Doughnut Day!

I've been looking out the window again as we encounter yet another blizzard. This time we've probably only got 6" or so, but the wind has been howling and blowing the snow about so we have been indoors most of the day. What better to do when you're snowed in than to have a Doughnut Day? I had been thinking of it, but when my boys mentioned doughnuts too, that cinched my plans. I made a big batch of dough in my Bosch and turned out some kaiser rolls, cinnamon twists, and my raised doughnuts (the fluffy things in front). As you can see, I don't fuss with a doughnut cutter and holes and all that fiddle-faddle. Instead, I make doughnuts like Mrs. Wilder from the book Farmer Boy. I roll out the dough, cut it into strips, twist it and fry it in hot fat in my cast iron skillet. The doughnuts practically turn themselves. This is totally my Lazy Homemaker style. They all taste the same anyway and I can fit a lot more in the pan at a time so I am done frying faster.



The Grandangel and her parents came over for doughnuts and games and while H. and I were looking out the window, I spotted this beautiful bird! I was so excited that I dashed for my camera just in case it flew away and I wouldn't know what it was. It took me awhile to find him in my field guide. I was quite sure he was of hawk or falcon origin, but I had never seen one of these birds before. What a treat! And right in the front yard to boot!



The American Kestrel was smaller than most hawks I've seen here and I figured that he's probably been scoping out the many sparrows, juncos and finches around my house today. That's the price you pay when you feed birds. Sometimes a hawk (or a kestrel) comes looking for a Tweetie Bird Dinner. I'm sorry that the quality of these photos isn't so good. I was shooting through the dining room window at quite a distance even for my zoom feature.



And now for a little film clip of Mr. American Kestrel from one of my favorite new bird sites, Bird Cinema.

Kathie, from Island Sparrow is in much the same weather pattern as we have been for several weeks and I really appreciated what she said about snow being "poor man's fertilizer." In fact, I was thinking about how God has blessed us with "tons of fertilizer" this winter and especially this spring. Our land has been in a drought pattern for so very long -- about 7 years -- and I'm looking at snow from a whole new perspective. These spring snowstorms God is sending to heal to our land. It will be well-soaked and well-fertilized and the stock ponds and puddles will be brimming. And oh my! the grass will be green and tall, the hay will be plentiful and the wildflowers will be riotous. I am also envisioning ripe, red tomatoes, golden potatoes, crisp cucumbers and garden peas in my veggie patch. So nowadays, when I look at all this snow, I thank God for the mud and for the beauty that is just around the bend.