Lavender on Blue Monday ~

Precious beauty

I cut back my three lavender plants a few weeks ago, saving a handful of stalks to make a bouquet to give.  The plants aren't big at all, only basketball size.  They are precious beauty to me, as their home in the earth surrounding them is the only garden area I've been able to make - a small narrow strip on the street side of our home.  Little as it is, it give me great joy.  I hope the other three small plants I put in this year come back as the other three did about four years ago.  Marking time ~


This is the first and only lavender bouquet I have made so far.  There is one faint blue bud in it, which made me smile - it barely shows up in the pictures, but I will count that as good enough for Blue Monday.  If you click on the horizontal picture, I believe it's visible.  There is a chance that belief is only in my head.  :)

As I was wrapping the ribbon, I wondered what lavender means in flower language.  I already knew the destination of the bouquet, so I was looking forward to looking up the meaning, whatever it would be, it would be telling or appropriate or ironic.  Isn't that the way all messages are?

Lavender meaning.

In a box

Apple scones ~

Flour, a KitchenAid and Thee.


My children love these scones.  I believe these have replaced cinnamon chip or marionberry as their Most Favored Scone.  For me, they are a little soft, muffiny.  Not bad in any way, just not as dry or shortbreadish or less sweet as I care for in a scone.  But I didn't get up from the settee to make them for myself this snowy Saturday morning.  I felt that tug of therapy through baking and blurting out love for them in the form time spent baking for them. 


Apple walnut scones, on the sweet side.

2 c. flour
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. butter

1 egg
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 apple, cored, peeled, in chunk sizes of your desire
1/2 walnuts

• Mix dry ingredients in mixing bowl, using the paddle attachment.
• Add butter, mix to pea size crumbs.
• Combine egg, cream, vanilla.  Add to butter mixture and stop short of fully combined.
• Add apples, walnut.  A few turns and it's ready.
• Move the mixture to a floured surface, patting out to an inch high.
• Cut as desired, I choose eight for this recipe.  You can also half the dough and make two discs of six.
• Brush with cream, add sugar or streusel.
• Bake at 425 - start checking after 15 minutes.  You're on your own after that.  They will spring back to the touch when done.

Flour, a KitchenAid and Thee.  The ability to make items with that paddle attachment is worth the cost of a KitchenAid.  At the very least, the 5qt. size.

I was tired of rounds and wedges

Humma-humma ~ Hummus

 

 

 

Hummus.   Hummus for Annie.

 

With slight adjustments, this is my favorite hummus recipe.  The original recipe is from Epicurious

 

Start with the lesser amounts listed on ingredients with a range.  Adjust to taste.

 

 

29 oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed well
1/3 - 1/2 cup water
1/4 cup organic toasted tahini paste

1-2 T. lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil 

1-2 teaspoons chipotles in adobo, either the sauce or a small part of the pepper itself 

2-3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/3-1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste 

 

Gotta love a food processor.  Remember when it was such a luxury or indulgence, that first one?   Maybe that was just me. 

 

Making this today yielded me one of those, "I feel special and loved by my mother." smiles from Annabelle.  She is the hummus lover in the family.  I happen to really like that idea, given she is only 11.  Making food as a form of giving love lately.  This felt good.  It's the little things that add up.

 

 

 

Gratitude moment ~

November 25th, 2010

Those who don't feel this Love
pulling them like a river,
those who don't drink down
like a cup of spring water
or take in sunset like supper,
those who don't want to change,

let them sleep.

This Love is beyond the study of theology,
that old trickery and hypocrisy.
If you want to improve your mind that way

sleep on.

I've given up on my brain.
I've torn the cloth to shreds
and thrown it away.

If you're not completely naked,
wrap your beautiful robe of words
around you,

and sleep.

-Rumi

Decisions ~

Choices.  Warmer times.

 

It happens all the time in Heaven,

And some day

It will begin to happen

Again on earth --

That men and women who are married,

And men and men who are

Lovers,

And women and women

Who give each other

Light

Often will get down on their knees

And while so tenderly

Holding their lover's hand,

With tears in their eyes,

Will sincerely speak, saying,

"My dear,

How can I be more loving to you;

How can I be more

Kind?" 

--Hafiz

Sour cherry scones ~ pretty in pink

Clapping my hands like a little kid!!  I love myself!  Sour cherry scones.  The only way I would be happier is if someone made them for me, still using this recipe.  No.  No, no, no, no.   I want to make them.  That makes me happiest.  Yep, yep, yep.  I wanna bake for the world, feed my spirit.

This is one of those things that ups my challenge of resisting more than one...I like eating these quite a bit.  


Sour cherry scones ~

2 c. flour
1 T. baking powder

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T. butter, diced
2/3 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 c. whole frozen sour cherries, not thawed.  After measuring, slice them.  

• In a separate small bowl, beat egg until nicely loose, add vanilla, add cream.  Set aside.
• Mix flour, baking powder, sugar, salt in a mixing bowl.
• Cut in butter.  Either by hand or mixer with a paddle attachment.
• Add wet ingredients, mix until almost combined.
• Add the frozen cherries, mix just until incorporated.
• Remove to a floured surface.  Pat to a height of an inch or more.  Cut in six wedges.
• Brush tops with cream, sprinkle with sugar.
• Bake at 400 degrees for 18-25 minutes, depending on the cold status of the frozen berries, how dark you like your scones.  Touch them in the middle, they will spring back when done.

Toodles ~
xoxo