Do those just make you happy, or what?  LOL!  Hey guys…SP here…with a yummy and FAST (and easy) way to make donuts!  I call them CAN-DO DONUTS simply because they are made from canned biscuits…and they are sooooo easy than just about anyone can-do them, lol!  I should start off by saying that these are absolutely delicious and oh so scrumptious…but probably not the healthiest breakfast you’ll ever eat, lol.  But seriously…with a ‘recipe’ like this…that is not the point or the goal, right?  I am NOT saying that you should eat these daily…but as a fun indulgence every now and then (and one that the kids will love)…GO FOR IT!

Growing up…my mom made these for us every now and then…and my brother and I loved them not only because they were (are) delicious…but because we made them together as a family in the kitchen (not to mention, the nearest donut shop was about 30 minutes away)!  We were able to do the icing (always adding a little more than mom might have if she had been in charge of that part, lol) and snack on the ‘donut holes’ as we went along!

I also want to say that MANY of you guys might already be doing this very thing…or have known about it all your lives, lol!  This is not something that my family invented…not even close – but I do know many friends in my personal life that never thought of doing this (or had never heard about them)…and were so super excited about giving it a try – so I thought it was worth sharing :o)  It’s so simple that you do not even need a recipe (or recipe card for that matter, lol)…so here goes!

You only need a few ingredients/supplies:

• canned biscuits (may be any kind/brand you like…more on that below)
• powdered/confectioners sugar
• milk or heavy cream (or half-n-half or coffee creamer, etc.)
• vegetable oil
• round biscuit cutter (whatever size you would like the ‘holes’ and ‘cutouts’ to be)

 That’s it!  Of course, you can get creative with your icing and make a chocolate ganache (google for bunches of recipes)…simply sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar…or anything else you wish to try!  As is often the way with my recipes…they are very ‘loose’ and adaptable, lol!  I like things to be uncomplicated in the kitchen :o)  Anyway – HAVE FUN with the icing/toppings…add sprinkles, nuts…you name it!

So, let’s get started!  First things first…you might want to start heating your oil in a nice, deep skillet/pan (never ever fill the pan too full with oil).  Now, while that is heating (you’ll want to get it to a nice frying temperature…around 350 degrees or so), you’ll just want to pop open your can of biscuits and place them on a very lightly floured board/plate/etc.  When it comes to canned biscuits…there are LOTS of different brands and types.  The good news is that there really is no ‘wrong’ can of biscuits for these donuts.  If you go with a buttermilk biscuit – your donuts will be a bit more dense.  If you go with the flaky biscuits…your donuts will be just that, and so on!  I have tried many different kinds over the years and really like them all, lol!  Anyway…after you have spread out your biscuits…I like to kinda ‘smoosh’ them down a bit to make them a little thinner/flatter.  Then, using your round biscuit/cookie cutter…cut out the center or ‘hole’ of the biscuits/donuts.

At this time…go ahead and put together your icing/glaze.  If you are just doing the simple glaze that I usually go with – you have time while the oil is heating.  BUT, if you are doing a more involved/complex icing…you might want to make that first (before heating the oil) so that your oil doesn’t overheat.  For my GLAZE…it is sooooo super simple and you will have to forgive me because I am not giving measurements (I never use them, lol).  I just dump some powdered (confectioners) sugar into a bowl (large enough for several donuts at a time) and then add milk, cream OR water.  Yes, that’s right…you can choose any liquid that you like.  You could even use coffee or a flavored coffee creamer (like a hazelnut or french vanilla, etc.) or anything you like.  Keep in mind that adding water will give you a much thinner and less rich glaze.  Adding heavy cream will give you a thick and rich glaze (almost more like an icing)…and milk/half-n-half will be somewhere in between!  Also know that you do not need much liquid at all…a little goes a long way.  So, I recommend that you add a teensy bit at a time and stir until you reach your desired consistency :o)  It really doesn’t get any easier than this glaze…so just enjoy it and customize all you want!

Alright…so now, all the prep is done!  Again…you might want to make your icing before heating the oil…just depending on how quick you are :o)

After you have all of your donuts and holes ready, and icing made…it’s time to drop them into the ‘frying pan’ (the donuts and holes…not the icing, lol).  Now, I should tell you that they cook very quickly (the holes even more so than the donuts)…so you do not want to walk away!  Of course…BE EXTREMELY CAREFUL when frying…do not let your young children anywhere near!  While this is a family-friendly ‘recipe’…the kids should not be involved in the cooking/frying process!  Once you drop a few donuts into the oil (do not try to do them all at once…you will need to work in batches)…let them cook on one side (use tongs to keep checking their ‘done-ness’) and then when they are the desired color (I go for a nice and light golden brown), turn them over to finish cooking on the other side.

