Easy and Delicious Doughnut Recipe

"New mysteries. New day. Fresh doughnuts."

~ David Lynch

Our art director for Victoria plans the most wonderful crafting and culinary projects for her children, and when she shared photos of doughnuts that her family made for their Friday morning breakfast, I knew immediately that I could not let the weekend pass without trying out her recipe. Using refrigerated biscuit dough makes this a super-easy endeavor, and a simple glaze adds the perfect finishing touch. Read on for the details!

Easy Doughnuts

Makes 8

Vegetable oil, for frying
1 (16-ounce) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuit dough*
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk

1. Fill a frying pan to a depth of approximately 2 inches with oil. Heat over medium-high heat.

2. Open can and separate biscuits. Using a small round or heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut center from each biscuit.

3. In batches, add doughnuts and holes to pan, cooking until golden, about 1 minute per side. Remove to paper towels to let cool slightly.

4. In a small bowl, stir confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over warm doughnuts and holes, and serve immediately.

*We used Pillsbury Grands! Southern Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits, and I plan to use Grands! Flaky Layers Buttermilk Biscuits next time.

These easy and delicious doughnuts made for a quick and satisfying quarantine breakfast before we gathered for Sunday morning worship in the living room. Over time, I look forward to experimenting with different biscuit doughs, glazes and toppings. Please let me know if you have a favorite combination to suggest!

"Life, within doors, has few pleasanter prospects than a neatly arranged and well-provisioned breakfast-table."

~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

Party-Perfect Yogurt & Berry Parfaits

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." ~ Unknown

Tiny yogurt and berry parfaits might not have been the specific intended result of the above quote, often attributed to Mother Theresa, but these adorable appetizers were certainly small and definitely done with great love. As a healthy twist on the dessert-shooter trend, these breakfast treats were an indulgence that even guests following a diabetic or gluten-free diet could enjoy at Sunday's reception honoring the graduating seniors of our church. And the parfaits seemed to be a hit with the rest of the crowd, as well!

For our reception, I purchased DLux Mini Shooter Dessert Cups, available in sets of 50 or 100 with free mini spoons. For the reception, we only needed around 85, so I prepared several varieties of parfaits and saved the remaining cups and spoons for another event. Find the details below!

Petite Berry & Yogurt Parfaits

Makes approximately 85

3 (32-ounce) containers Oikos Triple Zero Vanilla Yogurt
2 (18-ounce) packages fresh blueberries
3 (12-ounce) containers fresh raspberries
2 (0.5-ounce) packages fresh organic mint

1. For each mixed-berry parfait, drop approximately 6 blueberries into the bottom of a DLux Mini Shooter Dessert Cup. Nestle mini spoon in cup. Using a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip, pipe yogurt over blueberries, filling cup halfway. Add 2 to 3 raspberries, depending on size, to create the middle layer. Pipe yogurt over raspberries, and top with approximately 6 blueberries and 1 mint leaf.

2. For each raspberry parfait, crush one raspberry in the bottom of a DLux Mini Shooter Dessert Cup. Nestle mini spoon in cup. Using a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip, pipe yogurt over raspberry, filling cup halfway. Add 2 to 3 raspberries, depending on size, to create the middle layer. Pipe yogurt over raspberries, and top with 1 raspberry and 1 mint leaf.

3. For each blueberry parfait, drop approximately 6 blueberries into the bottom of a DLux Mini Shooter Dessert Cup. Nestle mini spoon in cup. Using a piping bag fitted with a round or star tip, pipe yogurt over blueberries, filling cup halfway. Add approximately 6 blueberries, depending on size, to create the middle layer. Pipe yogurt over raspberries, and top with approximately 6 blueberries and 1 mint leaf.

4. Once all yogurt has been used, divide remaining blueberries and raspberries among cups, and top each fruit cup with 1 mint leaf.

5. Parfaits and fruit cups may be made up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: You could also top these parfaits with granola, but in our group we have some serious nut allergies, as well as gluten intolerance, so depending on how much you know about the dietary restrictions of guests, the safer course would be to leave it off.

