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. 

Rainy Days, Stained Glass Leaves, Candy Land and Ice Cream

Some rainy Fall days just have to be satisfied with cuddles and a good book. 

I snapped this picture of Addy in our rocking chair. She has affectionately come to call it, 

"snuggle rocking chair." On this particular day, she gathered some of her favorite books, her favorite bear, Alice and a few blankies and planted herself in the chair while I folded laundry. 

She was simple adorable. 

She read to Alice her new favorite book, 

"If you give a Moose a Muffin." 

"Alice. Moose Muffin. Okay?" she said. 

And some rainy days you attempt a walk in the midst of a break in the weather. 

And get caught in the rain. 

Nevertheless, other rainy days, you make pretty things to hang in your window. 

This craft project began with tracing the biggest leaf I could find on our walk. 

Before I cut it out, we glued on different fall colors of squarely cut tissue paper. 

I placed a dot of glue at different places throughout the leaf and let her pick what color she wanted where. 

Josh came home from work to help us finish it up. 

When we had it covered, I cut it out. 

Rainy days are also great for learning how to play a new board game: Candy Land. 

She beat her Daddy more than once...just sayin'. 

I hung the leaf in our window and it looked like a stained glass window 

when the light shined through. 

And finally, a few pictures of some Adventures with Josh and Addy: 

A Daddy date to the library. 

They both wore camo. 

Josh opted out of the pink accessory color. 

And lastly, sometimes an after dinner trip to the store for ice cream is nothing short of a necessity. 

Thank you Josh and Addy. 

Autumn Apple Painting

I LOVE FALL!!!

I'm actually a little bit obsessed with it. 

I get happy, silly happy. 

I have to start baking, lighting candles and listening to Michael Bubble. 

I have to point out all of the changing colors of the leaves outside. 

I get cravings for cozy moments...yes cravings. 

I LOVE FALL!! 

But more on that later. 

I found a fun idea for a Fall craft project to try with Addy. 

I'm always looking for ways to keep us entertained and learning. 

And I don't mind a good mess, as long as we're having fun...and things are washable...like paint. 

I LOVE WASHABLE PAINT!! 

(but not as much as Fall....)

I digress. 

I got inspired for this idea here. 

I realized that some parts of this project Addy wasn't quite ready for. 

Between both of us being sick and her wanting to do this project in increments, I believe we allowed ourselves a span of three silly days to complete this project. But it was worth it.

You'll need: 

1 Apple 

Paper Plate

Tooth Pick

Cardboard

Red, Orange, Yellow (whichever Fall colors you want) of Paint

Twigs

Construction Paper

Small Leaves

Hot Glue Gun

Glue

I started by halving an apple. It proved to be a bit hard to hold for Addy and next time I would try to cut a handle of sorts in the apple. 

Then I let Addy use a tooth pick and create a marble effect for our colors of paint on the paper plate.

Then I let her try dipping the apple in the paint and stamping it on the cardboard. The goal was to get it all covered.  

Part Two: 

Josh found me some twigs outside. I hot glued them in the shape of a tree. And then traced an actual little leave in three different colors: 

Red

Green 

Orange

I let Addy figure out where she wanted the leaves to go. I squirted the glue and she stuck them on. I love what we came up with!! 

Lookin' Proud!! 

Now it's livening up my kitchen window!! 

WELCOME FALL!!!! 

Little Scientist

Children are the best explorers.

Their minds are capable of conceiving such wonders.

We had two bunches of flowers that were ready to be tossed but I thought I would make good use of them before then. Addy has been fighting a tummy bug so this sort of activity was great to temporarily get her off of the couch and into some fresh air.

I took the flowers, some scissors, Addy's magnifying glass from her doctor kit, and our box we use for anything from stations, to playdoy, to sand.

 The little scientist began exploring all the parts of the flower. 

 The petals...

 She started to see that if she held the magnifying glass not as close to the flower that it 

would look really big! 

 I also talked with her about the stem. I had her feel the different stems. Some were prickly, others were a bit smooth. I taught her about how a stem carries with it all of the vitamins it needs to help a flower to grow. 

 Then for fun, we watered them when we were done! 

 Of course Cocoa had to stick his nose in it and drink the water...oh beags. 

 We talked about veins on a leaf. I showed her my veins and her veins. 

 We took a little walk and explored a few more things we found in nature. We observed some leaves that were starting to change color for fall (mom was really excited for this). 

 Then we came back and cooled off. 

It was a fun little adventure.