 After both sides are done to your liking, simply use your tongs to drop them directly into the icing/glaze bowl (you could place them on a paper towel first to soak up any excess oil/grease).  You’ll want to work quickly because the heat of the donuts is what really helps the glaze to ‘stick’ to them and thin down a little bit!  Just keep repeating this process until you are finished with all of the donuts and holes!  If you still have any icing/glaze left over in the end…you can drizzle it over the stack of donuts if you like (I like, lol)!

 THAT’S IT!  It is a super fast and simple process that results in total yummy-ness for the entire family!  It’s also just plain fun, lol!  The kids LOOOOVE to help when it come to cutting out the donut holes and icing them (especially if there are sprinkles involved, lol)!  And, you save money and do not have to drive anywhere to get these delicious donuts!  It’s a win-win!  Again, not really something for the daily diet (well, unless you want to, lol)…but for special occasions or just a fun Saturday morning breakfast at home…TOTALLY!  You could even start a tradition of ‘can-do donuts’ on Easter morning or Christmas day, etc.  Oh, finally – you simply cannot eat these without a nice, cold glass of milk, lol!  First…just because they go so well together…and second, because they are so rich you will want/need something to wash them down, lol!  And, as tempting as they are – try not to eat too many or I can guarantee a tummy ache, lolol!

Hope you enjoy these :o)  Thanks so much for stopping by…and have a WONDERFUL weekend!  We’ll see ya back here on Monday for LOTW!  xoxo — SP

Shabby PrincessFood Stuff, Uncategorized 14 Comments

Hi, Trish here with another Tips and Tricks post! We’ve had quite a few questions on the blog about turning straight stitches into circular stitches, and I’ve been working on one way to do this so I could help y’all out. I think, after much work and frustration in Photoshop I’ve figured out a way to do it. Now, to get them perfectly round takes a lot of nitpicking with the steps, but I think the imperfect look fits SP’s products so much better.

So, first things first, open your stitches and place them on your page. The stitches need to be lying vertically, if you try to do this with them horizontal it won’t work. Don’t ask me why, I don’t know, I just know it doesn’t work. Lol!

Once you get them vertical, go to Filter>Distort>Shear and a box will pop up that looks like this:

Go to the center of the line in the box and click it and drag it all the way to the side of the box.

Next, go about halfway up and down from the mid-point and click and pull those spots until you get a rough semi-circle. It won’t be perfect, we’ll work on that after we do the Shearing steps.

You should now have something that looks about like this:

Now go to Edit>Transform>Warp. Click the tiny squares on the top and bottom of the open side and drag them down (top box) and up (bottom box)…until you get it closer to a semi-circle.

Take your stitch and duplicate it, then flip it horizontally so that your duplicate is the mirror opposite of the other, and then move them so that the edges are touching.

And there you go! You can do the Shear steps in PSE, but as of PSE 7, you cannot do Warp, (newer ones – maybe, I don’t know) but you should still be able to tweak it some to make it work by using distort and such. You can also apply this to ribbons and ric rac, but the wider the object is – the more you can see the distortion it causes - so I really don’t recommend doing a full circle with them. If you use CS and this is something you can regularly see yourself doing, I advise just making an action out of the steps to save yourself time later.

And here is my final page using the BLOSSOM collection!

If you have your own way of turning a straight stitch into a cirlce, we’d love for you to share your technique with us in the comments section!  Thanks and be sure to return on Friday as SP will have a fabulous Food Friday post for us! Yummy! :o)

TrishTips and Tricks, Uncategorized 20 Comments

Hello everyone!!! Kylie here with today’s Product Spotlight!

It’s always an absolute pleasure to put together a Product Spotlight post for you all, and it was certainly no exception in the case of this more-than-delightful kit. To many of us the BAREFOOT collection is a favorite Shabby Princess kit, if not THE favorite. I think this beloved kit is quintessential Shabby Princess; a little bit shabby and full of texture, patterns, and colour – all wrapped up with happiness, sunshine and don’t forget a little fun and whimsy for good measure!

The BAREFOOT collection is on sale at the Shoppe for only $4.95 (that’s nearly 30% off!) for a limited time.

