Tag: Erie

Donut Reviews

Royal Love Donut – Dunkin Donuts – Erie, PA 12th Street Location

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I was musing with my friend yesterday about Dunkin Donuts sponsoring me and she sent me an image of what could be me 🙂

960x0I would have gladly posed with a dozen of Dunkin Donuts’ Royal Love donuts, but unfortunately, I am not a real-life princess like this lady. The carriage looks pretty sweet. WTF IS ON HER HEAD?

I did the next best thing to posing with donuts in Central Park and used my free donut coupon from before – last week? – and got me a free Royal Love donut. It was a hard buy because DD had a wide display this morning including vanilla cream that I love and seasonal Spring Fling and Comet Candy donuts that I neeeeeed to try. And Royal Love….is….jelly filled 😦 The donut always left after meetings in the conference room, on the tray at church, or in your cupboard getting mold on it. And for everyone out there saying, “I like the jelly filled – they’re my favorite.” You are probably the same type of liar as those who told me they “loved being pregnant.” A people pleaser liar, which is fine – we need you people so women will still enter pregnancy optimistically and someone will eat the jelly donuts.

Regardless of my personal bias, I tried to intake the Royal Love optimistically for the sake of Megan Markle. She won the lottery, she looks AMAZING – as does anyone who used to open cases on that game show – and she’s getting married tomorrow so YAY. Sadly, I can’t feign as much enthusiasm for the donut. It was typical DD dough, so average. It was typical DD chocolate frosting, so a little below average, but the fruit icing swirl (strawberry but tasted like fake raspberry?) was not a good compliment to the chocolate. The jelly was chunky 😦 I never want to think of chunky while eating something that I KNOW is making me chunky. At first I thought it was pieces of real fruit – gross but acceptable – but no it was like some old Smuckers that expired from the back of the cupboard 😦 So actually, I didn’t let any of my bias out of this review. If you like jelly donuts, I recommend.

THE BREAKDOWN: Royal Love Donut

Store: Dunkin Donuts lives here online

Address: 2545 W 12th St, Erie, PA 16505

Cost: FREE with my coupon

What they want to highlight: According to Dunkin’ Brands Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Nigel Travis, a dual U.S. and British citizen born and raised in Woodford, Essex, “As the U.S. donut leader, we love helping our guests make special occasions both big and small even sweeter with fun donut designs and flavors. The Royal Wedding represents optimism, happiness and joy, and thus is a perfect opportunity for our brand to celebrate. We hope all donut lovers, royalty or not, will enjoy the new Royal Love Donut…” Read more about it here.

What I thought was the highlight: The cute heart shape! And yes, I totally felt the optimism. Like, there’s a royal wedding, the bride’s from the United States, we are the best country in the world, and now Dunkin Donuts is gonna sell more jelly donuts than any other fiscal quarter in donut shop history.

Rating out of 5 stars: 1 – maybe less but I still love DD. Be a real princess and look at the donut, don’t eat it.

Would I buy it again?: No! But you should buy into their marketing and get it before it’s gone.

What could make it better?: Maybe a Boston Cream filling? To show we are still rebels? A lemon filling? I heard the royal wedding cake might be lemon? Something relating to a krumpet? Idk anything but jelly filled 😦

Are you going to try the Royal Love donut? Did you try it and LOVE IT? DO YOU LOVE JELLY DONUTS AND WANT TO FIGHT ABOUT IT? Leave a comment below 🙂 Or if you’re sane just like this post.

IMG_0334Cute shape ❤

IMG_0328Pretty, clean display as always. I heard DD was minimizing donuts offered and maximizing drinks. Good strategy cause their beves are BOMB! Truly why I love DD and the main reason I go.

