Yesterday, for preschool, we had what one would probably term a “magical childhood” experience.  We were supposed to have had this particular lesson close to a month ago but snow storms combined with illnesses meant lots of cancellations.  So, finally, yesterday was my big day.  I had a bunch of snow in our freezer from the first big storm in February, a Little House in the Big Woods picture book to read (see some relevant quotes here), and had even decided to make doughnuts, having read that doughnuts and sour pickles are traditionally enjoyed with maple syrup poured on snow.

Truthfully, I’ve been looking for an excuse to make doughnuts ever since I realized that Ginny Helkenn’s doughnut recipe was in my hometown church cookbook.  Ginny Helkenn was famous in my church growing up for her amazing glazed yeast doughnuts and everyone wanted them!  As the doughnut man liked to say on Nik’s mom’s hometown beach in Greece, “They won’t make you fat! They’ll make you beautiful!” (It rhymes in Greek.) Anyway, I made doughnuts and finally got a chance to use my circle cutter set to full advantage!

I fried doughnuts and boiled maple syrup (using these instructions) while Miss Emily read the kids the book.

Everything ready, we got the snow out, poured the maple syrup (now candy) and dug in!

a completely inadvertent heart – awww!

Don’t worry, I gave them more eventually!

midway through the enjoyment

Doughnuts were also enjoyed by all!  (The pickles? No child liked them.  I did though!)

It took surprising little snow to make the candy so we have some back in our freezer for another day of sugar indulgence.

After all the fun, one mama had to go to a doctor’s appointment so her two girls stayed and the rest of us went for a walk to work off that sugar.

Pretty awesome, right?  I’m great, if I do say so myself!

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So then, last night, at dinner, we have this conversation:

Me: Ellie! You should tell Baba about what we did this morning!” [because I’m such an awesome mom, I want you to brag about me to your father.]

Ellie: Well, first Miss Marshalynne came over with L and I [they were special visitors for the day] and then we played and then we went for a walk and then we ate lunch and then they went home.

Me: [In shock] That’s it?  There’s nothing else we did for preschool?

Ellie: [Puzzled facing, thinking] No? That was it.  We just played.

Me: [Falling over] What about snow?

Ellie: OH YEAH!  (And then she did manage to tell Nik a little bit.)

Really?  You don’t remember how I labored over hot oil making you GINNY HELKENN’S doughnuts and thought ahead and froze you snow and let you eat candy in the middle of the day?  That’s it! No more magical childhood events for you!

From now on, you’ re just going to clean the kitchen walls!

(Don’t worry.  It was Ellie’s idea and they thought it was fun.)

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P.S. If you want the doughnut recipe, here you go! It’s not really written for non-bakers and I had to fill in a few blanks.  So they weren’t amazing as I remembered.  I just need to practice more, right? (Click on the picture to enlarge it.)

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