Although we officially welcomed fall this week, today we are reflecting on the summer. We’re so happy that my family was able to squeeze in a beach getaway with the whole crew. Families with children that are in their late teens and early twenties, can appreciate that the ability to plan family vacations, where everyone can attend, is somewhat of a challenge. My sister and I spent hours trying to find a week that would both fit everyone’s schedule and a house that would meet the needs of our entire group. We had to navigate around our work schedules, internships, summer classes and many commitments. Miraculously, we were able to find a single week that would fit in with everyone’s schedule. We rented a beautiful house on Hilton Head Island that could accommodate all of us and we piled in for a week of R & R. The beach was a wonderful change of scenery. We thoroughly enjoyed being by the ocean, riding bikes, spending time together in our pool/hot tub, seeing Greg Russell in Harbor Town, taking turtle walks and enjoying sunset dining at the beach. Because of the pandemic, we were reluctant to participate in some of our “normal” activities. As an alternative, my sister had the brilliant idea to have a casino night (with play money and chips) at the house. We had a great time getting dressed up and playing together. The kids enjoyed it so much, that they have suggested we host another casino night when they are home over the holidays. We are so thankful to have had this time together, while being mindful that we continue to battle the Covid-19 pandemic. It was another arduous season battling this virus, but we are grateful that everyone in our family is now is vaccinated. We are once again able to spend time together safely. It is our sincerest hope that everyone able to, will get vaccinated. It’s the best way to put this isolating deadly disease behind us and plan future beach getaways.
Delicious Donuts…
Donuts are a rare treat and one that we typically save for trips to our favorite bakery in New Jersey. If you’re ever in Morristown, NJ, we highly recommend stopping at the Swiss Chalet Bakery & Café (swisschaletbakery.com). They sell the most delicious donuts! Regardless of the special treat you pick, you will not be disappointed. When we moved to North Carolina over 20 years ago, we searched for a local bakery, like the ones we remembered from our childhood. Unfortunately, we were disappointed to find that our options were limited. This motivated us to try making some of the treats we remembered from our childhood. Over the years, we have made countless batches of cookies, bars, brownies, muffins, cupcakes, breads and special occasion cakes, but we had never attempted making a donut… until recently. There are two basic types of donuts: yeast and cake-based donuts. Within these two categories, there are endless varieties of donuts. we are sharing one of each, a glazed donut made from a yeast dough and an apple cider donut which has a cake-like dough. Making donuts is a labor of love that requires patience and time. We have included the a link to the Food Network’s Apple Cider Donut recipe that we like to use. Then below is a copy of our own Glazed Donut recipe. Apple Cider Donut Recipe In the past few years, options for high quality baked goods have certainly increased throughout the Charlotte area, but for us, there is something special about a homemade dessert. We hope you try making your own treats and see how rewarding it is to make these delicious donuts for your family and friends.