Sunday, September 11, 2011

Sunday Scones

I've always loved scones. Maybe it's my Dutch heritage, or maybe it's the fact that since they usually aren't too sweet so I don't feel guilty eating them for breakfast. Whatever the reason, I've always wondered how difficult they are to make from scratch. So this afternoon I used some of our dried Michigan cherries that we picked up when we were up North last month and made a batch of lemon cornmeal scones with dried cherries. 

I slightly tweaked a recipe I found on the food blog Living Tastefully and they turned out perfectly!



Lemon Cornmeal Scones with Dried Cherries
             adapted from a recipe by Living Tastefully 

Makes 12 scones
• 2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup dried sour cherries
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1.  Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2.  Preheat the oven to 450˚F. 
3.  Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt in a blender. 
4.  In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, lemon zest and vanilla.  Set aside.
5.  Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Blend until the butter breaks apart into the size of peas.  Transfer the flour mixture to a medium-size bowl and add the liquid ingredients.  Stir with a fork to form a smooth dough.  With your hands, knead the dough in the bowl 4 or 5 times to incorporate all of the flour.
6.  Divide the dough into 3 pieces and form each piece into a 5-inch disk.  Using a sharp knife, divide each disk into four wedges.  Place wedges onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet, leaving space between the scones on all sides.
6.  Bake scones until they are firm, but not dry, about 10-12 minutes.  Watch closely to be sure they do not brown too deeply.  

Friday, September 9, 2011

Deep in the Heart of Texas

I don’t know what I liked best about Austin. Between the barbeque, the great boutiques, the outdoor-friendly culture, our hotel, the food trucks and the nightlife, even after 6 days in that city it was hard to tear ourselves away.


Baja Shrimp and Washingtonian Tacos from Torchy's Tacos

A TaCow in Downtown Austin


Austin's music scene is not lacking in the slightest. Jered checked out records at a local shop.

The famous Magnolia Cafe in Austin

Texas wildflowers

The natural Barton Springs. Where we saw Woody Herrelson and lots of topless swimmers...

Pre-triathlon we bunked up with my family at a family friend’s place but after my race Jered and I headed downtown to Austin’s SoCo district and got a room at the San Jose Hotel. As serene a spot as I’ve ever been, the boutique hotel was an oasis from bustling Austin and a great home base for us in between the exploring we did during the day. We did a ton while we were there and I’m most happy to report that we found the longhorn rug we’ve been searching for… pictures to come!






But most importantly, my sister and I powered through our first triathlon together and not only did we survive it, we beat our goal times! I was so proud to overcome such a challenging race with my little sister and so overcome with gratitude that my family was there to cheer us on. It was truly a trip I’ll always remember.


My sister Julia and I right before our race <3

Friday, September 2, 2011

Austin Bound

We’re off to Austin, Texas this weekend so I can participate in the Austin sprint triathlon with my sister.

About six months ago I applied for a grant through work to pursue a passion—mine being a combination of biking, swimming and running— and I won the funds and time off to actually pull the trigger and go do it.

So tomorrow, Jered and I are hopping on a plane and meeting my family in Texas. And after the race we’re going to hang out and explore the city. I’ve never been but I’ve heard great things so I’m really looking forward to it.

We already have a list of things that we want to do that includes barbeque, skeet shooting, finding a long horn hide rug for our family room, catching some live music—I hope we get it all in!

And I hope I survive my race on Monday. I’m a little bit nervous!


via 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Sailing Escape

One of the perks for working for a PR firm is the awesome work parties they throw. About a month back the company I work for threw a summer party on a yacht in Lake Michigan and one of the raffle prizes they gave away was sailing lessons for two. And guess what? I won!

So a few nights ago Jered and I donned our yachting attire, boarded a sailboat at dusk and cashed in on my sailing lessons for two as the sun set over Chicago. We were a bit in over our heads considering we were the only first-timers, but it felt like a mini escape from the craziness that is always so present in the middle of the city.