Will Work(out) for Donuts

I love donuts!  There, I said it.
Donuts are part of my training and nutrition plan and this should be no surprise to those who know me.
Donuts = Fuel
Donuts = Motivation
Donuts = Yummy Reward

   

Growing up near Los Angeles in the late 60's, my earliest memory of donuts was of the Helms Bakery truck.  The Helms Bakery trucks slowly roamed the neighborhoods wafting the sweet smells of fresh donuts, cookies, brownies and breads until kids (like me) came running.  It was like the Ice Cream Man, minus the annoying music, but with with donuts.  I distinctly remember the long, wooden drawers filled with glazed donuts that slid open from the back of the truck.  It was genius!  From that point forward, I was hooked.

Next came Winchell's Donut House.  Sometimes on Sunday mornings after church, our family would stop at Winchell's for a sugary treat and my Dad would get a cup of coffee.  I remember leaning against the glass display case to get a better look at what seemed like hundreds of donut options.  When I was in high school, Winchell's correctly assumed that bigger was better and offered huge glazed and twist donuts.  The twist was as over a foot long and the glazed was as big as a trash can lid, minus the handle.  College days and nights saw some Winchell's action as well since they make donuts 7x24.  This only reaffirmed my love of the yeasty treats.

You can't live in Los Angeles without paying homage to Randy's Donuts.  It's near LAX airport and is a SoCal icon.  On a recent visit, I paid my old friend a visit picked up a few for the road.  Yum.  Unfortunately, Randy's no longer sells the Fred-Flintstone-giant-spareribs-tip-over-your-car size as illustrated in the picture.  Too bad.  In Florida, the closest you get to Randy's Donuts is the Rockin' Roller Coaster at Disney's Hollywood Studios where you get to ride right through the middle.  Sweet!

Now we're living in Florida and Krispy Kreme opened a new store a few years ago equipped with the donut assembly line and glaze waterfall.  You can't help but make a U-turn when you see the "Hot Light" burning red, signifying fresh donuts being made where the wire conveyor belt is caked with icing and crowded with hot glazed happiness.  Unfortunately this nearby store closed, but it is survived by others in Tampa Bay area that carry on the tradition.  RIP local Krispy Kreme.

A recent addition to the local donut repertoire is Nicolas.  Nicolas makes great donuts, don't get me wrong, but they drive me crazy with their approach.  They make a limited number of donuts and often sell out...a fact that they seem proud of.  The cinnamon twirl is excellent, but you have to get there early or place a special order to guarantee satisfaction.  Donut frustration!

I even tried my hand a making homemade raised donuts.  It took a few hours, was slightly messy, but was totally worth it.  I'll continue to motivate myself with the promise of a donut reward and re-fuel after a long workout with a carb-tastic, sugary donut and a glass of milk.  Donuts are like a sweet training partner who keeps you going when times get tough and is there to celebrate your hard fought victories.  Thanks for being there donut friend.  Now let's get down to business...nom, nom, nom.