This bakery was on the top of my "todo" list for today. It is finally Fat Tuesday today. As many of you know I was a bit over eager in my preparations for the Lenten Season. If you missed my over eagerness you can go back here and check it out. (Then if you have nothing better to do you can read this embarrassing post.)Steenstra's Royal Dutch Bakery has been around for longer than I have been alive. It's the place to go for amazing hamburger buns, danishes, windmill cookies, donuts, oh the list goes on and on. It is, like the sign states, a Dutch bakery. Thus the Windmill cookies, which reminds me I need to send a supply of those to my mom in Florida.
But today this is what my eyes were set on. Paczki.
Paczki's are a traditional Polish donut filled with an assortment of fruit fillings. Prune being the most traditional. Paczki's are not to be confused with jelly donuts. The dough paczki's are made from has eggs and spirits in it, giving it a very distinct rich flavor.
Paczki Day. Do you have a Paczki Day in your town? It's a Midwestern thing. Primarily celebrated in cities with larger Polish communities the day before Ash Wednesday. The reason for making paczki was to use up all the "good stuff" before Lent began, like eggs, sugar, lard, and fruit. 
Luckily I was able to savor half of this glorious prune filled paczki, because this is what I found when I returned from parent teacher conferences this afternoon.......
An EMPTY box!! And a huge mess on the floor sticky fruit, and powdered sugar EVERYWHERE!!!! Blasted KIDS! What the "beep beep" happened here??#@%! Even my other half of prune paczki was gone! "BEEP, beep, beep!" What kid would want the prune donut? That's when my oldest daughter came running out, "MOM Jack ate all the donuts! I had one, Noah had one, then I left the box open (key word:OPEN) in the middle of the table......and well (breathless) Jack ate the rest! I just left for a minute...it was all the way in the middle....". She was frantic. And so was I. DAd-blamed DOG! Apparently he had been anticipating the Paczki's also. 4 1/2 Paczki's the size of large oranges are sitting in my golden retrievers gut just waiting to be vomited out on my rug. He has an ear infection right now, that's the only thing that is saving this $#@!Dog from a night in the garage!
It's cold out. He wants back in. He would stand like this for hours. Just waiting for the door to open. Or a bird to land on the door knob, we're not sure which.
Gone...gone....gone.....
There he is. He did get booted out for a little while.
It's cold out. He wants back in. He would stand like this for hours. Just waiting for the door to open. Or a bird to land on the door knob, we're not sure which. ARG! Why does he have to be so sweet......and dumb!
Please mommy, I so sorry, I promise to never eat another paczki as long as I live.
A Dogs Prayer
Lord, today I ate my Masters donuts.
They were sinfully sweet. I thought they were meant to be my treat.
Please forgive me for I know not what I do.
Now I ask,
Lord if you could make this door open,
so I could go lay on my comfy bed.
I promise to never eat another Paczki for as long as I live.
Amen
Between eating my donuts and being a giant hairball this dog is definitely testing my love for him. Do they sell Paczki on Ash Wednesday? Because three human beings in this house did not get their annual paczki.
Good Golly Miss Molly!
Life is crazy around here sometimes.
Hoping your dog didn't eat your donut today.
With LUV,
