Real Simple - May

For Mother's Day David (I mean, Moses and Lily) gave me a subscription to Real Simple - a magazine with lots of ideas that are applicable to my life as a homemaker. There ideas like, use an old toilet paper roll to keep your hairties and bobbypins or clips organized and together. They also have easy dinner recipes and they try out different types of products and tell you which ones work the best, etc. I really enjoy the magazine and always have more ideas then I can remember to incorporate into my life. So, I've decided to pass along the wealth by including some of the ideas I glean from each month's issue. So, here's May's treasury:

1. Blow up a baby picture or a birth certificate and have it laminated to use as a special birthday placemat.
2. Use a fork to revive your carpet from those dents that furniture leave when you move it.
3. Put masking tape on the front of your vacuum cleaner to keep that black rubber from making black marks on your baseboards when you hit them.
4. They did a taste test of the Calcium Supplement Chews and Adora Clacium Dark Chocolate sounds the best.
5. Regarding the fit of clothing, "too tight is never right. Don't leave in it unless you can dance in it." - This is particularly useful advice to me since I am still a couple dozen pounds above my prepregnancy weight.
6. Apparently patent leather is in for the Spring (that is a MUST know)
7. How to make a moon-light garden. This totally made me think of any L.M Montgomery books. There's always a scene in a moon-lit garden. They suggest planting silvery or white plants and bringing out candles to enjoy your garden at night (when the kids are in bed and everything's finally quiet).
They especially suggest: White Wave petunias, Sweet alyssum, angel's trumpets (fragrant only after dark), Annabelle hydrangea, heliotrope, tuberous begonia, Cleome, fragrant nicotiana (flowering tobacco - don't let the kids chew on it - j.k)
8. Use a basket to put a plant in.
9. The best jarred applesauce is Ela Family Farms Organic Apples Aplenty. ($5 for 24 oz). Really there's nothing better then making it yourself. We are still plowing through all that we made last fall).
10. Best of all - a super easy doughnut recipe for Sunday mornings (or any other feast day).

Makes 8 doughnuts, plus holes
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 8-count package large refrigerated biscuits (such as Pillsbury Grands)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a med. skillet over med.-low heat. Place the biscuits on a cutting board. Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter or shot glass, cut a hole in the center of each biscuit, reserving the extra dough for "holes". Test the heat of the oil by dipping the edge of the doughnut in the pan. When the oil is hot enough, the edge will bubble. Place 4 of the doughnuts and holes in the skillet and cook until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add the remaining oil to the skillet, reheat, and cook the remaining doughnuts and holes. In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Gently toss the warm doughnuts in the mixture a few at a time. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Sorry it was long - I guess I like my present!