Times have changed since I was young. (not all that long ago) We didn’t have cable and after my morning of Captain Kangaroo and Mayor Chuckles, I would kick back and watch Days of Our Lives with Mom. As long as I can remember these shows and characters were in my living room, capturing my complete attention for at least an hour. No Baby Einstien for me! I was teething on how Doug had become a widow, left raise little Hope with his dead wife’s sister who he married pretty much as soon as his wife was in the casket.
Me and the parents.
I also watched as Grandma Horton made doughnuts and tea to hash out any horrific tragedy or amnesia that was present at that time. Your husband left you for his business partner that he thought was his sister for 5 years?? Have a doughnut. You’re possessed by the devil?? Have a doughnut. You got buried alive? You got kidnapped and taken to a secluded island and left in a birdcage for months only to be rescued during sweeps?? Have a doughnut.
So, gone are the days of kids standing in a playpen, drinking Coke from a bottle, and watching Days of Our Lives. And not only are those days gone, but the wonderful woman who played Grandma Alice Horton is now gone as well. Frances Reid lived to be 95, and for at least 35 of those years she lived, she was like my TV grandma that I got to see every day. She was exactly the kind of sweet little old lady everybody wanted to have as a grandmotherly figure.
However, one thing I must complain about is the fact that she was always making doughnuts. Have you ever made doughnuts from scratch? They are complicated, time consuming, messy, and hard to make if you don’t have a fancy mixer and such. But, as luck would have it, I just so happen to have a super easy doughnut recipe that is basically cheating on every level. All you need is a can of biscuits (not the layered kind), and some sugar. Get your oil in the pan, basically the same depth as if you were going to fry chicken, or if you use one of those little frying machines, just use whatever you would normally use. Be advised to use clean oil, you don’t want your doughnuts tasting faintly of chicken. Open your biscuits, and use either a very small round pastry cutter, or do what our mother does and use a cap from a soda bottle, and cut little circles out of each biscuit. Fry the biscuits making sure to turn them and get them nice and brown on both sides. (you can fry the little holes too) When they are done remove them to a paper towel to drain a little bit, and then while they are still warm dip each side in sugar. Serve warm. They aren’t exactly what you get at a real doughnut shop and they may not be what Grandma Horton served, but we always loved them and they made us feel better when we got kidnapped or found out that we weren’t married to our actual husband, but rather his evil twin.
