A Summer Recipe - Mennonite Rollkuchen

I live in a very mennonite community, and I have mennonite roots on my Mom's side of the family. My Mom, and my Mother-in-law, have taught me what I know about Mennonite cooking, and I enjoy making it for my own family.  A summer favorite around here is Watermelon & Rollkuchen (or Ra'bus in Plautdietsch/Low German).  My MIL taught me how to make it. I made it this afternoon, so I thought I would share it with my readers today!  This is by NO means a healthy recipe.. as a matter of fact, I don't think *any* of the Mennonite food that we make is calorie-wise, but it's a tradition, and a comfort food of sorts, and we love it.

Here's the recipe:
2 cups flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
2 eggs
1.5 cup milk
1.5 cup cream (I use 35%)

Mix all the ingredients together (it will be sticky), and form a ball.  Knead in a bit more flour until it's no longer super sticky, but still very soft.  Flour your surface, and roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thick. I use a pizza cutter to cut the pieces like this:

 First in strips, then into pieces about 4 inches long or so (it really doesn't matter), then cut a little slit in the middle and flip one side through it to make the shapes above.  Twisted. :)

Fill a big pot with about 2 inches of canola oil (or use a deep fryer, I don't own one) and heat on medium.  The trick my MIL taught me is that when you place a rollkuchen in the oil, it should sink to the bottom of the pot, then rise after about 2 seconds.  If it stays at the bottom, then the oil isn't hot enough yet. (and they turn way greasier that way, too, eewww). Fry them, 4 - 6 at a time until golden, and then flip, fry until golden, and take them out with tongs.

I lightly salt them as soon as I take them out of the oil.  The salt goes so well with the watermelon. :)

Cut up your Ra'bus and enjoy the rollkuchen right away, while they're still hot.  We usually dip them in Rogers Golden Syrup, homemade strawberry jam, or gooseberry jam.

I love traditions. Thanks for letting me share this tradition with you. Happy Summer!!
xo holly

Fancy Five v.4

 [my tea collection]

I'm obsessed. DavidsTea has been a favorite since they opened their Polo Park location about a year ago.  I've always enjoyed drinking tea, but DavidsTea takes it to a whole new level.  Shopping there is an experience. An aromatic one! Each tea expert takes their time with you to talk about what teas suit your fancy, educating you about the benefits of each one, and letting you smell as many as you like.  I often leave with a few new ones to try, and my usual favorites. :)  I've been enjoying these teas iced and hot, depending on my mood, and I enjoy it every single time.  Tea time is me time, and I'm thankful for it.  As soon as Delilah goes down for a nap, I start steeping. ;)

Here are my 5 DavidsTea favorites for this edition of Fancy Five.....

[all photos from DavidsTea.com]

 1. Movie Night tea! This tea has popcorn in it (for real)! As soon as I tasted it, it became my absolute favorite.  It reminds me a bit of the buttered popcorn jelly belly, but with fruity undertones of maple and apple.  Read more about it here. I love enjoying it iced!

 2. Luscious Watermelon tea. This fruity tea is pretty and delicious. Perfect for summer.

3. The Iced Tea Mug. I picked this up on the weekend, and love it. It keeps it cold longer than my other mugs, and I love that I can see the tea.  (plus, any time you're by a DavidsTea location, you can get the iced tea of the day for only $1 if you bring your mug. sweet.)

 4. The Steeper. It's awesome.

5. The Noble Glass Thermos.  The prettiest glass thermos I ever did see. I'm certainly fancying the double wall glass these days.

Some of my other DavidsTea favorites are:

Cream of Earl Grey, Organic Detox, Buttered Rum, Goji Pop, and Creme Brulee. :)

Do you fancy tea? What's your favorite kind? What's your go to method of steeping?

Ryan is golfing tonight, and I think the kids and I are going to have a McDonald's date. (can't believe I mention tea and fast food in the same post, oops!)

Much love, and happy Monday!

xo holly

To Ryan on Father's Day

[from this morning]

 To Ryan, you're a wonderful father, and I can see how much you love your kids, every day.  Simon wants to be just like you and do everything you do, because he loves you so much.  I can tell you like this about him, and I love watching the two of you work together.

 You are living your dream and flying airplanes, and I can tell you can't wait to take your kids up with you.  They're going to love having a Pilot for a Dad.  I love to see you reach your goals, and I know that this is a strong trait that your kids will look up to.

