At the end of last week I learned how to make doughnuts, with the help of an American friend. Melissa came here, armed with her dough that had been sitting overnight in the fridge, and was now ready to cut, rise and cook. So, that was what we did on Friday morning. Now, when I tell you that these doughnuts were good, I mean they were really good. Dunkin Donuts, eat your heart out!
We even had the proper vanilla glaze, which just make them even more delicious. The children couldn't get enough of them, and the holes that we cooked too - they were just of the 'melt in your mouth' variety.
So, guess what I'll have to do again this week? And again, and again.
Fortunately you can freeze them, so each time I'll freeze half and we'll eat half. However, you do have to remember that you should eat them the first day, or at least the second, as they are never as good after 24 hours.
The recipe is written below.
Doughnuts:
1 1/8 cup warm milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 and 1/4 tsp yeast
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup blue band (marg) melted and cooled slightly
4 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
oil for frying
Glaze:
3 cups icing sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup cold water/milk
(I always use milk)
Don't forget to half your glaze amounts, if you're feezing half of the doughnuts. They should be frozen before you glaze them!
1/. Dissolve sugar in warm milk. Add yeast and stir to combine. Let sit for 10 minutes, allowing yeast to activiate. Add eggs to melted blue band, stirring constantly. Combine egg mixture wityh yeast mixture. Add salt and then flour in small amounts until dough is combined. Knead for 5 mins. Allow dough to rest for 10 mins. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and a clean tea towel, and refrigerate for 8 hours (at least) or overnight (very slow rise).
2/. Turn out dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out dough to 1/4 or 1/2 inches thick. Cut into rings with holes (I use a large glass/plastic cup for doughnuts and a child's plastci medicine cup for the holes). Place doughnuts and holes on a floured baking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours.
3/. Fry doughnnuts in hot oil (around 190 deg. C) Approx. 1 minute each side (about 3 at a time,depending on the size of your pan). Drain on paper towels. flipping once to remove excess oil from both sides.
4/. Glaze when cool enough and enjoy!
5/. Happy Eating!
It should make about 20 doughnuts, depending on how big your cup/glass is for cutting.
Hope you have fun. We sure did!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
This week one of our Managers had an accident on the main street in the town. As I drove the school bus home with all the children in it, we came accross a large crowd of people on the main street, and this is what it turned out to be. The manager was a Tanzanian, which is probably very fortunate, and he phoned the workshop manager to ask him to come and join him. The Facilities Manager who was driving our MAF pickup is actually the first person that we would call for help if one of us were involved in an accident or some incident with the police (but that's another story).
When I saw it was a MAF vehicle I stopped to see if someone was hurt or if I could help in any way. The unlucky Facilities Manager told me briefly what had happened; that there had been a pikipiki (motorbike) coming flying down the road, as he was crossing in the pickup. He told me he stopped the pickup, but the pikipiki did not have time (or perhaps brakes ?) to stop and had crashed into him after he'd stopped (there were no skid marks on the road!). Unfortunately for the poor rider this is his second accident on his pikipiki, and the second time to break the same leg. Alas, nothing is to be done by the police, until they hear how he is doing in the hospital. We have heard that when they find out how he is, they will then know whether to prosecute the MAF manager with careless driving or the pikipiki driver with speeding/careless driving. Apparently it depends on his progress - as to what happened in the accident. Our manager went straight to the police station with his friend from MAF and filled in many forms. He was allowed to go home, but had to return the next day, when he was eventually released on bail. However, to do that, his friend had to pay some money and produce his own house deeds. What a to do! We were told that had MAF been mentioned, then the bail money would have been higher, and extra costs incurred. As it was, the family decided to press charges, on hearing about MAF. Unfortunately, when people hear that you are western here or work for westerners (the colour of your skin can cause many problems too), costs always go up. They seem to believe that if you are white or come from the west then you must have lots of money and can afford to pay extra costs.
I was told later that often people are lynched for causing some kind of accident, so it was a blessing that this didn't happen. We need to continually remember to ask Him for guidance and protection on the roads.
When I saw it was a MAF vehicle I stopped to see if someone was hurt or if I could help in any way. The unlucky Facilities Manager told me briefly what had happened; that there had been a pikipiki (motorbike) coming flying down the road, as he was crossing in the pickup. He told me he stopped the pickup, but the pikipiki did not have time (or perhaps brakes ?) to stop and had crashed into him after he'd stopped (there were no skid marks on the road!). Unfortunately for the poor rider this is his second accident on his pikipiki, and the second time to break the same leg. Alas, nothing is to be done by the police, until they hear how he is doing in the hospital. We have heard that when they find out how he is, they will then know whether to prosecute the MAF manager with careless driving or the pikipiki driver with speeding/careless driving. Apparently it depends on his progress - as to what happened in the accident. Our manager went straight to the police station with his friend from MAF and filled in many forms. He was allowed to go home, but had to return the next day, when he was eventually released on bail. However, to do that, his friend had to pay some money and produce his own house deeds. What a to do! We were told that had MAF been mentioned, then the bail money would have been higher, and extra costs incurred. As it was, the family decided to press charges, on hearing about MAF. Unfortunately, when people hear that you are western here or work for westerners (the colour of your skin can cause many problems too), costs always go up. They seem to believe that if you are white or come from the west then you must have lots of money and can afford to pay extra costs.
