Baked Apple Cider Donuts and a Walk Among the Leaves

We enjoyed a beautiful sunny Fall day today. 

The colors of the leaves were so vibrant. 

We had to keep stopping to look up and all around us. 

I think I know a brilliant Painter of such colors. 

Addy has been very motherly lately. 

The babies are everything to her! 

They sleep with her, eat with her and take walks with her. 

She can often be found rocking one and telling them, 

"It's okay, I gotch you." 

I told her after walk we could eat lunch in mommy's car and go to mommy's coffee shop, but she had to eat good bites. She ate everything! Whole wheat tortillas, turkey, cheese. 

So she got her "hot choc." 

Unfortunately she didn't make very great choices afterward, which made me sad. 

She has picked up the word "Stupid." Not that I think it's a slang word, but I don't think it is a good sounding word for little ones to be saying. She knows she isn't suppose to say it and we've explained that when we say that word to people or about people, that it makes them very sad. And we don't want to make people sad. 

So we had some timeouts (plural because she kept saying it during time out). 

Oh these testy terrific two's (do you like my use of "T" words?). 

But today is Monday and Josh has his Life Group tonight. 

So, it's been my goal to bake something for he and his boys every Monday for him to take. 

This weeks treat: 

Baked Apple Cider Donuts with Cinnamon Sugar Topping

1 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. white-wheat flour

3/4 c. coconut sugar

1 1/2 t. baking powder

1/4 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. cloves

1/4 t. nutmeg

Mix all of these dry ingredients in a bowl. 

Mix in a small bowl: 

2 T. unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 eggs

1/2 c. apple cider 

1/4 c. buttermilk

Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just mixed (don't overwork). 

But the batter into a large Ziplock bag and cut a hole in the corner. 

Pipe the batter into lightly greased donut pans. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes 

or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

While their baking, melt 2 T. butter in a small bowl. 

And in another small bowl, mix 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1/3 c. organic sugar and 1 T. cinnamon. 

When the donuts come out, quickly dip them in some butter on the top

and then dip them in the sugar mixture. 

Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Their a super fun, cute little snack and very Fall-appropriate! 

I used the mini donut pans, but you could also use the regular size. 

An Apple Themed Week

This past week turned into an apple themed week, totally unplanned. 

Josh decided to throw together a huge pot of yummy apple cider for youth group. 

He added: 

Oranges

Apples

Tea Bags (Lipton, but a spice tea would be awesome too)

Lemons

Allspice Berries (cloves)

Nutmeg

Back on the home front, Addy and I were creating two new projects: 

A painting with stamped leaves (from a toilet paper roll)

and

An Apple made out of paper plates. 

And we worked on the letter "A" for Apple and "A" for Addy with Playdoy and 

some letter cookie cutters. 

Meanwhile Josh's cider at church was making the kitchen smell yummy! 

Addy and I painted two paper plates red. 

And then tickled her hands and painted them to make a right hand print and a left hand print

 on each "apple." 

"Mom, tickles," she giggled. 

Left hand and right hand. 

Our finished tree and falling leaves. 

To the back of the apples, I added leaves and stems from construction paper. 

"Fall, 2014. 2ys. An Apple Addy Picked with her Left Hand." 

My Fall decorations this year have been homemade for the most part. Our small box of Fall decor I'd normally put up are somewhat out of reach in our garage. 

But I love my kitchen window sill! 

Josh brought me home some cider and the next day, while I sipped on that and Addy napped, I came home from work and made an apple crisp and another batch of apple sauce from some apples from my in-law's apple tree! I was sooo thrilled to be given the apples! We love our apples! 

Needless to say, the house smelled amazing! 

And because my husband is spectacular and knows my deep love for all things Fall, he surprised me by making a yummy batch of simmer apple cider the following day, while I was at work. 

The house smelled yummy when I came home. 

There is something so homey about apples.  

Hunting, Pumpkin Patch and Farmer's Market

I love me some country space. 

I love the idea of knowing where our food comes from. 

I love the men and women, boys and girls who learn to live off of the land. 

I might not be the complete farm girl, but a girl can dream and learn. 

I'll be honest, I'm not a hunter but I love some good meat! 

I'm not a hunter, but my wonderful husband is and so is my Father in law and brother in law. 

The thought of shooting an animal and field dressing it isn't really my cup of tea, but I love the people that do it and can do it really well! 

Josh and his dad were able to go hunting this year. I was so happy that they had a few days together and with some good friends. Addy and I enjoyed some time with Sittee and Jidu and spent an afternoon with Mema, the Aunties and Uncle Joey at the Pumpkin Patch. 

All around, an excellent weekend. 

Here are some beautiful shots that Josh got of their time in the middle of no where, hunting for deer: 

The shadow of my hunter man

Meanwhile, back on the home front, Addy and Sittee and Jidu and I got ready to go to the

 Farmers Market. 

She loves her lady bug back pack she got from her neighbor buddy. 

And off we went! We came home with some cute little homemade soaps (which Addy loves to use to wash her hands), a beautiful flower bouquet, some peach preserves, apples, pears, peaches, butternut squash and corn on the cob (our first of the season and the most delicious corn on the cob I've had in some time). 

Thank you Farmer's Market

Later that day, we met up with the other side of the family and headed out to the Pumpkin Patch! 

Addy had a good time, don't let her face in this picture fool you! 

This is the whole crew heading out to look for one very small, very special pumpkin for Addy. 

One pumpkin to rule them all. 

Children of the Corn.

Going on a bear hunt. 

Ohhhhh the possibilities of what is actually going on here...

Here little pumpkin, here....

I'm jealous of the pumpkins that get this amazing picture when the sun goes down...

The Fellowship of the Pumpkin...

One pumpkin to rule them all...

Oh dear, there I go again...

I digress...

What a fun time we had together! We watched apples being pressed to make homemade apple cider, saw some cute farm animals, ate some pumpkin donuts and drank the cider and sat on some ginormous pumpkins. Good times. 

Then in another part of the world, the hunter's were still looking for deer. 

They didn't get any this time, but I'm very happy they were able to spend some time together. 

And who could argue with this scenery?!