Ricotta Donuts

Okay! Even if you think you have zero interest in attempting to make some homemade Chanukah donuts this year - you must check out this recipe and give it a shot!! Most. Insane. Donuts. Ever.

Plus, they're way less daunting than you think, and bringing a tray of these to that Chanukah party will bring you instant Martha-Stewart-y-status! :)

You'll need: 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 cup granulated sugar 3 eggs 8 oz (1/2 lb) ricotta, whole or skim 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tbsp grated lemon zest Canola oil, for frying (or another oil with a high smoke point) Confectioner's sugar, for dusting Deep-fry thermometer

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add sugar, eggs, ricotta, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Mix until just combined.

Pour the oil into a deep, heavy pot. Leave at least two inches of space at the top for safety. Using a deep-fry thermometer, heat the oil over medium until it reaches 325-375 degrees F.

Fry a test doughnut: Using a small ice cream scoop or a spoon, drop a scoop of batter in and turn it occasionally. It should take 3-4 minutes to turn golden brown. Carefully remove and cut in half to check if it's cooked all the way through. Test another if needed.

Fry the remaining doughnuts. Don't overcrowd the pot; fry in batches. Place doughnuts on a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil.

Dust with confectioner's sugar and serve warm with honey, jam, or melted chocolate.

P.S. Vodka Latkes, Root Latkes, and Zucchini Latkes. :)

Fall Soup

Fall tends to bring with it a myriad of colds, flus, and generally runny noses. My kids have been sick non-stop this season! Freida's teacher keeps telling me it's because it's her first year in preschool, subject to so many different germs and bugs etc. but when it's late at night and the coughing ensues, again!, I find myself wondering about her immune system capabilities... And Hudi naturally picks up whatever big sister is carrying. It's been messy. And while they've been on a constant round of Vitamin C, Sambucus (thanks Rachey!), Multi-Vs, Echinacea, and Old Indian Wild Cherry Bark Syrup :) the sniffles are still as elusive as ever. So we've been trying some "healing through food" via organic autumn garden bounty.

I've been sautéing up (any seasonal goodness I can get my hands on at the farmers market or in the organic section at Trader Joes), boiling, blending, and seasoning all month long. Seriously anything goes. Start with onion-y things like garlic, onions, leeks etc. and make your way through any variety of autumn root vegetables like squash, pumpkin, yams, turnips, parsnips etc. throw in some apples, break out your immersion blender and add a shot of curry, maple, or cinnamon. Serve up hot with a sprinkling of roasted pumpkin seeds, toasted croutons, or even some raisins to get little palates tasting!

And of course, if you're not feeling the random spontaneous ingredient mashup, here is a link to 10 wonderful fall vegetable soups!

Babycakes!

I've had this post of uploaded photos sitting in my dashboard for a good couple of months now... And the only reason why I even noticed it today is because I have Freida home from school (Veterans Day? Teachers in Service Day? Not really sure what's going down.) and she's been pining for a trip to Babycakes on her "day off". And of course now all I can think about is a Babycakes cookie sandwich...  Hmm.

Vegan, Gluten-free, and Pas Yisroel, we had originally gone to their flagship Larchmont location to sample (a slew of!) their sweet confections and to pick up a literal "baby cake" for baby Hudi's half birthday. But naturally, she slept through our post-lunch rendezvous for dessert in her honor, and we ended up celebrating her later at home.

As I said, we sampled a slew! Freida chose a salted-caramel whoopie pie, Manasseh went for a hot waffle with an icing shot and a blueberry donut, and I decided to try their famous red velvet cupcake and their cookie sandwich.#Yumminess :)

(She had way too much fun reenacting "then she licked the pink cupcake wrapper clean!". Pinkalicious, anyone?)

And, we are definitely going to be making another family trip there one Sunday morning to try this:

Autumn & Atonement

While this past weekend heralded the start of the crispest season, here in LA it's been feeling like smack-dab-middle of Summer!! So while I crave a curb in the heat, I thought I'd share some links I've been loving (especially since I've been too busy lazy to properly post about them!):

- Cutest "Jonah and the Whale" craft ever! Just swap the sailboat for a little man!

- A. This sandwich looks delish! B. Can't believe this kid ordered it! C. How great is the photography??

- Gilded booties for fall! Link anyone?

- Freida and I have plans to make this honey cake together this evening after bathtime. (It became a bit of a tradition for her to stay up late and bake honey cake with me the day before Yom Kippur).

- Butternut Squash Bowling!!

- This family's camping trip took my breathe away! Looks incredibly delicious (especially the picture of those yummy little children peeking out of the tent all bed-headed)!!

- Cuddly Kaporos. :)

- Was kind of disappointed MadMen didn't bring home an Emmy last night... Isn't Don Draper a tzaddik??

- Cookie Monster has had our house rocking to Share It Maybe!!

- Gorgeous fall lips!

That's all for now. :)

Six Months!

Last month we celebrated little Hudi in the most delicious of ways! One morning I casually mentioned to Manasseh that it was Hudi's half-birthday, and when Freida heard that...! The half-birthday party planning ensued: she asked a million questions about "half-birthdays", months, years, old people etc.! :) And that was that. There was simply no getting around this one. Not without a cupcake, at the very least. So, we made a trip to Babycakes NYC in search of the perfect cupcake for our baby girl...

All I can think of when I look at these pictures is the quote "I love you more than a fat kid loves cake"!!

I definitely think this was the most fun she's had. Ever.

Thanks for idea, Freida! Best big-sister ever!

P.S. I can't believe she's halfway to year already!! Insane!