Halloween is over Already!?!?!?

Well, this year is going by way too fast. I can't believe Halloween is over already! Halloween weekend was fun for Lance and me. On Friday, we got to see our cute little niece, Katie, perform in her first dance performance at a Halloween carnival. She was AMAZING!!! She watched the teacher the entire time, and did exactly what she was supposed to! I hope she continues to love dance as much as I do. On Saturday, we did our big celebration for Halloween, since we live in Utah, and honor the sabbath. We went to my parents' house and ate dinner in a pumpkin (as you know from a previous post, that is a Hansen family tradition). I got to see some of my nieces and nephews in their cute costumes. Katie was Tinkerbell, Paxton was Elmo, Dallin was Woody, and Kohl was Darth Vater. Sunday didn't really seem like Halloween to me. We visited Lance's grandparents in the morning, went to church, and hung-out, just the two of us, all evening. I still don't know if Trick or Treaters come to our house or not. We weren't home on the Halloween celebration night, and last year we were out of town. I guess we'll find out another year.

Everyone knows that Donuts and Halloween are a perfect fit! I decided to try out making donuts from scratch! Believe me, they are a lot of work, and the hot oil decided to attack me and burn my hand! But they are delightful, though, so they're worth it every once in a while. Here is the recipe:

Homemade Donuts
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup milk
1 egg beaten

Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon. Add butter or margarine and beat until combined. Then mix in milk and egg. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Roll dough out. Dough should be 1/2 - 1 inch thick. Cut out circles, then cut out holes in the center of each circle. Fry donuts about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Holes will fry up in about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Donut toppings
-Plain glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar mixed with 1/4 cup milk. Dip donuts in glaze
-Vanilla frosting: combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1-2 tablespoons milk until desired thickness.
-Chocolate frosting: combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon cocoa powder, and 1-2 tablespoons milk until desired thickness.
-Cinnamon-sugar
-Powdered or plain sugar



You know what it means when Halloween is over? It's November!!! Don't you think that November is the best month ever? People are thinking about all of their many blessings, making good food, and planning for Christmas. But the BEST thing about November is that 25 years ago, I said hello to the world! Yes, my 25th birthday is coming up in the middle of the month. And yes, I'm sort of freaking out. I'm getting older. I finally understand why people give you presents on your birthday. It's a way to ease the emotional pain of aging. While I've accomplished a lot before age 25, there are still a few things I wish I could have done. It has been a good 25 years with many ups and downs. I'm proud of my accomplishments, and I'm always working on more. So, wish me luck for the next 25 years! I'm definitely going to need it!