Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 315

Today's Daily 5:

1. an enjoyable day with my brother and cousin
2. laughing as we experimented with the donut recipe - a first for all of us
3. watching a few old episodes of The Big Bang Theory
4. having time to bake cookies in between dough risings
5. the taste of donuts we hadn't had since childhood.  we laughed all day as we contemplated how annoying it would be if we'd spent our whole day on this process and they turned out not to be as good as we remembered!  They didn't disappoint!  Here are a couple of pictures - one of a few in the process of deep frying, and another of a third of the finished product - we split the finished product three ways, since the three of us represent three households and had done about an even amount of the work.  (As a side note, they're weirdly buoyant in the hot oil, smell fantastic as they're cooking, and are totally fun to sort of prod and flip over when it's time to cook the second side.  Totally made me laugh.)

Donuts

You'll forgive me if I don't write a substantial post today.

I sort of have plans.

My brother and cousin and I are putting our combined kitchen talents together and tackling a family recipe that is the stuff of childhood legends.

Grandma's yeast donuts.

The plan is to make a double batch and then split it between three families.

A double batch should make 8-10 dozen donuts.  A lot, it would seem.

But only if you haven't tasted these little bits of heaven.

These deep fried delights that are an all day task thanks to the multiple times they have to rise and be punched down before they ever get immersed in hot oil.

But there is nothing quite like one of these, still warm, tossed in granulated sugar.

They literally melt in your mouth.

The three of us have been planning this day for well over a month, looking forward to it, and salivating.

One of the first things my dad asked when they returned from holidays last week was if we'd made donuts yet, wanting to make sure he hadn't missed out.

They are the stuff of family legends, and today we're going to attempt to scale the legendary peak.  So I can't write, I'm busy determining if it's a "soft dough" and mixing yeast, and punching down dough that's risen, and laughing with my brother and cousin, and salivating.  It's a good way to spend the day, and it will end with pastry.  Pastry that makes every other donut pale and worthless in comparison.  They're just THAT good.

Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 314

Today's Daily 5:

1. cute and comfy new sandals
2. staying up late into the night reading, working to finish a book
3. readers thumb (I seriously have a slightly injured thumb on my left hand from holding up heavy books reading every day)
4. scented hand cream
5. pancakes made from scratch
6. a morning at home alone
7. fresh blueberries to munch on
8. a restful afternoon
9. laughing with family
10. thankful that another reminder of the fragility of life didn't end in death today

A Journey Made on Holy Ground

A few weeks back I finished another re-read of Robert Benson's "Between the Dreaming and the Coming True".  This memoir of brokenness, mental illness and faith has become one of my favorite reads, and Benson has rapidly become one of a few occupants of my list of author's whose books have always challenged, stirred and inspired me to pursue faith and prayer in new and deeper ways.  I wanted to share the last few paragraphs of this book, since I find them so beautiful:

The journey between the dreaming and the coming true is a journey made on holy ground.  It is a journey made through silence and longing where, if we will listen, we can hear the whisper of the Dreamer echoing deep within us, calling us to become what the Dreamer sees when our names were first whispered: saints who believe in and pay attention for and recognize the Voice; saints who live our lives in joy and confidence and hope rather than judgment and anxiety and desperation; saints whose hours and days and lives are spent carrying people to the Christ, lending each other a hand when one of us has fallen, slipping along the river that brings joy to the heart of God, carrying God's peace and love and presence and life to those we meet along the way.

This is what we have been sent here to do.  And we will.  The Dreamer's dreams will always come true.

(Benson, 144)

Daily 5 - Year 2, Day 313

Today's Daily 5:

1. Another morning where I could allow myself to fall back asleep after waking painfully early and catch a bit of extra rest
2. discovering that expected company was not in fact coming
3. finishing the fairly large task of weeding the entire garden (today I worked for several hours while listening to an audio book.  it was a lovely solitary way to spend the afternoon)
4. a hot shower after hours of cleaning and gardening, and the feeling of lovely lavender scented body butter on dry tired skin
5. crawling into a bed with freshly washed sheets, smelling of fabric softener, and wearing freshly washed pajamas smelling the same