Blueberry Scones

Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones

• 3 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 cups dried wild blueberries (about 10 ounces)
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon peel or regular lemon peel

Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl. Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas. Add dried wild blueberries and toss to coat. Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup. Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough begins to form (some of flour will not be incorporated). Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns. Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.

Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes.


One word: YUM
I messed these up and they were still delicious.

Note:
No, this is not a "main dish" (though I have had almost 3 in less than 24 hours)...but I wish it was. I do, however, totally believe that sconces can be eaten for dinner (and thai food for breakfast).

The Anti-Chicken-Pot-Pie Campaign

I will be the first to admit that we are in a weekday dinner rut. Chicken-pot-pie, spaghetti, grilled chicken, and omelets and the occasional wild child jambalaya. All good, but not so yummy after a year (cough, or two). So here's the thing. I enjoy cooking, but it overwhelms me with all of the recipes to choose from and ingredients to buy. Our goal is to try one new recipe a week (has to be a main dish), and I will share them with you. Here are the ones from the last month.

Chicken Souvlaki with Cilantro (from last month's House Beautiful)

6 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds), cut into cubes
8 warmed pita breads


Marinade
Small bunch of mint, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
1 T. coriander seeds, crushed
1 t. tumeric
1 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper


Dressing
Large bunch of fresh cilantro, plus extra for serving
1 cup plain yogurt
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
2 Add the chicken cubes to the bowl and marinate overnight to 2-3 days.
3 Place chicken on skewers and grill kebabs until done.
4 Put all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and whizz to form a smooth green sauce. Pour over chicken and mix well. Serve with pita bread, cilantro.

Our thoughts (because we soooo obviously know what we are talking about):
We loved it. We added spinach and tomatoes to our pitas. I think it would be delicious with tahini sauce and hummus also.

Wedding Photos

With our two year anniversary creeping up on us I decided I would share some of our pictures with you. Click on the "Our Wedding" tab to the right!

Good morning, how was that coffee?

I woke up this morning when Reacher decided it was time to get back in bed with me. I'm taking a wild guess when I say that Nate must have fed him before he left for work because this is what Reacher led me to when I got out of bed. And, yes, he pitifully laid down beside it like this. Now here is the head scratcher...my flip flops are carefully positioned on top of the pile (along with a napkin) in what I can only guess is an attempt to hide it? I gotta believe that Nate did not deliberately put my flips on top of it when he left in hopes that I would not see it. So that leaves Reacher. My sweet puppy who stacks my flip flops and napkins on top of his problems in hopes that his human mommy will not notice.

 Too bad he couldn't find anything to cover the other three spots...

Gotta love them. Have a happy Thursday.