Wouldn't these red, white and blue parfaits be perfect for upcoming Memorial Day or Fourth of July festivities? I am glad to have a record of ingredients and amounts for this year's parfaits, as you will likely find these again on next year's graduation reception menu!

"Think big thoughts but relish small pleasures." ~ H. Jackson Brown

Savor a Simple French Country Salad

"Take time enough for your meals, and eat them in company whenever you can." ~ Edward Everett

Not too long ago, I put together a salad using leftovers from our dinner the night before. This easy weekend lunch was so tasty, it seemed worthy of a streetside Parisian cafe. It's a recipe I want to remember for sharing with a friend, so I'm providing the full details here!

Simple French Country Salad

Prepare this refreshing mix to enjoy individually or to serve when entertaining.

Chicken breast(s) 

Lemon-garlic marinade* 

Sea salt 

Black pepper 

Thin asparagus spears, trimmed 

Olive oil 

Shredded Parmesan 

Spring mix lettuces 

Fresh strawberries 

Goat cheese crumbles* 

Honey-roasted pecans*

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Butterfly chicken. Brush with lemon-garlic marinade, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Saute over medium-high heat until cooked through, and set aside to let cool slightly.

3. Meanwhile, on prepared baking sheet, toss asparagus with a little olive oil and season to taste with salt, pepper and Parmesan. Bake in one layer until stalks are tender and edges are slightly charred, 12 to 15 minutes. Set aside to let cool slightly.

4. Slice chicken into strips, chop asparagus, and slice strawberries.

5. Divide lettuces among plates. Top with sliced chicken, chopped asparagus, sliced strawberries, goat cheese crumbles, and pecans. Drizzle with lemon-garlic dressing, and serve.

*I used Tessemae's Organic Lemon Garlic Dressing & Marinade and Fresh Gourmet Honey Roasted Pecan Pieces. For the salad pictured, we were out of goat cheese, so I used shredded Parmesan, which also provided a nice complement to the other flavors.

This delicious recipe demonstrates that sometimes the best culinary surprises come about from using what you have on hand. Chocolate croissants from a local bakery provided a perfect end to this healthful bistro meal!

"There is no need for hurry in life -- least of all when we are eating." ~ Edward Everett

10 Favorite Easter Ideas from a Decade of A Little Loveliness

"Easter spells out beauty, the rare beauty of new life." ~ S.D. Gordon

Over the years, we have shared some beautiful Easter memories. Looking back through ten years of posts, I am feeling so nostalgic for the many special springtime traditions, parties and creative projects we enjoyed when all my chicks were in the nest. (Or should I say that my bunnies were in the basket?) Thankfully, we will get to celebrate the holiday this year with Carson, our college boy. All four children are still willing to coordinate for church on Easter morning, so look for family pictures commemorating our time together. I will be the beaming mama, feeling so happy and blessed to enjoy another year with my precious ones! 





Nestling a smaller vase inside a larger one creates a space for filling with rows of pastel jellybeans. I made the original arrangement for Easter but kept the candy vase intact for quite a while and refilled it for several occasions.

My little bunnies loved these cabbage cupcakes, made by piping green icing on with an angled cake-decorating tip.

Photographing this bunny topiary, I could picture it as the crowning touch for a spring tea party. Find directions here.

Visit this post for a recipe for White Chocolate Nests.

For many years, one of my favorite springtime traditions was taking the children to paint Easter eggs at a local paint-your-own-pottery studio. Surveying our collection today, I am reminded of those precious times, such as this outing ten years ago.

This season is a wonderful time to bless others. Find ideas for Easter basket lunches for teachers here.

To share the love with friends, revisit this post to see how my friend Stacey treated the girls and me to an Easter tree party. Our daughters were all preschool age. How I miss those days!

For a sweet favor, how about this precious bunny in a jar? My sister-in-law Shannon made these for all the grandchildren at Easter one year.

Take a peek at this vibrant centerpiece, a whimsical Peeps arrangement.

