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. :)

Woolly Wear

Have you been seeing this completely quirky hoodie all over Pinterest lately??

Nui Organics make the very yummiest wool and cotton clothing for kids, and I was totally over the moon to see they are being featured at ridiculously reduced rates over at The Mini Social today!! Check it out - I promise whatever you get will turn out to be your kids most-worn pieces. They're simply deliciously made, and cute as cake to boot! Happy saving (i.e. splurging!). :)

Daddy Time

In our house, "Daddy Time" holds some pretty exciting connotations. And while I know that I'm so so lucky to be blessed with a husband that's as good a daddy as he is a lover, I still know that no matter how 'hands-on' a dad is or isn't doesn't matter when it comes to playtime - all dads play with their children differently than moms do. In a good way. Moms are wonderful for lots of things; warmth, snuggles, food, nurturing etc. But there's just something awesome about the physical way dads play with their children...

I've always noticed this since I was a kid. I think men and children have a similar wavelength for thinking, and women are a bit more objective. When I was a little girl I definitely thought of my mother as more the serious adult (even though she played with me non-stop) and my father more the funny/goofy/playful parent (even though he was working everyday). My mom would play with me at the park, be involved in lengthy imaginary tea parties with me, play "house" etc. but it just wasn't as physical. Sure, she taught me how to do the monkey bars, and how to throw and catch a ball, but there is something so practical about the way moms play, and something so down-right fun and nonsensical about the way dads play. Do you know what I mean? When guys get goofy, they get seriously goofy.

I have this hilarious daddy-time moment caught on video: Freida was 18 months and sick with the flu. Manasseh had strapped a belt through the slots of a cardboard diaper box and was dragging it all around our apartment with Freida in it. She was flushed from the fever and laughing hysterically; I ran to grab the camcorder before I missed the moment. Of course, he picked up speed now that he was being videotaped, and as the box started to ricochet I shot out warnings "be careful. please. she's sick - slow down!" at that moment the box topples over, I curse, and while Freida continues laughing, the camera lays at a crooked view of the dining room with me huffing mumbling and puffing. :)

Yes, they're more reckless. But this also means they lend the child some care-free playtime experiences. Mothers are never care-free - even the granola-chomping, hemp-wearing hippy ones! - all moms have much on their mind; if it's 4:30 playtime, somewhere in the recesses of their mind they are thinking about baths, dinners, homework, bedtimes, dishes etc. It's just the way we are programmed! Men on the other hand seem to be able to focus on one thing, and only think about that one thing. It constantly amazes me.

I know when my kids need a good dose of daddy time (because it's usually when I've been super stresse out), and thankfully he's always happy to give them some fun-loving attention. Which they adore!

And while I know why women are given the ability to compartmentalize their thoughts and think about many different things and/or people simultaneously (if we weren't able to do that - we'd likely wind up with lots of loose ends on the homefront), sometimes I just wish I could learn how to focus a bit more like a man....

They really seem to get their kids, when we think they are just "playing" with them.

So here's a shout-out to the pappas! For being so there. And so fun. We love you.

P.S. More daddy time fun. :)

Fabulous Wishlist

I'm so weirdly vulnerable to Fab. And while I'm not one to casually cave to impulse online ordering, at Fab it all just seems so available, so tempting, so irresistible! But alas, I'm resisting. Even so, here's what my Fab wishlist looks like, since this is the gifting season after all, and I'm sure lots of you are on the market for just the right gift for him, her, or someone else:

1. Material Mash-up Hamper: I don't even need a laundry basket, but this design concept of contrasting matter is just so wickedly cool!

2. Guns n' Roses: I think I've been wanting this ceramic guns vase ever since my love affair with "Sweet Child O' Mine".

3. Nautical Knotted Bracelet: Dip-dyed perfection.

4. Comical Carryall: I first spotted this insanely awesome pop-cult-object on a random LA woman in an Apple store, and I have not been able to forget about it.

5. Retro Can: Need one of these for a cleaner, sleeker, and more discreet diaper disposal system than our open bathroom trash bin.

6. Reading Lamp: Solves a lot of problems. :)

7. Toilet Paper Strand: Would love to quirk-up my bathroom with this dud.

8. Space-age Space Heater: Our exorbitant electric bill for central heat is the only justification for this price tag. Plus, Dyson. Freaking. Rocks.

9. Bright Immersion Blender: I love the one I have, but would love to whip up some dairy blends. Cream of broccoli bisque, anyone?

10. Lovely Tea Time: Sunday brunch never looked this good. Love the cool colors mixed with the gold.

11. Wooden Gem Studs: Cutest, cleanest, greenest diamond earrings!

12. Arrow Marquee: Just what I need to brighten up the hallway (and point out the loo!).

P.S. If you're not yet a Fab member (gasp!), get signed on up here.

Toys at the Table

I recently spent $5 on one of the most useful toys ever! I was in Lakeshore, and happened upon this mini bead maze at the checkout counters (you know, when they drop a bunch of random little tchotchkes that are just cheap enough to remain under-the-radar and just cute enough that you need to swag one?). The only reason I even thought to buy one is because I remembered my sister Shterni had an adorable little classic bead maze with a suction cup underneath it that she used at her kids high chair years ago - she said it kept his fingers occupied for a few precious little minutes before the snack actually landed on his tray.

I bought one on a whim thinking I'd somehow figure out how to attach a suction cup to it, at some point... But, of course, I failed to remember all about my crafty husband and his ingenius ideas; he whipped out a roll of heavy-duty velcro from his (impossibly random!) tool bag and snipped a little strip off to secured the toy directly to Hudi's high chair tray. Of course that's not as clean as a suction cup, but I figure it will stay fixated there for a while now, and when I really want to rid of it - a little GooGone and a warm sponge should ease off the adhesive easily.

Hudi has been loving it! It gives her something to fiddle with while she waits for me to settle her sister (who seems to need her toast cut into very precise pieces lately), fry up an egg, get her afternoon snack together, or finish the dishes (she's happy to play around with that and munch on some cheerios while I speedily wash some breakfast plates).

Anyways! I tried to find this one online, but strangely had no such luck. So I browsed around a bit to find you something similar. Here's: one with a suction, a cuter one with a suction, and an ever cuter Eric Carle version a lot like mine.