Baby, it’s cold outside! It may even be cold inside! What to do? Try the following suggestion, courtesy, in a round-about way, of MSN.com and Bret Stratka (founder and creator of Blognut, a blog dedicated to covering all things “donut” both stateside and abroad.)
The dictionary definition of doughnut (dough + nut) is “a small cake of sweetened or, sometimes unsweetened dough fried in deep fat, typically shaped like a ring or, when prepared with a filling, a ball.” (Websters.com) Historians think that Washington Irving can be credited with the first written mention of these delectable treats, calling them “balls of sweetened dough fried in hog’s fat”.
What does all this have to do with the Kalamazoo Public Library? Well, the blog-ster mentioned above, Bret Stratka, has put out his list of top 10 donut shops in the United States. And, listed as #3, the Sweetwater’s Donut Mill of Kalamazoo, Michigan! Aaahhh! The connection! Other states represented on the list are California (2), Connecticut, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
So, either before or after your stop at Sweetwater’s Donut Mill (2 locations in Kalamazoo; Stadium drive and Sprinkle Road) to see what makes their product so good (freshly fried, hand-cut delicacies, big and gooey, eclectic flavors), try the following, which, unless accompanied with the “real thing” will have significantly less calories, and the same amount of immense flavor and satisfaction! For the adult reader:
Steinberg, Sally L. The Donut Book: the Whole Story in Words, Pictures, & Outrageous Tales; Kazanjian, Kirk. Making Dough: the 12 Secret Ingredients of Krispy Kreme’s Sweet Success;
And for the juvenile reader: Bond, Rebecca. The Great Doughnut Parade; Keller, Laurie.
Arnie the Doughnut; and lastly, the classic for the whole family: Robert McCloskey’s Homer Price adventures, in which a doughnut machine runs amok and, well, try devouring this one on a cold January day!
Ann Sarenius, Children’s Room