 You help out so much, and are always willing to drop anything for your kids (or me!).  I can always depend on you, and having a dependable father as a husband is a precious thing that I do not take for granted.  You are a blessing to everyone in your family.

You show affection to the kids, and have since the day they were born.  I'm looking forward to bringing another sweet baby into your world. It made me so happy to hear you say that the day the kids were born were some of your favorite days ever.

[the day Simon was born, and the day Ryan became a Dad!]

The kids and I love you with all of our hearts, and wish you a happy Father's Day!  XOXO

I'd also like to wish a very happy Father's Day to my awesome Dad, Step Dad, Father-in-law, and Grandpa. 

new reads.

New books landed on my doorstep today, and I can't wait to dive in!

//
I've been taking it easy lately... my pregnancy induced leg pain is in full swing, and the less I'm on it, the better.  Ryan took the afternoon off to work on our yard (we'll have grass soon! pretty excited), then we have dinner at my in-laws to celebrate my FIL's birthday, and Father's Day I imagine. Tomorrow I'm taking a solo trip into the city for a lingerie shower for a close friend. I'm looking forward to the mall, friends, and of course, Starbucks! :)

Happy weekend!
xo holly

Delilah's Dresses - A Collection.

 I've enjoyed collecting vintage dresses for Delilah.  I started the collection as soon as we found out we were, in fact, going to have a girl.  Some of these she's worn often, some only once, some don't fit anymore, and some we're waiting to fit.  I have 4 hangers on a wall in her room, and I like to rotate which of these dresses I hang up.  It's nice to change the scenery in there every once in a while, and it reminds to dress her up, and get good use out of these beauties.

I've collected these dresses from various Etsy shops such as 3ringcircus, Lishyloo Vintage, MsTips, BlueRoseRetro, as well as gifts. I haven't scored at any local thrift shops yet, but I will be keeping my eyes open.  Dresses are so sweet.  I just wanted to share this collection with you.
xo holly

Follow Create*Loves!

Just wanted to let you know, that now you can Follow my blog with Bloglovin!
Happy weekend! xo

Fancy Five v.3

Here's another five things I fancy right now!

1. Envelope Clutch by Seablanket.

2. Pretty Maternity dresses from ASOS. These 4 are my favorite!

3. This print from ReStyle Etsy shop. 

4. Rachel's new blog design. Love it. Her style is *the* best.

5. Stella & Dot's new Renegade Collection Fall Preview! Love the subtle edginess of the spikes. I also love that they used "Gold Lion" in the promo vid. <3

Also, thanks so much for all of the congrats and sweet comments on our baby news! Speaking of which, I'm feeling pretty queasy so I think I'll hit the sack! (not complaining, but starting to 'feel' pregnant again, didn't necessarily miss the first trimester...)
xo holly

I'm terrible at keeping secrets...

Yep.

Number three is on the way!

We're very excited.

XO

such a fun memory..

[source]

I miss these girls!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. It feels like summer is finally here in MB!

xo holly

Roadtrip - Part 2

On Monday, after Elsie & Jeremy's wedding, I had my tattoo appointment and a coffee date with friends before we left Springfield. We drove to Oklahoma City that evening.  The next day, bright and early, we drove our longest day of the trip... all the way to Flagstaff, Arizona.

I enjoyed this drive! We drove through a few states, and got Sonic for lunch in Texas. I liked the scenery in New Mexico the most. It reminded me of western films.

We stopped at a Cherokee trading post for fun, because I wanted to see all of the beautiful Native goods. I picked up a cute pair of moccasins for Delilah, and a pretty copper bracelet for myself.


We arrived at Flagstaff late at night, and completely exhausted.  The next day we drove down to Sedona, which is another beautiful scenic drive.  Unfortunately, it was raining, but that didn't stop us.

 

We stopped at a few lookouts on the way there, and I found this bridge to be very photogenic. :)

We didn't stay in Sedona very long (because we planned to also visit the Grand Canyon later that day). We visited a few shops, picked up some souvenirs for family, and admired the charming city.  Sedona had a lot of jewelry stores and shops with beads and raw crystal. This geode was HUGE, and so pretty.

We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant called Oaxaca, thanks to the recommendation from Katie! It was so good. I loved the prickly pear cactus lemonade, and Ryan was a big fan of the fried ice cream. ;)

We liked Sedona, and would totally visit again.
Next... the Grand Canyon.

xo holly