Saturday Meanderings
With a mostly dreary, rainy and overcast week, we are so enjoying the blue skies, big white puffy clouds and gentle breezes these last few days. The grass looks greener and everything feels like Mother Nature gave it a good bath. What is it about Spring that just brings joy and happiness? Happy Saturday to you and I am hoping you are having beautiful weather too. It’s time to chat about all the good things this week. Thank you so much for joining me today.
My Heart is Full
I cannot tell you how much I appreciated all your wonderful condolences for Sox’s passing. Even though I try to answer each of your comments, it was hard to do so while sobbing. So please know that the fact that you took the time to share your stories and sympathies, really filled my heart. You are the best.
Great Response to the Fall Styling Workshop
We are so excited that we received so many positive responses to the pending Fall Styling Workshop. We will have room for 20, but if we exceed that number, we may add another day to the schedule. I am finalizing the agenda and cost and will publish the specifics soon.
Fun New App
My neighbor Karleen (and her friend from Wisconsin) recommend this app called Merlin. Developed by the Cornell Lab for Ornithology, it is a field guide in your pocket. The app is an interactive tool for you to identify birds. How it works is that you record the bird sounds nearby on your phone and Merlin will identify what bird is making what sound. Especially now in the Spring, there is so much bird chatter, it’s nice to know the names of the birds.
Merlin is complete with photos, sounds, and ID tips for more than 6,000 bird species and seasonal bar charts for any location at a glance. Now people across six continents are using Merlin to identify birds daily. Merlin is a free app and you can download it on your smartphone.
Spring Front Door
After several days of searching, I finally found my Spring tulip wreath for the front door. Seriously, it is so frustrating when you cannot find something when you put it in the same spot every year. Typically I put most of the wreaths inside the well tower hanging in plastic bags on the wall. Well, this wreath must have fallen off because it was on the floor squashed behind plastic stacking storage boxes. Mystery solved.
It appears I may need to rearrange the green leaves on it, but I am happy it is finally up for Spring. To see the DIY on making this wreath, click here.
My Baking Week
Not sure why I did so much baking this week, but I made scones, another batch of those addicting ooey gooey salted peanut butter oatmeal bars, sourdough panettone and sourdough crackers. I am trying to experiment with almond flour so the crackers, though tasty, didn’t get as crisp as I like. But I do want to share this scone recipe with you.
Not that I’m a scone snob, but some scones taste like baking powder to me. But these scones are SO delicious and I think they are rather easy to make…and no baking powder. The recipe comes from a former White House pastry chef, Roland Messier so you know it has to be good. The actual dough is so versatile and can be used to make cobblers, shortcakes or turnovers.
After baking, you dust them with confectioner’s sugar and pop them under the broiler for just a few seconds for the perfect finish. I promise you will not be disappointed. See recipe below.
Are You Reading Any Good Books?
I just finished The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.
Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of long-time writing partners/best friends Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. This is the first book I have read from this author(s). Although a bit predictable it is a fun read about identical twin sisters, a bad wedding experience and a series of comical circumstances. If you are looking for a bit of brain candy, I would recommend this. Not alot of heavy lifting here and every now and again, I know I need a book for pure entertainment. Amazon has it listed as Editors Pick for Best Romance. You can find it here.
Finally a Use for Italian Tiles
I bought a stack of tiles from Deruta on a 1998 trip to Italy. Not sure what I intended to do with them, but they have been sitting around for the last 25 years in a drawer.
Finally, I decide to add clear adhesive rubber pads to the bottom and now we are using them as coasters on the outdoor back terrace.
It feels so good to get little things like this done! And each time I use one, it reminds me of our trip to Italy.
Exciting Ideas from the Internet
Wendy from WM Design House comes up with the most clever ideas. Her blog post, Adult Easter Eggs; Four of the Easiest Ways to Decorate Eggs is full of new and different creative projects.
I cannot believe Easter is about 2 weeks away! Her blog post will get you motivated to do something different and fun with your eggs. See it here.
My talented and very creative friend, Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse, shows how to make a Custom Tablecloth and Napkins. I’ve never done this. My only attempt to do cute napkins ended in complete failure (see that post here). But look how sweet this tablecloth is! You can see Rachel’s very detailed DIY here.
If you love lily-of-the-Valley, check out Chloe’s (from Celebrate and Decorate)post on her Spring Table Decor. Isn’t this just so elegant and delicate? So many great ideas for an Easter or Spring table.
Look at this delicious dessert grazing board Maureen from Red Cottage Chronicles creates. I love the combination of sweet and salty and this dessert board has it all~taste, textures, color and beauty. See it here.
