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.