Doughnut Makers, Start Your Engines...

This is what happens when great blog post inspiration 
coincides with a trip to Target to buy Hot Wheels...

a little of everything good in the camera...

doughnuts...

and Ferraris.

But today, I want to talk doughnuts.

{noticing a pattern here? yes, I generally have a hankerin' for something sweet and good}

But not just any doughnuts.....

these are truly special.

Special because you don't actually have to make these babies.

They pretty much make themselves.

Curious?!

Well, let me start by saying that I generally try to feed my family a healthy diet.

And when I do make treats, I am usually a "from scratch" kind-of-girl.

But every once in a while...

isn't it nice to have a short cut to something wicked and delicious?

Yes. It. Is.

Behold...

The F.I.D.M.I. Doughnut.

That's short for "Fake It Don't Make It". 

But don't be fooled. 

This does not taste like you're faking it. 

It is absolutely the real deal in your mouth.

But you won't feel like you're working the assembly line at Krispy Kreme.

You'll feel like you showed up just as the "HOT NOW" light came on.

Seriously... Forget about Krispy Kreme.

You are about to learn "the secret"

to "HOT NOW" all the time.

You ready?........

That's right...
A good ole can o' biscuits.
Of course, they don't have to be TJ's.
We just like theirs for this purpose around here.
But any can o' biscuits will do...
and I'm pretty sure they will all be GREAT.


So...
here's that tricky recipe...
Lemme know if you have any questions, 'K? {wink,wink}


Oh, and you can thank me later ;-)

F.I.D.M.I. Doughnuts

{pronounced "feed me"}

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 8-count package large refrigerated biscuits 
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or shot glass, cut a hole in the center of each biscuit, reserving the extra dough for "holes".
3. Test the heat of the oil  by dipping the edge of a doughnut in the pan. When the oil is hot enough, the edge will bubble. 
4. Place 4 of the doughnuts and holes in the skillet and cook until golden-brown, 1 - 1  1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain.
5. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, reheat, and cook the remaining doughnuts and holes.
6. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture a few at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature. 

This recipe makes 8 doughnuts, plus holes.

{Recipe from Real Simple}

So, there you have it...

hope you like 'em.

These will be making an appearance at a beach house near me very soon.

Where are you going to eat yours?

xo and sweet, crunchy, chewy bites,

oneshabbychick

sharing at.....

Happy Hydrangeas...

Happy {hot} Summer!!!

 I don't know about you, but where I am...

IT"S HOT. And steamy.

And these babies aren't quite as happy as they were in these photos...

but it's so nice to see them again in all their glory.

As of this spring...

and because of all my hard work in the garden :~)

I now have 8 of these wrapping around one corner and side of the house.

and right now they're not agreeing on what color they are.

but this is my favorite.....

and hopefully they will all be gettin' the message.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

more soon....

oneshabbychick

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Summertime Tablescape... and Life In General

So...

 last night we were having some friends over for dinner...

and I jumped at the opportunity to have a little decorating fun around here.

I've been too busy with other summertime wonderfulness to entertain and decorate...

even to get over to the thrift store...

(and you know what that means... I haven't been keeping up with the grocery shopping either)

In the last two weeks, I...

1. sang my last two concerts of the season
2. had an overnight mini-family reunion in another city

3. celebrated my father's birthday

4.bought a new car!        

5. got my oldest off to his first-ever two weeks of sleep-away camp

.....Whew!

So I delighted in the fun business of planning a little dinner party at home...

with an old opera buddy and her family.

We figured out last night that we have sung together off and on for 15 years

and have spent lots of time in the dressing room talking in our underwear...

about husbands and kids and life in general... 

sharing our lives.

That girl has a better memory than I do apparently

because she was telling me things that happened to me over the years

that I should have remembered.

Like being handed a flower on stage by a famous opera composer 

who was directing the production, 

for one.

Yeah, no excuse. Can't believe I had to be reminded of that.

I guess life gets pretty full.

So I'm glad we got to visit over dinner instead of our underwear...

it was a rare opportunity since she and her family live a few hours away.

I got to hang out with her oldest...

who happens to be a sophomore in college

and an aspiring opera singer.

I could tell her mom is really proud of her and now I know why.

We never actually got to the cocktails that involved bourbon

but it stayed on the table anyway cuz it was pretty...

We did have

grilled Polish dogs

grilled corn from our farm share

tomato-basil salad from the farm share

baked beans

IZZE soda and beer

S'more ice cream sandwiches

farm share fruit salad

our youngest kids are both boys

who are apparently long-lost soulmates...

they hit it off all evening...

until it had gotten later than anyone had realized...

and it was time to reluctantly say goodbye.

That's the best kind of summer party.

more soon...

oneshabbychick

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Summer In My Living Room... Part Deux

Dear friends in shabbiness...

how are you out there?

It is officially Summer around here...

as of today, the monkeys are here to stay.

I'll be letting you know how that goes...

Anyhoo...

I realized it's been a little while since I showed you

Summer in my Living Room Part One...

and since I have been enjoying this room ever since...

I think it's time I shared the rest of it with all of you.

I mean, I don't want to be shellfish.

So...

to give my living room a little summery makeover

I started with lots of shells and old bottles on the mantle...

and I knew that I wanted a bunch of pink peonies for my old French zinc pitcher

after falling in love with Maria's gorgeous arrangement on Dreamy Whites...

I happened upon this fun antique grain sack in my wanderings one day

which when I got it home and started playing with it.... 

became a summery table runner.

I dragged a bunch of fun books out of hiding and used them around the room...

they will be easy to find when it's time to flop on the comfy chair with a summer cocktail!

Oh, and I finally finished one of those poor, forlorn projects... woohoo!

I found this cute Italian footstool at my thrift shop ages ago...

brought it home to Frenchy~up its brown wood but nice and curvy legs.

It's been in the living room ever since... waiting.

I finally painted it a French gray...

(no before pic... sorry, that was BB - before blog)

and then let that paint dry a goood looooong time... 

before finally grabbing it in exasperation a few weeks ago,

said 'that's enough' and went in search of sandpaper, steel wool, a nail file...

anything to shabby this thing up, please.

That's kinda how I roll.

So here she sits...

 fitting in a lot better now....

And putting my feet up is more fun with her around. 

And now for my estate sale "curiosity"...

which I just love.

And this is decidely not a "she". This is an "it". 

"It" had so much quirky personality and beachy, breezy spirit...

I had to bring "it" home last summer.

Just don't ask me any questions, cuz I don't know either...

I wasn't quite sure/am never quite sure where to put "it"...

until I decided what to do with the empty fireplace.

I thought of this shabby birdcage that hadn't been out in a quite a while...

and I'm so glad I did because I love how it all turned out...

like a pretty little sandcastle in my beachy wonderland...

So this is where you can find me this summer...

especially in the evenings when we're back from the pool and it's time 

for a cocktail on the patio...

except the mosquitos are already partying out there...

 so I think i'll just stay in here and look longingly out the window at it.

Yours in shabby beachy quirkiness,

oneshabbychick

P.S. To see Summer in my Living Room... Part One

click here.

Many thanks to Maya at Completely Coastal for featuring it!!!

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