28 August, 2008

lemon cream scones

These turned out really well, and they're not difficult at all. I followed the recipe pretty much exactly, except I cut each circle into 8 mini-scone wedges instead of 4. Cut them before you bake them, BUT don't separate them. You're kind of scoring them basically. Mine took 15-16 minutes in a pre-heated oven.

They have a delightfully crispy crust and are soft and light inside. Serve them with butter and jam. We had some huckleberry jam that B brought back from Montana, yum! (And if you have access to a fresh steaming mug of cappuccino, it will only enhance the experience!)



Old-Fashioned Lemon Cream Scones

From The Best Quick Breads by Beth Hensperger


Ingredients:


2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon mixed with 2 tablespoons sugar (optional), for sprinkling
** this is optional but I would not skip it!



Instructions:


Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C). Grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper. (I prefer parchment paper, love that stuff!) In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, lemon zest, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or a heavy-duty electric mixer (I used a pastry blender) until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In a small bowl or 1-cup measure, whisk together the eggs and cream. Add to the dry mixture and stir until a sticky dough is formed.


Turn out the shaggy dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently just until the dough holds together, about 6 times. (I just did it within the mixing bowl.) Divide into 2 equal portions and pat each into a 1-inch-thick round about 6 inches in diameter. With a knife or straightedge, cut each round into quarters, creating 4 wedges. The scones can also be formed by cutting the dough using a 3-inch biscuit cutter to make 10 to 12 smaller scones.


Place the scones about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake in the center of the oven until crusty and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately with butter and homemade jam, or cool on a rack and freeze in heavy-duty freezer bags for up to a month.

(These don't keep very well, so definitely follow the freezing advice if you don't eat them right away. I like the double-wrap method, basically I wrap them well in foil then put them into a freezer bag and seal tightly. If I use a freezer bag alone, things tend to taste plastic-y and not keep as well.)


Yield: Makes 8 scones
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26 August, 2008

a peek into...

my OCD, ADD mind, before work yesterday morning. (Yes, this really happened, and yes, I'm really insane enough to remember it all and to write it all down. I had to wait a day to post it because it was making me nauseous to look at it.)

(drying hair) i need to remember to take that meat out of the freezer, did B empty the lint catcher in the dryer?, i need to repaint my toenails, god that baseboard is dirty, don't forget to grab that CD, shinyhead, hahaaa, speaking of sineads what ever happened to sinead lohan, dammit these gray hairs just don't stay colored very long, what should i rate that movie, 3 or 3.5, i think 3.5, what jobs do i have coming in today, i have to get at least those 2 out, who am i gonna get to cover that damn job, it's more of a 3 really but i did like the performances so yeah i'll do 3.5, ack i'm already late, i wish i could just go back to bed, (outside to refill puff's water), why is he lying in THAT spot, he never lies right there, i hope nothing is wrong, (petting kitty) "bye sweetie, dang you are shedding like crazy, i'll see you tonight i have to go, oh you are *so* adorable, really, i have to go, i'm already running late", (to squirrel) "oh shut up this is MY yard i have a right to be here you know", oh yeah i need to water that plant, "ok bye baby, for real", ewww dead cricket, at least it's not a roach, (back inside) god i need to sweep this floor, oops toaster is still plugged in, i have GOT to start walking again, ok - no candy today at work, i'll just eat what i bring nothing extra, hahaha yeah right, oh yeah the meat, oops i almost forgot the CD, (pulling out of garage) dammit there's a piece of trash in the yard well i'm just gonna leave it, i'm already late, i could never be a maid, touching other people's trash grosses me out, hahaha a maid, i can't even keep my house clean never mind touching the trash, duh, (on the road) that meat isn't gonna be thawed out by tonight, crap! i forgot to check the dryer lint! did i close the garage door?, ok, come on in, i'm letting you in, come on, i know you are getting on so just do it, ok, forget it then, you lost your window, DAMMIT! motherfucker I KNEW IT fucking pay attention you fuckhead, this really is a great song, crap is that my phone? oh it's just a sound in the song, dude i think you can take your kerry/edwards sticker off your car now, man i'm tired, wait i think i only slept about 4 and a half hours last night no wonder, i have GOT to go to bed early tonight, oh god, what if obama doesn't win??, move grackle what are you doing?, wisconsin have i ever seen a wisconsin plate here, ugh i kind of have a headache, i closed the garage door right? i think i did.........................

But everyone does this, right? Or is it just me??? Do I need medication? Or just meditation? Maybe a vacation?

23 August, 2008

raisins, violating innocent baked goods since 1923*

Ah, grapes... so luscious and satisfying, with their pleasing bite and addictive splooshiness.


And are any other fruits even capable of such a glorious transformation as this?



But friends, the raisins have got to go. For one thing, they are just dried up, shrivelled, dead grapes. But, they have another, more serious knock against them.



Behold the following scenario:





B: "Hark, m'lady, someone has dropped a raisin on our spotless** faux-wooden floor!"










S: "What ho, husband! How can that be? Let us seek a closer view."




B: "I do believe, fair wife, that something is amiss with this fallen raisin."


S: "Alas, husband, this is no raisin! Quickly, remove the foul object from our pristine** laminate planks!"

So do you see my point, people??

WHO THE HELL WANTS DEAD SPIDERS IN THEIR OATMEAL COOKIES???



* I just made that date up.

** Yeesh, I swear it looked clean from 64 inches up.

22 August, 2008

holy hogwarts!



oh my lord



what the...... ??

when did...... ??

good gravy!!!

of course i've watched them grow up like everyone else, but i just came across this old pic today, so i couldn't resist a side by side comparison. have a great weekend, you one or two people who read this blog!! :o)

21 August, 2008

something amazing

Something amazing happened the other day! When I got home from work, there were all these WET spots in the yard and on the deck and in the driveway... like actual PUDDLES and stuff. What was this mysterious reflective liquid?



I could see the trees and sky by looking DOWN at my deck! This is quite a phenomenon in the middle of August, in the middle of Texas.




The cannas were looking simultaneously fiery and dewy.




And their leaves sported an exquisite sprinkling of diamonds.




It may not have been enough to make a dent in the drought, but this little rain shower did wonders to quench a thirsty spirit.

15 August, 2008

Post the second - where anything goes!

OK, so I posted this immediately after my first post, and I could have made it my first post, but for Very Important Reasons outlined in the previous - and first - post (see below), I did not. (There are far too many "posts" in this paragraph. Yick.)

When it comes to chips, I'm a flavor lover. "Plain" is lame. Nacho cheese doritos were an addiction for me as a kid, even the best tortilla chips aren't worth eating without salsa, and I will always pick cheddar sun chips over regular. So why are these old-school plain jane non-flavored ruffles that L left in the kitchen the best freaking thing I have eaten in DAYS???? Well, I'll tell you. Because I figured it out. It's because of the hormones. You just cannot appreciate the overwhelming and tremendous satisfaction that simple salty crispy fat-fried pieces of the lowly potato can provide until you have had the PMS. Sorry, guys. (Well OK there is another way but that is not the subject of this blog.)

* sigh *

Good stuff. I'm completely satisfied.




except...




well...





does anyone have any chocolate????

ummm...

I couldn't figure out what to write about for my first post. THE first post of my first ever blog.

* pressure *

I have plenty of stuff I want to write about but nothing seemed to be the perfect fit for the big cherry-pop. (Is that too gross?) So I decided, screw it, I just won't write about anything.

Done and done.