Baked Sour Cream Donuts

There's been a whole lot of baking in our house this month.  The holidays are my excuse to fill our bellies with sugar.

It started with cookies, then after that a cake.  This week I surprised my family with a fun donut breakfast.

They're baked, not fried!  This recipe can easily be mixed up since there's no yeast involved.

Just combine ingredients, bake, decorate and enjoy!

Adding sour cream made the donuts moist and soft.  They're a lot like the packaged donuts you find in grocery stores.   

I hope you give this recipe a try and love it as much as we did.  It deserves a spot at your breakfast table!

Ingredients Donuts 
1 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup browned butter
 1/2 cup sour cream 
1/3 cup granulated sugar 
1 large egg 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 Ingredients Glaze
2 cups powdered sugar 
1/4 evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
rainbow sprinkles

Directions

 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.  Spray donut pan with a nonstick cooking spray.  In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, cooled browned butter, egg, and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix together until smooth.  Place donut batter in a plastic bag, snip a corner off the tip and pipe batter into doughnut pan.  *Be careful not to overfill.  Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.  The donuts will not be very brown, but they should be springy to the touch.  Allow donuts to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack. 

To make the glaze, in a food processor add in powdered sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Dip the donuts into the glaze to coat the tops.  Place the donuts back onto the wire rack (set over a baking sheet) and top with rainbow sprinkles.  Allow glaze to set for a few minutes before serving.  *Donuts are best enjoyed the same day. 

Holiday Spiced Iced Tea

My family drinks a lot of tea.  Sweet tea is one of those things synonymous with the South.  It's simple and refreshing, yet not overly sweet.  

I was in search of the perfect drink to serve with Christmas dinner, then decided to stick with our tried and true old faithful.   

This recipe has amazing flavor.  Adding in cinnamon, topped with the star anise pods and orange slices is a nice presentation, giving it the holiday touch.  It tastes as festive as it looks.  It will be delicious to serve with dinner or holiday parties.    

Ingredients 

4 cups water 
4 individual tea bags
juice from 1 lemon  
1 cinnamon stick
  Sugar or honey, sweeten to taste 
ice cubes 
orange slices, star anise pods, additional cinnamon sticks for garnish 

Directions 
In a large pot, bring water to a boil.  Remove from heat and add cinnamon stick and tea bags.  Steep 3 to 5 minutes. *The longer you steep, the stronger the tea flavor.  Remove tea bags/cinnamon stick and add lemon juice.  Mix in sugar (or honey).  Stir until dissolved.  Set aside.  Add ice cubes to individual glasses.  Garnish with additional cinnamon sticks, star anise pods and orange slices.

Dried Citrus Ornaments

This holiday season, I'm sticking to my theme of natural Christmas decor.  Maybe it's the lazy decorator in me, but I prefer to add holiday cheer to my home by keeping things simple.  

Also since converting our garage, I really don't have the extra room in the house for storage.  When the time comes to finally clean everything back up, I can throw it away or recycle it.

I love the look of dried citrus slices used in Christmas decorations.  A few years ago I ordered a couple packs from Etsy to decorate with.  This year I wanted to create my own.  And to my surprise, they're so easy to make.  Here's the method I used...

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Cut the citrus into slices.  The thinner the slices, the faster they will dry.

Place citrus slices onto a wire rack in a single layer, ensuring they do not touch.

Bake for 5 hours, turning every hour to make sure they dry evenly.

They’re now ready for garland or dressing up a wreath.  I decided to make ornaments.

To hang, take a piece of thread long enough to poke through the citrus and tie in a knot.

Combined with the scent of fresh tree clippings(free from Home Depot)my house smells amazing.

Happy Decorating!

Source List

Recipe Box- Antropologie

Gingham Pitcher- McGee&Co

Wooden Trees- Etsy

Big Changes to a Small Entryway

Our entryway isn't big or spacious, but it's the first space you see as you enter our door.  Instead of welcoming guests, our entryway felt kind of blah.

  

The old shelf and mirror felt too rustic, which made me think about my home decor style.  I'm drawn to clean lines and neutral colors.  I love texture and want my home to feel inviting.

Over the summer I quickly refreshed the space.  The mirror is from Target and I ordered the shelf from Pottery Barn.  Although I loved this setup, the shelf was too deep and stuck out as we walked through the door.  

I found a better solution, as I searched for "narrow console tables" online and decided to make some changes.

However, choosing artwork that matched my budget proved to be more difficult.  I wanted a statement piece and recently came across Jenny's Print Shop.  Purchasing a print online and framing them myself was my cheapest option!

With just a few simple adjustments, our entryway feels more stylish.  I love the finished look!

I kept the accessories simple; a bowl to set our keys in, a scented candle, a small clock and fresh greenery.

The color palette sets the tone for the rest of the house.  Most of our living spaces are decorated with light neutrals and a touch of black and white.

