Doughnuts

or is it Donuts? I don't know, but I do know that there are a lot of things out there passing as donuts that were not around when I was a kid.

Yesterday was a major snowstorm that required multiple shovelings to completely clear. Shoveling last night, shoveling this morning...I needed coffee. And not hot coffee, I was already sweating from shoveling. Who has iced coffee in February? Dunkin Donuts - the black spectre of commercial America. Well...what are you gonna do?

The dogs had actually been good, so I took them with me with the intention of allowing them a Munchkin apiece. Not surprisingly, the line was a mile long...an army of snow-boot clad New Englanders taking a well deserved break from winter. While waiting, I had time to consider the donut assortment behind the counter and realized just how much times had changed.

Admitedly, being Southern, Krispy Kreme was the donut of choice in my youth and the varities offered were limited. Glazed, jelly, chocolate covered, cream-filled and cake. That was about it. There were usually a few different shapes or types, such as bear claws or crullers, but there were just variations on a common theme. And we were thankful. All we wanted was something sweet, soft and warm and this assortment suited any mood. Now, jelly donuts are stuffed with a myriad of fruit or cream fillings. Donuts have any sort of ingredients in the batter and an incalculable universe of toppings and dustings. It was amazing at how many permutations of donut could be concocted. And that doesn't count the seasonal, limited-time creatures that show up regularly. I just know that green donuts will be available for purchase come St. Patrick's Day.

And muffins, bagels, flavored coffees...It is just nutty. Coffee and a donut is a thing that has passed beyond one of life's simple pleasures....