Donut Reviews

Cinnamon Roll – H & K DO Nut Shop Review – Erie, PA

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After the pain of rejection from H & K DO Nut’s shop last week, I valiantly returned to get some donuts. Just as I had pictured, the inside was a diner style with counter seats and then a little display case with traditional donuts laid out on trays. Everything looked much more enticing than Giant Eagle’s selection, but I was much in the mood for something glazed and chose the cinnamon roll. **Disclaimer – I forgot my phone in the car and took a FULL 20-MINUTE SPEED WALK before arriving so I was famished and my sugar was low and my muscles were spazzing – so I don’t have any interior photos – but they have a lot of images on their Facebook. So click it or go there and see yourself 🙂 ** **Also think it was called a cinnamon roll but not totally sure if that is the official name. You all know what a cinnamon roll looks like or you wouldn’t be here.**

After doing like an 8-point turn to get out of their parking lot because I seem to forgotten how to drive this past week, I got home quickly and tried out H & K’s cinnamon roll. I am happy to report that the outside was crispy with flaky glaze and no grease, just how cinnamon roll perfection should be always. It wasn’t that gross gooey either that tastes like it was dunked in day-old sugar water. Interestingly, the middle was not super soft, which is good because I hate when the center is undercooked like yuck you’re basically eating a raw egg, but it was almost a little dry. I’m not sure how that happened but the middle was the least flavorful. Also not upset about this because it sucks when the middle is the best part of the donut and the middle is only a teeny portion.

THE BREAKDOWN: Cinnamon Roll

Store: H & K DO Nut Shop aka H & K’s aka H & K Do-Nuts Click for their *official* site

Address: 3712 West Lake Road, Erie, PA 16505

Cost: $.90

What they want to highlight: Good old-fashioned donuts 

What I thought was the highlight: Good old-fashioned donuts

Rating out of 5 stars: 3.2 – Better than average

Would I buy it again?: Yes, when in the mood for a traditional cinnamon roll.

What could make it better?: Whatever is happening on the outside of this donut should happen in the center more and it would be like a 4.

IMG_0315Where my vigorous walk started and ended today at Presque Isle. #calorieburn #fitfam

IMG_0316.JPGOnly pic I got of H & K cause I slack. You can see more pics on their Facebook.

Really wanted to showcase my Mother’s Day flowers from my parents <3. Kind of still failed at that lol. But the real focus –  You can actually see the nice outside crust of this donut and how it downward spirals int he center.

Like this post! Comment on your favorite cinnamon roll! Please.

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Butler County, Ohio Donut Trail – A Day Without Donuts Again but Add in Cake

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So my friends on Facebook started tagging me on a post about the Butler County, Ohio Donut Trail. The lovely trail takes you to 12 donut shops and if you get your “passport” stamped by each, then you can mail in your passport you downloaded from the Donut Trail website and get a free t-shirt.

trailmap.png

Super fun and I plan on driving this donut trail this ASAP. Cheesecake donut is a priority for me. Butler County, Ohio is about 5 hours away from Erie but would be a nice road trip. The Butler County site warns that shops may close when they sell out and many sell out before 10AM. Fingers crossed I can hit up all the stops and get a free shirt. I think anyone taking this who wants to complete will have to plan a little extra – meaning factoring in store timing and what order they would like to travel for the donuts. Why would you follow the 1 – 12 on the map above? lol

September 1, 2018 you can bike the approximate 80-mile Donut Trail Cycle Challenge and get donuts along the bike route. I totally would just opt for this but it’s so close to my due date that it probs isn’t the best idea to have a baby, on bicycle, with a dozen donuts in hand.

Here is the link to get all the donut shops, your own passport, and all other info: Butler County, Ohio Donut Trail Website.

I couldn’t review a donut today because I OD’d on food during Mother’s Day. I did, however, sneak in a Dunkin Donuts Iced Caramel Swirl Latte today. On the DD receipt, they give you the option to fill out a survey and get a free donut. I think any free donut is a great donut so watch out DD – coming for you and that Royal Donut next.

B3D9D11D-9BAE-4A97-BF24-0021D4E2D2E5I know – my photography skills are amazing. Don’t let my skills fool you – this cake is worth missing a donut for today. Wegman’s yellow cake, raspberry filling, whipped cream frosting, buttercream decor. Da best!

IMG_0281The newest and most experienced moms from my family – me and grandma ❤

54799535965__77C9D0B5-6EAE-4CFA-B103-8C132415A68EWhat I did this morning instead of eating donuts – Presque Isle walk.

IMG_0288Morning walk – donuts + cake = same as every other day.