One of the many reasons I chose the BAREFOOT collection for today’s spotlight was because of the change in seasons. Spring for the northern hemisphere and autumn for the southern hemisphere – both spectacular in their own ways!! This kit is soooo versatile that you really can scrap with it all year round.  It has beautifully rich but oh-so soft papers – solids, pretty dots, shabby stripes, a heavenly floral and the leaf print with the little birds is a must-have in anyones digital scrapbooking collection. The kit is bursting at the seams with all sorts of stitching (overalls and dirt – love those color names), ric rac, a fun argyle ribbon, flowers, threaded buttons, little rusted metal and cute cardboard & paper embellishments, a worn and shabby denim look alpha and a seriously wonderful collection of wordart and digistamps. The ultimate “boy” kit, yes! But, this kit really proves to be an anyone, anywhere, anytime sort of kit. And we all LOVE that!!

 It’s perfect for spring and SP says it best on her kit – “you know those first days of spring …when the temperature is rising …flowers are growing …and there is a light dew on the grass? Those are some of my favorite days to walk barefoot – daydreaming and relaxing! That’s what this kit reminds me of.” Ah… heaven!! So, this is my little spring layout using the BAREFOOT collection… and nothing says spring like tulips from my sisters garden:

And, being the first few days of autumn here in Australia, I was inspired to create an early autumn page too!

Now it’s time for some gorgeous, super-creative and totally inspiring layouts from our very own Shabby Artists!! For a closer look, ‘cos I know you’ll want to enjoy every little detail up close, you’ll find these wonderful pages in the Shabby Artists Gallery – click HERE!

And, even though you have seen these layouts by Trish before – they were just too cute not to share again :)

Thanks ever so much for stopping by the Blog today and I hope you enjoyed a little Barefoot magic! See you all back here tomorrow for a Tips and Tricks post I know you’re going to love! Bye for now! :o)

KylieProduct Spotlight, Uncategorized 7 Comments

Happy Monday, guys (well, depending on where you are, lol)…SP here :o)  Hope everyone had a great weekend…we did, I just didn’t want it to end (what’s new?  lol)!  Anyway, for me…it’s Monday – and that means LAYOUT OF THE WEEK on the blog…YAY :o)  I love it when it is my turn because it gives me an excuse to spend some extra time in the gallery (something I wish I had MORE time for, that’s for sure!)!  Of course…there is always the not-so-fun part of it…the actual CHOOSING!  That part certainly was not any easier this time around…but can I just tell you – there were so many Template Challenge layouts and Project SCRAP layouts…and that was AWESOME to see :o)  Can’t wait to look at those a little closer this week!

But, for this week’s LOTW…I had to go with krzymnky’s SIX MONTH layout for her adorable son, Cash :o)   I love the scattering of the photos…the layering…of course the onesie pics…and that SMILE – does it get any more precious?  More than anything though…I love what ‘krzymnky’ is doing with these layouts!  It is a great idea…and one I wish I had thought of when our little man was actually little, lol!  Each month…from when Cash was a newborn…she takes a photo of him in the onesie – and the comparison is so fun (see the rest in her gallery HERE)!  Anyway…here is Cash’s SIX MONTH layout…and our LOTW :o)

See…told ya it was precious :o)  CONGRATS ‘krzymnky’…I’ve just emailed over a $10 gift card to the Shabby Shoppe…hope you have fun shoppe-ing!

As always…THANK YOU SO MUCH to all who post in our gallery…each and every layout is special and it means so much to me (us) that you take the time to share :o)

Have a great day/night…and Kylie will be here tomorrow with a fun PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT!  xoxo — SP

Shabby PrincessLayout of the Week, Uncategorized 5 Comments

hey girls :o)  just another little project SCRAP check-in!  Are we all on schedule?  Taking pics for this first week of March…finished with your February pages?  Don’t worry if not, lol…I only finished my February pages this morning!  I kinda struggled with them as I was trying to fit in SNOW pics and VALENTINE’S pics (along with others)…but it finally came together (thanks to the Summer Cottage kit which really coordinated well)!  I will probably create another spread with just SNOW pics as I have sooooo many (I can already see that my 2011 album is going to be huge as I keep adding additional pages, lolol…that’s OK though!)!  So, here are my February pages!  Of course, I worked with the free templates that you can find HERE! 

 And seriously…there is NO WAY that I could complete this post without sharing Kylie’s February pages with you!  WOW, as always :o)  Just look at that ‘big’ photo…that is amazing – and I just love her paper/element choices (it just looks so HAPPY and makes me smile)!  Thanks a bunch, Kylie (be sure to check out her GALLERY for lots more fabulous inspiration)! 

OK, that’s it for now!  Be sure to keep moving forward with your photos and your scrapping…and don’t forget to post your February (and January) pages in the PROJECT SCRAP GALLERY at the Shoppe :o)  Can’t wait to see!

Have a great day/night…and I’ll see you back here tomorrow with a new LOTW :o)  xoxo — SP

Shabby Princessproject Scrap 2011, Uncategorized 3 Comments