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In many ways this is my favorite time of year in the Bay Area….slow rainy days, lush green hills, cherry tree blossoms, and flashes of sunshine. Everything is hinting at Spring but the wetness makes for a perfect excuse to spend the weekends indoors with friends whipping up batches of homemade donuts.

Our crush-worthy neighbor and blog friend Shuna let us loose in her kitchen last Sunday, and Drew went to town creating some insanely divine sugar and spice mixes that we rolled those hot little pate choux puffs in. Who ever thought fried dough could be so good? Oh wait, I guess (ahem) lots of people already do. Duh.

Edible photo goodness from left to right.
[view all the Donut photos]

whip cream
black sesame & salt
raspberry & tayberries
curry & ginger
vanilla & cardamom
cocoa nibs & mesquite

I have to say this was one of my all time favorite food experiences. I don’t think i’ve ever sat down and tasted spices right out of the bottle, at least not this many in one shot. There was a lot of talk about what might work well together. My beloved (he shall now forever be known in our house as the Mix Master) managed to create some amazing blends grinding them up in a little coffee grinder.

I really enjoyed the curry and ginger dip topped with a small bit of raspberry…but the most divine flavor was the mesquite powder with cocoa nibs. I can’t even begin to describe this taste other than to say it was so wonderfully intense it had me making noises that got everyone blushing.

I told D he needed to start bottling this RIGHT NOW! He could call it ‘Earth’s Passion’ or ‘A Taste of Sin’ and people would secretly hoard it using it every morning in their coffee or on their cereal, then walk around all day with a smile on their face. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? A spice blend that could save the world…or at least make a lot of people happy.

It was truly the most perfect way to spend a rainy Sunday.

photo by Angie Naron

Kung Foodie Fried Cheerios

1/4 c butter
4 c Cheerios (plain only)

Melt butter in frying pan. Add Cheerios and saute until brown. Salt to taste.

This is something dad taught me way back when…back when I wore bell bottom jeans and loved skateboarding, back when I had feathered hair and listened to Queen albums over and over. Oh how them’s were the days! Dad was the emperor of all things bad for you. He bought us Coca-cola in the bottle and beef jerky every weekend and probably would have been happy to take us to Mickey D’s every night if mom wasn’t around. But the best was when he made us fried cheerios and watched Saturday morning cartoons with us. Cause you know kids seriously heart fried cheerios.

Tip: Be careful how much butter you put in the pan before adding the batter. I used a bit too much which ended up pooling on one side creating a small dip and preventing the eggs from rising. Mistake aside our little food posse still had a great time sharing wedges and toppings!

• Brandied Pumpkin Pie – legendary status
  
• Roast Sweet Potatoes with Lime Syrup – an everyday favorite
  
• Herbed Zuchinni Fritters – a must for brunches
  
• Mediterranean Couscous & Lentil Salad – great leftovers for lunch the next day
  
• Miniature Gougeres – the perfect party food

All of these can be mixed and matched for different meal times!