I also replaced the door hardware.  The shiny new handles gave our door an instant makeover.


I'm still so excited to come home each day.  The changes better reflect my personal style.  I love Oprah’s quote, “Your home should rise up to meet you.”  Don't be afraid to change things up.  Most of us don't have a big budget to work with.  Small changes can make a big impact.

Citrus Glaze Recipe

As the weather gets cooler, so does my itch to bake something.  From cookies to cake, I have the biggest sweet tooth!  My family looks forward when I bake too.  I love seeing their curious faces as they round the corner and smell something delicious baking in the oven.

One evening after a nice dinner at home, I decided to indulge in dessert.  My son asked for cake.  Then, I realized I was out of eggs! 

After heading to the store to shop for ingredients, I lost my motivation to bake.  To keep my family happy, yet make dessert simpler, I decided on this easy recipe instead-- using a store bought, frozen pound cake.  Shhh...it's our secret!!

The citrus glaze is a tangy addition.  It came together in minutes and makes the pound cake more moist.

Made from scratch works best when I have the energy, but sometimes you need a nice short cut!

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 
2 tablespoons butter, melted 
2 teaspoons orange zest
 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions

Place ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.  Glaze is thick and sticky!  Place pound cake on a cooling rack or cake serving tray and pour glaze over the cake.  Let cake set for an hour before slicing.  Serve and enjoy!  *Side note--This glaze would also be delicious brushed on top of fish with some salt and lemon pepper for an extra hint of flavor!

Choosing Artwork for Your Home

Hello friends!  I’m excited to share my collaboration with Art Crate, to help choose artwork for your home.
  
Buying art for your home can be a little intimidating.  I want to pick the right piece, but often feel overwhelmed while making my selection.  I usually gravitate towards botanical prints or landscape paintings.  This time around, I fell in love with a beautiful White Peacock print by artist, Christine Lindstorm.  The subtle colors are timeless and complement my decor.  I wanted my new art to shine so I kept my styling simple.  As a result, the professionally framed print makes a beautiful addition to my daughter's room.

When shopping for art on Art Crate's website, you can seek inspiration from their gallery, or work with a personal curator to find the perfect piece for your home.

With the holidays right around the corner, refresh your home with a new piece of art that makes you happy!  

As a bonus, Art Crate created a 20% off coupon for you to enjoy. Code: BRANDIART20 - Valid through 11/30/18

*This post was sponsored by Art Crate.  No financial compensation was received, however I did receive a framed print to review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Washington DC Trip

Earlier this year, my husband and I planned a trip to DC.  I visited once before on an 8th grade class trip, but this would be my husband's first time.

To save money, we booked our hotel in Arlington, Virginia.  The location was great!  We were only minutes away from many DC attractions.

Do not plan to drive while in DC.  Traffic was a nightmare!  We used Uber to get around.  

We had 4 days to explore.  We planned our trip well, to see as much as possible.

  

Our first stop on our route was Arlington National Cemetery.

The cemetery is the final resting place for more than 14,000 veterans, including those that fought in the Civil War.

From there we did a hop-on/hop-off tour to explore the National Mall.

  

In my opinion, this was the best way to see many DC landmarks.  Our tour bus driver shared many interesting facts about the city and monuments.  You can hop off at any time or stay on the bus and enjoy the tour.

The Lincoln Memorial is awe inspiring.

The Memorial is a national monument built to honor the 16th President of the United States.

An easy walk away was the Reflecting Pool.  Seeing the Washington Monument was a highlight of our trip.  Unfortunately we arrived too early to see the cherry blossoms in bloom.

The next day we chose to visit National Museum of American History.

  

Admission is free for all Smithsonian museums and the zoo!  The museum offers a wide range of exhibits.

The Batmobile, Julia Child’s kitchen, Archie Bunker's chair and The Star-Spangled Banner were a few of our favorites to see.

Did you know that Mister Rogers' mother knitted him the iconic sweater that he changed into each episode?

The following morning we went to the National Zoo; one of the oldest zoos in the United States.

  

It was a beautiful clear day.  We wore our sneakers and took our time walking through the zoo.

  

We loved watching the cheetahs.

Later that day we took an Uber to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City in Arlington, Va.  This is a huge shopping mall.  I'm so glad we stopped here.

  

We ended the night at the Sugar Factory for a surprise birthday dinner for my niece.

On our final day in DC we visited Union Market.

  

My husband is from Philly.  We heard that Union Market is similar to Reading Terminal Market(a favorite place to eat in Philadelphia).  It was smaller, yet super crowded.  We loved window shopping at Salt and Sundry and the many options to eat.

  

Before heading home, I walked around the corner and snapped a couple pictures of the infamous DC mural by graffiti artist Mr. Brainwash.

We really enjoyed our time in DC.  I would love to visit again with my children one day.  There is so much history and so much to see and do.