And finally, this easy basket takes the cake! Find the how-to for this charming and versatile dessert in this post.

"For I remember it is Easter morn, And life and love and peace are all new born." ~ Alice Freeman Palmer

Top 10 Posts of the Decade

Last week, as the tenth anniversary of A Little Loveliness approached, I decided to look into statistics to determine some of my most popular posts. I knew without a doubt which one would take top honors because I still get occasional emails about this party detail, but other favorites were a surprise. Keep reading for a countdown of most-viewed features, and click the numbered heading to visit any you might have missed!

10. A Little Kindness

It truly touched my heart to see that this little moment I observed -- an exchange I might have forgotten had I not preserved it here -- has been one of my most shared devotionals. Often we think that grand gestures demonstrate a giving spirit, but this sweet lady proves that the smallest acts of thoughtfulness can add up to a lifetime of blessing others.

9. Special Delivery Tea Party

This recipe was developed with a favorite BBC costume drama in mind, but individual little fruit tarts could easily deliver sweet sentiments to loved ones at Valentine's Day.

8. Pottery P-art-y Finds and Favorites

Celebrating Emma's 7th birthday at a local pottery studio allowed us to paint the town pink. Actually, we used a rainbow of the birthday girl's favorite colors to create her perfect party palette. Click the heading above to catch some of my best resources, but don't miss the artist's palette invitation, necklace tutorial, party menu, and special memories.

7. Slumber-Party Wrap-Up

From start to finish, this was such a dreamy celebration! The fun started with an invitation fashioned to look like a bed (with a fold-down, monogrammed pillow and custom paper doll), and the creative details continued with a bedroom tablescape, handmade pajamas and party hats, a festive menu, and an easy craft. Love!

6. Bowling Party Ideas

When son Christian turned 10, we bowled him over with a surprise party at a local bowling alley. This was a fun activity for guests of all ages, with a theme that could work equally well for a boy or a girl. I still remember the look on Christian's face when he rounded the corner and saw friends and family gathered to celebrate!

5. Thanksgiving Table

I plan to share more of our most memorable holidays in an upcoming post, but this fall feast tops the charts as the most popular on the blog. Blue-and-white transferware is always a classic!

4. Make a Pillowcase Dress

My grandmother devised her own method for making lined pillowcase dresses, and we enjoyed sewing several for Mary Ashley and Emma. This one, with its pastel polka dots, ruffled hem, long grosgrain ribbon ties, and coordinating monogram, was precious as could be. This simple style was definitely a reader favorite, as you will see as our countdown continues.

3. Tea Towel Pillowcase Doll Dress Tutorial

Oh, what sweet memories this post brings back! Mary Ashley, Emma and I hosted friends for a mother-daughter tea party, and after our meal we made doll dresses from pretty tea towels. This was a great first sewing project to work on together. I would love to step back in time and gather the girls into my lap to experience this fun afternoon of crafting again.

2. Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

Simple yet tasty, this recipe offers a summer-perfect treat -- especially when finished with cute touches that hint at refreshing citrus flavor!

1. Emma's Ballerina Tutu Invitation

This little party post has by far exceeded any other post on the blog, with nearly 65,000 views, according to my statistics. I still get questions on making the little tulle skirt from time to time, and someday I WILL make a video tutorial to demonstrate! It makes me smile to know that so many other tiny dancers have let this invitation be the start of their own ballet-themed soirees. 


I hope that you have enjoyed this walk down memory lane! Here's hoping there is more loveliness to come over the next ten years.

A Dreamy Hot-Air Balloon Themed Baby Shower

"A baby dances with its feet in the air." ~ Ruth Krauss

Last month we celebrated the impending arrival of our nephew with a party for my sister-in-law Shana. This new little brother will join two older sisters, so we hosted a "sprinkle" for the family. This new trend offers a low-key alternative to the traditional shower -- giving loved ones the opportunity to pamper a new baby with items the parents might still need, especially if there has been a gap of several years since the last sibling was born or if the family is welcoming a different gender.