I was told later that often people are lynched for causing some kind of accident, so it was a blessing that this didn't happen. We need to continually remember to ask Him for guidance and protection on the roads.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
New School Term
This was the first week for the boys to start back to school.
So, Monday morning, we got up before 6.30am and there was much excitement to be back to school. After a breakfast of fruit, cereal and toast, they got their school bags with their 2 snacks (morning and lunch) and headed off down the compound to the gate, to wait for the bus. The bus rota was sorted so that all the mums (and some of the dads) shared to bus driving to and from school. There are 2 runs in each morning, and 2 out. This then covers the children who go to nursery, reception and school. Start times are 7.45am for school (so the bus leaves at 7.20am)and 9.00am for nursery, and finish times are 12.00 for nursery and 2.00pm for school.
There was another goodbye this week, and the boys were very sad to say farewell to their good friend Luca and his little brother Noel.
They have moved to Dar-es-salaam so that Martin will fly for MAF from there. However, although they are still in Tanzania, it changes things a lot for the family, as they have just moved house (yesterday), city, and school to name but a few of the dramatic changes that they will all be dealing with. Joshua and Benjamin now have a new friend on our compound called John-Luke and he is 5 years old and in Standard 1 at the school. They are glad to have him here, and they do still have one little friend on the compound. However, all the other children are younger than John-Luke, so Esther is happy to have friends here. The only problem for her is that they all go to school - and she can't, as she hasn't yet turned 3 - not 'till October. So, we are busy doing things, cycling into town together, building jigsaws, reading stories, dressing up...
playing games and with playdough, fuzzyfelt, magnetic shapes, etc. and just keeping busy at home. Aside from being busy with Esther, we've been having an average of 2 days of dinner or lunch guests each week, since we returned to Tz. This is company for those who are serving here by themselves, a way of catching up with how friends are since we last saw them and a time of fellowship for us. There is very little time to see people, as they are busy with work, we have to be up early for work and school and bed time is early to allow for rising early.
Then, there is the bread to be baked, cakes and biscuits too, so that there is always something to go into the snack boxes for school (where is Tesco's when you need them?)
On Monday we bought another 25kg bag of white flour. To get brown we have to grind our own. Then we can have to husk and everything left in. This is good for making granola and various breads. Fortunately (for our teeth) our 25kg bag of sugar lasts a lot longer than the one of flour.
Earlier, Esther was outside riding her bike, so I have put a photo in of that too.
This morning she was also playing with her little friend Aleah (who is Swiss) and also not at school.
So, Monday morning, we got up before 6.30am and there was much excitement to be back to school. After a breakfast of fruit, cereal and toast, they got their school bags with their 2 snacks (morning and lunch) and headed off down the compound to the gate, to wait for the bus. The bus rota was sorted so that all the mums (and some of the dads) shared to bus driving to and from school. There are 2 runs in each morning, and 2 out. This then covers the children who go to nursery, reception and school. Start times are 7.45am for school (so the bus leaves at 7.20am)and 9.00am for nursery, and finish times are 12.00 for nursery and 2.00pm for school.
There was another goodbye this week, and the boys were very sad to say farewell to their good friend Luca and his little brother Noel.
They have moved to Dar-es-salaam so that Martin will fly for MAF from there. However, although they are still in Tanzania, it changes things a lot for the family, as they have just moved house (yesterday), city, and school to name but a few of the dramatic changes that they will all be dealing with. Joshua and Benjamin now have a new friend on our compound called John-Luke and he is 5 years old and in Standard 1 at the school. They are glad to have him here, and they do still have one little friend on the compound. However, all the other children are younger than John-Luke, so Esther is happy to have friends here. The only problem for her is that they all go to school - and she can't, as she hasn't yet turned 3 - not 'till October. So, we are busy doing things, cycling into town together, building jigsaws, reading stories, dressing up...
playing games and with playdough, fuzzyfelt, magnetic shapes, etc. and just keeping busy at home. Aside from being busy with Esther, we've been having an average of 2 days of dinner or lunch guests each week, since we returned to Tz. This is company for those who are serving here by themselves, a way of catching up with how friends are since we last saw them and a time of fellowship for us. There is very little time to see people, as they are busy with work, we have to be up early for work and school and bed time is early to allow for rising early.
Then, there is the bread to be baked, cakes and biscuits too, so that there is always something to go into the snack boxes for school (where is Tesco's when you need them?)
On Monday we bought another 25kg bag of white flour. To get brown we have to grind our own. Then we can have to husk and everything left in. This is good for making granola and various breads. Fortunately (for our teeth) our 25kg bag of sugar lasts a lot longer than the one of flour.
Earlier, Esther was outside riding her bike, so I have put a photo in of that too.
This morning she was also playing with her little friend Aleah (who is Swiss) and also not at school.
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