Homemade doughnuts...donuts?

While it's debatable how exactly to spell doughnuts donuts whatever...what's not debatable is how stinkin delicious they are. It takes all the will power I possess to not order a dozen donuts every time I get coffee from Dunkin Donuts. The only thing stopping me is the fact that my mid section has started to take on a similar round shape...the name "muffin top" was definitely chosen for multiple reasons.
In my life I go through phases, from a health phase to a baking phase and back to a health phase because the baking phase took over my bod and you get the gist. With the purchase of a new doughnut pan I would say I am on a baking phase full force.

I made my first batch of homemade donuts the other day and for a first attempt I would say they turned out pretty swell. Since I didn't use yeast and they were baked instead of fried, these donuts took on a more muffin-like consistency. In fact, because of my inability to follow the "fill 2/3 of the way" direction, many of the donuts even came out looking like a muffin.
Call me a glutton.


Recipe: (background YouTube mix optional)

Mix together:
4 tablespoons room temperature butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla (I used Trader Joe's Bourbon Vanilla)
Sift together:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp spice (whatever you prefer, I used pumpkin pie spice which contains cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg)
Icing: 
I followed Alton Brown's recipe. 

Preheat oven at 350°F.
Spray doughnut pan generously.
Add flour mixture to butter mixture a 1/2 cup at a time and alternating with a 1/2 cup of milk. (This makes the doughnut extra fluffy.)
Fill the pan 2/3 of the way. I repeat, 2/3. Not overflowing as I previously did.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until donuts are done.
Remove from pan while still hot and drizzle with vanilla glaze.
I chose to add some cinnamon sugar on top to give it a little something extra. 

and VOILA!

Doughnuts! Donuts! Ra ra ra!

Now I am going through a few cupcake recipe books to draw flavor inspiration for my next batch :)

Happy Fat Tuesday Wednesday!

xoxo,
Your Muffin Top Mistress

Be Mine.

Valentine's Day is tomorrow and in order to celebrate, I've collected a few of my favorite Valentine's themed items!

Pink polka dot cake with Valentine's Hershey's Kisses

"LOVE" earring set purchased last year from Forever 21 (doy!)

XOXO and Love dish towel that's on display more than just February 14th

New hot pink tea pot from World Market! Probably my most favoritest purchase. 

Yes, most favoritest.

And of course, snuggling with my baby!!

I also put together a few date appropriate outfits, whether your plans are fancy or more casual. 

A red dress is of course an obvious choice, adding a lace detail gives it a little something extra.

The little black dress is always a staple and turquoise will make everything pop.

Green may seem unconventional but will guarantee you stand out on your date!

 For anyone with more casual plans, here are a few more cute ideas.

You can trade out the heels for flats or even booties. Considering I never wear heels, this would probably be the best option for myself. 

Though the sequin shirt may seem pretty fancy, slouchy boyfriend jeans and oxford style booties dress down the outfit. 

So there's my Valentine's Day post for you guys! I'll be spending mine eating that entire cake. 

No joke. 

xoxo,

Muffin Top Mistress

Keep Calm and Eat Donuts.

You know you're a fat girl when you cut up Dunkin Donut coupons and store them in your car for those "just in case" moments. You never know when a donut craving is gonna hit and it's best to have that "free donut with the purchase of a medium beverage" handy! So I just googled "Dunkin Donuts" to post a picture that will send you drooling and running for the closest donut shop and instead I find a sketch of a naked lady sitting on top of a donut...WHO in their right mind wants to be naked while eating a donut? Let alone eating in general but a donut? She's also very tiny-now that's just false advertising. Instead I'll post this picture taken of some donuts purchased over Christmas break.

Sadly this is also my phone background.

Currently I am on my porch sitting in my new free dump rocking chair. Yep, I said dump. For all I know it's infested with termites but until it falls apart, it's nice to actually have something on our porch aside from a burnt piece of toast and a dead lettuce plant. Inside the apartment is nice and cozy and the outside is a trailer park. The poor apartments around us are probably filing complaints as we speak...It's hard to justify spending money on patio furniture when it's too cold to even go outside. Now that it's February 1st and oddly mid-60s out, patio furniture is all I want to buy! But knowing this weather, tomorrow will be back to freezing so any purchases will have to wait till Spring actually arrives instead of this teasing back and forth.

Today I will post some creative ideas I've found on Pinterest (of course.) that I plan to one day attempt.

I saw an idea similar to this back on one of my favorite blogs (the original idea was to stack several old suitcases on top of each other to form a side table) but this idea looks more put together and purposeful. 

I've become obsessed with chandeliers and have been looking into different DIY techniques, this one being my favorite. Even though it's a Do-It-Yourself project, this one still costs a few hundred dollars. Creating one on a smaller scale would be more inexpensive and still gorgeous. 

This idea is probably my favorite. Using cut up old toilet paper rolls you can create this funky wall decoration. I would probably spray paint mine a mustard yellow to give it a more finished look. I have already been saving my used rolls in preparation for a possible bracelet holder idea but will now use them for this even better idea! You could even use it as a centerpiece or candle holder.

On a completely different note, I found this awesome 5k that will be held in Charlotte next October. I know, it's forever away but it looks SO fun! The Color Run Look it up yo.

Definitely going to sign up once registration opens! 

Now go cut up those Dunkin Donuts coupons - you'll thank me one day!

xoxo,

Muffin Top Mistress