That’s it for today’s Saturday Meanderings! Now I am off to finally think about Easter. Next week I hope to share some Easter/Spring inspiration. Wishing you a lovely, relaxing weekend!
Dried Fruit Scones
Ingredients
- 1/2 recipe Cobbler Dough
- 2 Tbsp butter, melted for brushing
- 1 cup raisins, dried blueberries, dried cherries or dried cranberries
- 3 Tbsp Cinnamon Sugar
- Confectioners sugar
Cobbler, Scone, Shortcake, or Turnover Dough
- 2 large eggs, hard-boiled and cooled
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 Tbsp cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 8 pieces
- 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp heavy cream
Cinnamon Sugar
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cobbler, Scone, Shortcake or Turnover Dough
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites and set the whites aside for another use. Push the yolks through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl, and set aside.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
- Add the egg yolks and the heavy cream, and mix until the dough just comes together. Cover the bowl with a kitchen bowl until ready to use, up to 1 day.
Dried Fruit Scones
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 4 pieces. (Note: I do this a bit differently and my comments are below in Recipe Notes). Shape each piece into a 6-inch disk about 1/4 inch thick. Brush 2 of the disks with 1 tablespoon of the melted butter, and sprinkle with the dried fruit. Place the remaining disk on top of the fruit and press lightly. With a sharp chef's knife, cut each disk into 4 wedges. Please the wedges 1/2 inch apart on an ungreased and unlined baking sheet. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter and sprinkle with the Cinnamon sugar. Bake the scones until they are light golden, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn the broiler on high. Sift confections' sugar heavily over the scones and place them under the broiler. Broil for just a few seconds, until the sugar is melted and golden. Watch the scones carefully, because the sugar will begin to burn quickly.
- Cool the scones on a wire rack. Dried Fruit Scones will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil, they can be frozen for up to 3 weeks. Defrost them on the counter and then reread in a 325-degree over for 7 to 8 minutes before serving.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 6 months.
Notes
Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.
I am SO excited for the fall workshop! I am full of ideas for it! Thank you so very much for sharing my lily of the valley table. I was so happy with the way this table turned out. I cannot bring myself to unset the table!
The scone recipe is excellent. Thank you for sharing it. If there is still room on the Fall Workshop participation list, I would like to be included along with my friend, Janis.
Shaun, you are on the list for the fall workshop. Thank you! More to come once we finalize the agenda, etc. I really love this scone recipe and may just make some this weekend!
Oh those scones look fantastic! I was just thinking about baking something and I’d love to try these for a lovely Sunday brunch. Thanks for the great tips, and of course for sharing all the goodness at your place. Your coasters are brilliant! Hope you have a wonderful rest of your weekend!
Barbara, I was just thinking about you and will send you the documentary about table setting that I saw at the Phoenix Film Festival two years ago. The festival has been here all week so it’s top of mind. If you haven’t seen it, it’s right up your alley!
Mary,
Thanks for sharing! I am so enjoying all the unique birds in our very own neighborhood!
Karleen
Karleen, thank you for turning me onto this app. We are using it all the time. Who knew we had so many diverse birds here?!?
Your scones look delicious! Wendy is incredibly talented and always has the best projects.
Have a wonderful week.
Elizabeth, I agree about Wendy-she’s such a talent. Let me know if you try the scones…they are superb.
Love the coaster idea. So simple and they are adorable. Scones sound delicious. Always look forward to your emails.
Andrea, thank you so much! It feels good to finally use something that’s been a bit useless for 20 years!
Youm! Those scones look so good, Mary. How can you look so good and bake so much? You must give it away. I have old tiles from this house, and they have just been laying around. I can’t wait to make them into coasters. Thanks for the idea. Love your front door wreath for spring. Have a wonderful week ahead, my friend.
Mary,
I am so so sorry for your loss. I love your new wreath and that tile coaster is perfect for your home. I appreciate you for sharing my tablecloth idea. Have the best weekend.
I love the Cornell Lab for Ornithology website!. My favorite place to view is the live bird cams especially the Barred Owls. The mother owl is sitting on two eggs now. Can’t wait for them to hatch. They are simply adorable and fascinating. Here is the website in case you’re interested: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/cams/barred-owls/#
Also excited for your Fall Styling Workshop. Unfortunately, I cannot be there. Could you maybe live stream the event for us unfortunates?
Valerie, Thank you for sharing the Barred Owl link. I LOVE owls as we have a few in the yard (mostly screech owls and a barn owl or two). Good idea about live streaming it. I’ll need to look into that as I am a bit technology challenged! Thanks for the idea!
Thanks for the consideration. Fingers crossed 🙂