{"id":2778,"date":"2017-03-29T14:38:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T19:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/larakrupicka.com\/?p=2778"},"modified":"2017-03-29T14:38:00","modified_gmt":"2017-03-29T19:38:00","slug":"donut-challenge-day-3-honey-fluff-donuts-sensory-reset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/larakrupicka.com\/staging\/6885\/2017\/03\/29\/donut-challenge-day-3-honey-fluff-donuts-sensory-reset\/","title":{"rendered":"Donut Challenge Day 3: Honey Fluff Donuts & Sensory Reset"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DonutOur donut tour of the Western Suburbs of Chicagoland continues today with a stop at Honey Fluff Donuts in Countryside. As I’ve done the past two days, I want to point out a broader concept I learned from this visit before giving you our review of the shop. What I realized from visiting Honey Fluff is that not every business needs to be the best or a standout to do well. And not every stop on any adventure will be amazing. In fact, maybe\u00a0our adventures shouldn’t be one hundred percent over-the-top mind blowing. Sometimes it’s good to have an ordinary, everyday experience as you explore. I think of it as a sensory reset. Having a break from newness or from being “wowed” gives our minds and senses an opportunity to settle. It prepares us to be amazed again. After all, how much do you notice a light being turned on in a glaringly bright room compared with that same light being lit in a dim space?<\/p>\n

When you plan adventures for yourself or your family, consider this factor. Think about whether it would be valuable to build in a “down” day int\"IMG_3598\"o your schedule, for a longer vacation. Or a break in an intense day-long activity. Or whatever a sensory reset might look like for your given adventure.<\/p>\n

Not that Honey Fluff was a sensory reset exactly, but I’m getting ahead of myself.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_3565\"Honey Fluff Donuts is located in a strip mall on Joliet Road not far from I-55 and I-294. An easy stop on a commute or trip across the area. What I noticed as I pulled up in front were the prominent signs featuring their deals. I like deals! 4 donuts for $3.39, plus tax? Yes, please! Of course the afternoon special offering a baker’s dozen for $6.80 plus tax would have been tempting too – except I don’t want to burn us out on donut eating (which is a very real possibility this week). Given that it’s not far from where I work, I can see myself stopping by for a baker’s dozen on another afternoon as a treat for the family. Instead this time I bought 4 donuts, which ended up costing about the same as one Dough Boy donut at Stan’s Donuts (for comparison’s sake). And I think that’s what Honey Fluff Donuts has going for them – their prices are reasonable enough for a family to grab a dozen for breakfast.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_3606\"In addition to the requisite glazed donut, I chose a Boston Kreme, a buttermilk cake,\u00a0 and\u00a0a chocolate frosted cake. The shop had sold out of their\u00a0sour cream donuts, which I would have liked to try. Otherwise, their selection\u00a0followed\u00a0the standard donut shop listings – nothing unique. Which I don’t think hurts them at all. Honey Fluff\u00a0seems like a solid neighborhood donut shop that isn’t out to win accolades as much as they want to offer customers regular donuts.<\/p>\n

Among the four we sampled, the Boston Kreme won out for best donut. The custard filling was delightfully thick and creamy smooth\u00a0and they didn’t skimp on it – even cutting it into quarters, we both ended up with mouthfuls of filling (it drives me nuts when a donut is filled unevenly). The chocolate frosting tasted sweet and chocolatey, just as expected and the donut itself, while not flakey like Stan’s, held up well to the filling.<\/p>\n

\"\"The glazed donut was underwhelmingly basic. A thin layer of glaze coated a donut that was more cake-like than you typically find in a yeast donut. I like that the donut held up well – it didn’t squish flat like some do. The flavor didn’t stand out. The same was true of the buttermilk cake donut. It was slightly crisp on the outside with a decent cake texture, but I couldn’t tell the difference taste-wise between it and the yellow cake donut with chocolate frosting. If it hadn’t been evening when we tried them, I would have liked to have had a cup of coffee alongside these donuts. That’s the kind of donuts they are – your donut-and-coffee type.<\/p>\n

Bearing in mind the above, here are our ratings.<\/p>\n

Honey Fluff Donut\u00a0Scores <\/strong><\/p>\n

Presentation: 3 stars<\/p>\n

Variety:\u00a03 stars<\/p>\n

Creativity\/Uniqueness:\u00a02 stars<\/p>\n

Texture:\u00a03 stars<\/p>\n

Glaze:\u00a03 stars<\/p>\n

Overall Donut Flavor:\u00a02.5 stars<\/p>\n

Overall Score:\u00a02.75\u00a0stars<\/p>\n

Do you have a local donut shop near you like Honey Fluff? And what do you think of my sensory reset theory? Have you ever worked in a break during your adventures?<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our donut tour of the Western Suburbs of Chicagoland continues today with a stop at Honey Fluff Donuts in Countryside. As I’ve done the past two days, I want to point out a broader concept I learned from this visit before giving you our review of the shop. What I realized from visiting Honey Fluff…<\/p>\n

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