years ago, he popped a shrimp into his mouth...and never spoke again.  I spent a lot of time grieving his loss.  Today, I was driving down the road and just started to cry.  I just thought about him.  I felt like today was a perfect day to honor him.  Uncle Jimmy, you still are the closest thing I've had to a second Dad.  I still feel full of love when I remember you.  I still wish I could wrap my arms around you.  I still miss you.  I love you.  Thank you for considering me one of your girls.


Love,
   Helen

Donuts - The Easy Way

Donuts from home.

Things you'll need:
  Stove top
  Pan
  Vegetable oil
  Pilsbury Buttermilk Biscuits
  Powdered Sugar
  Warm Water
  Mapleine 
  2 Bowls
  Cooling Racks 
  Spoons/Wisk

 

 Pour vegetable oil in the pan.  About 3/4 in.

Put oil on the back burner and turn it to medium heat.

While oil is warming, make your glaze.  Powdered sugar and water.

Add one tablespoon of warm water at a time.

Until it looks something like this. Don't be afraid to make it thin, it covers much easier.

 

It's time to prep your biscuits.

Obviously, you must open the can first. :)

Put a hole in the middle of each biscuit.  Use your index fingers and thumbs for this task.

 They should look like this when you're done.

 

Check your oil by placing the handle of a wooden spoon on the bottom of the pan.  If it bubbles all around, it's ready!  You should NEVER flick water into hot oil.

Place holed biscuits into oil and watch closely.  The brown will rise up the side, when you see it, flip it.  Tongs work well, my favorite thing to use are chop sticks.  They just make it easy. Make sure you leave room for them to grow and flip. 

Here's the other side.

Now you choose your topping.  If you want powdered donuts, they have to be tossed RIGHT AWAY.

Glazed need to drain a little so I suggest a cookie sheet beneath your cooling rack. 

We rather fancy maple donuts around here.  When you are done with glazed, add Mapleine.  Again, HIGHLY recommended. 

There you have it, two racks full of morning goodness. 

Listening

  It amazes me how my children don't ever seem to be listening when I talk but they can recite jingles, tag lines, and benefits from nearly every commercial.  Today the "Pack It" commercial was on and Michael proceed to tell me all the different ways that it was good for us to buy.  "Did you know that the Pack it is SO much better than our lunch boxes because it keeps food cold for up to TEN HOURS?!?  Plus you don't have to think about what to pack us because it comes with a menu.  See?  You get that for free when you order the Pack it.  Did you hear that FREE word?"  I said to him, "We don't need the Pack It, you guys already have brand new lunch boxes."  He said, "But they aren't good for our lunch.  They'll let our food go bad and turn brown.  The Pack It comes with freezer packs on all sides."

  I sure as heck hope he listens this well in first grade.

Carter found a spider web on my folding chair. He asked, "Where is the spider?" I told him it was probably sleeping. He said, "He's probably awake! Cause we're talking." I simply looked at him with a curious face and he replied,"Yeah! For real! And my long mower is so loud it could wake up spiders." I said "Yeah?" he replied once more with, "Yeah! For real!"
Hee hee hee.