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In case you didn’t know…useful information from Erie, PA donut blog

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I recently learned that to have a successful blog you need to provide readers with more than opinions and stories. You need to provide something useful to readers. Here is some useful information ≈ CLICK ↓ CLICK ↓ CLICK ≈
https://giphy.com/embed/ksKzKBIlV7GDCCPY77

via GIPHY
Thanks for making this picture Joe. It’s all the hearts ❤

Donut Reviews

Chocolate Potato Chip Ring Donut Review – Giant Eagle Bakery – Erie, PA

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Today I decided to go with a business I knew would be open – Giant Eagle in Yorktown Plaza. Grocery store donuts get a bad rap but their bakeries are where we go for our birthday cakes and breads, so why be shy about their donuts?

Looking in the case there was an impressive spread of regular donut staples, but one stood out from the crowd – the Chocolate Potato Chip Ring. The chocolate potato chip trend intrigues snackers – and rightfully so – providing the sweet and salty fix blah, blah. I paired the donut with a glass of fancy milk that was given to us as a gift (strange to write that) so I’m not sure where it was purchased. The dough is a raised ring without a lot of sugar, so if a floury, non-sweet dough is to your taste then you will love it. The chocolate was the only flavor in the donut and it was run-of -the-mill chocolate, but I will never (rarely) diss chocolate, so comparatively it was the donut’s best feature. Then the *highlight* of the donut!!#$%@*+! ***POTATO CHIPS*** !!#$%@*+! So glamorous. Innovative. It looks like a brown bag lunch was smashed at the bottom of a bookbag and those teeny bags of chips mostly full of air busted open and settled on a slightly melted chocolate surface. Then, you ate it anyway cause you hungry. The chips added crunch, which brings excitement to any donut but did not add flavor or help fill my growing belly.

THE BREAKDOWN: Chocolate Potato Chip Ring

Store: Giant Eagle Click to see a chain store website 🙂

Address: 2501 W. 12th St., Erie, PA 16505

Cost: $.89

What they want to highlight: It’s “unique” and has chips.

What I thought was the highlight: More like a dim light but the chocolate.

Rating out of 5 stars: 2.5 – will satisfy you in a donut fit but not for long.

Would I buy it again?: Maybe if there were only this, a jelly filled and/or plain cakes to choose from.

What could make it better?: If Giant Eagle didn’t half commit to the trend. This is a case of more is more. Put some sea salt on top and a caramel filling to make a Sea Salt Caramel Chocolate Potato Chip Ring. I’d buy that again 🙂

What do you think? Over the potato chip trend? Want more? Want it to be more better? Give small town America the sweet and salty it deserves? Love/hate grocery store donuts? Leave a comment below 🙂

IMG_0254*Mostly* full spread at Giant Eagle Yorktown. Now thinking *I should have got a long john.*

IMG_0255Don’t the chips look like a mistake?!? Also, ignore the calorie count. There’s no room for something like that here.

IMG_0259When I brought her home ❤

My gifted fancy milk (on the left…in case you weren’t sure). Featured right – one of the best couples I know – Milk and Donut.

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May 9, 2018 – A Slow Start – H & K DO-nuts Review – Erie, PA

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49401260_v1O0zSBwNMfx5q6oOZgbPqxATK5aWkWXMdjgq8hcHPkWelcome to a blog about donuts. Not sure how many donut blogs are out there but I’m pregnant and can’t have much fun but I can have donuts. Living in Erie, PA there are not an endless number of donut options, but surprisingly there are donuts I have not consumed despite living here on and off most of my life. Today I decided I’d take on a new donut shop head on – H & K DO Nuts on W. 8th street in Millcreek. I took a walk at the Presque Isle and was ravenously hungry – any small amount of physical activity at 5 months pregnant requires a full meal and nap afterward. I pulled up to the diner style H & K building. Annnnnd they had a colorful sign on the door that read, “Closed May 7 – 12.” Have you had H & K? What should I try when they open back up this May?

Check out their Facebook Page (that didn’t highlight special closing dates :/): H & K DO Nut Shop Facebook

And their homepage (also…no special closing details): H & K DO Nut Shop Homepage

IMG_0231Because there are no donuts to show…consume a pic from the tip of Presque Isle taken by *me* this morning.

999CC8CF-B2E7-4C9C-9856-C0BDBA8F8538Cute, sweet babies and a mad mama goose that hissed at me.

IMG_0237Sitting in front of Perry Monument, meditating on donuts. Unfortunately, I fell victim to the old proverb, “Some days you don’t get donuts.”