Read on to see how we got carried away with hot-air balloons!

We held the sprinkle in the reception room at our church building -- a wonderful option that allowed us to use the congregation's white tablecloths, as well as tables and chairs. Fresh hydrangeas added soft touches of blue and white, and leftover bunting from my custom-made hot-air balloons added festive touches, draped here and there.

I placed a framed copy of our invitation at the entrance to the room. I loved this Hot Air Balloon Clipart and allowed its storybook charm to set the mood for our other decor.

In lieu of a guestbook, a beautifully illustrated children's book offered a place for loved ones to record their sentiments. Reviewing their comments may one day be a treasured part of reading this book with the baby. (Look for book suggestions later in this post!)

Custom-made hot-air balloons hung from the ceiling seemed to float. See this tutorial for all of the details!

They also served as candle-lit centerpieces in areas that were carefully attended. My brother commented that seeing the flame, he kept expecting to see these balloons gently rise and float away!

Plastic cutlery and napkins from Hobby Lobby echoed the soft shades of blue and green that I used in the hot-air balloons. Find our clear dessert plates here.

To make the large reception room seem more intimate, we divided the space into zones. The center of the room offered a conversation grouping where Shana could open gifts, with a trio of tables nearby, including one for displaying packages and two for food and drinks. On the right side of the room, we set up tables where the adults could linger. And on the left, we offered a casual space for cousins and their friends. Read on to see our kid-friendly ideas!

I knew that my girls and our nieces, along with children of attendees, would be spending most of the afternoon at the party. To keep them entertained, we covered two rectangular tables with plastic tablecloths and offered coloring sheets. This Coloring Cafe design was perfect!

Washable markers and colored pencils ensured easy clean-up. Each kids' table included a hot-air balloon centerpiece, but we did not light the candles in these. (Battery-operated pillars would be a safe option here.) Tufts of pillow stuffing looked like fluffy clouds on our tables.

The girls seemed to enjoy having an activity that tied into our theme.

This pair of award-winning books -- a gift from my mother-in-law -- also added interest to the scene. Since they fit our theme, I tied gossamer blue and green ribbons around the front covers and displayed the books on the coffee table in our conversation area. My nieces can enjoy reading And Away We Go and Hot Air to their little brother someday soon!

Simple party fare was perfect for an early July celebration.

Hot-Air Balloon Sprinkle Menu

Cucumber Water

Sky Blue Ice-Cream Punch

Corn Salad with Tortilla Chips

Mini Quiches

Dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Cake

For an easy summertime treat, add cucumber slices to ice water. Chill for at least an hour, and serve for spa-like refreshment.

This frothy concoction, which I am calling Sky Blue Ice-Cream Punch for the purpose of this post, was my favorite menu item. About thirty minutes before the party started, we mixed one bottle of white grape juice, one-half bottle of Blue Hawaiian punch, and one 2-liter of lemon-lime soda. Mary Ashley swirled in scoops of vanilla ice cream, and as the punch began to froth, it took on the appearance of a blue sky filled with clouds. Perfectly lovely and delicious!

For savory bites, we offered mini quiches (picked up from Costco and baked at the church building before the party) and Corn Salad with tortilla chips. Corn salad works equally well as a dip -- find the recipe here.

The night before the shower, Mary Ashley and I made dozens of dipped strawberries. I melted Wilton Blue Candy Melts, dipped the fruit, and set the strawberries on a plate; she added pastel sprinkles from Michaels. We refrigerated the berries until the coating set, then placed each one on a cupcake liner, turned inside out to showcase the pattern. My sister-in-law loves chocolate-dipped strawberries, so something along this line was a must for our menu. And the extra embellishment provided a nod to the idea of the sprinkle.

Chocolate cake from Costco offered a delicious culmination to our menu. Overall, the party was a delightful way to spend an afternoon celebrating the precious little one who is actually scheduled to arrive today. We can't wait to meet this bundle of joy!

"Babies are such a nice way to start people." ~ Don Herrold

Some photos in this post by Nathan Prichard. Used with permission.