mini lemon blueberry scones

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Before I start my marathon of holiday baking, I thought I would lighten the mood with refreshing and delicious lemon blueberry scones!

Mini Lemon Blueberry Scones
Makes 16 mini scones

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup blueberries
1 egg
1/2 cup heavy cream
zest of one lemon
granulated sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease mini scone pan. (A scone pan is not necessary, you could use a biscuit cutter or just free form them on a baking sheet. I bought my scone pan at Williams-Sonoma last year and I love it, but you can make these just as easily without one!)

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles pea-sized crumbs (I over mixed mine, but it was still fine). Transfer to a large bowl, add the blueberries and stir to mix.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cream and lemon zest until blended and add to the flour mixture. Using a form, stir to form large, moist clumps of dough.


I just divide the dough evenly and press it down into each section of the pan. If you are using a biscuit cutter you may want to roll it out to approximately 3/4" thick. Another option is to just make drop scones. No matter which way you do it, make sure your baking surface is greased! Sprinkle each scone lightly with sugar. Bake until the scones are golden, about 25 minutes.

Invert the pan onto a wire rack and lift off the pan. Let the scones cool for 10 minutes before serving.


These scones are delicious: light in flavor and the perfect size! Next time I'm going to try using low-fat ricotta in place of the heavy cream.

butternut squash is the enemy

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I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! It's probably my favorite holiday. Why? Delicious food and I can stuff my face without anyone judging me.

We had a small Thanksgiving meal at our house- small in number of people who came over, not in small in quantity of food. My dad and I made it all! Minus the rolls (store-bought) and the cranberry sauce (homemade by my Aunt Mary). It was the first time I had made all of the different foods, usually I just help out when ever they need me or taste test...



That's our 19.5 lb turkey. Did I mention there were only seven of us?

This is a butternut squash. Do not let it's appetizing orange color fool you, it is a pain to peel (but oh so worth it in the end). Peeling this one squash took me a good ten minutes.


Thanksgiving Menu
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Baked Spiced Apples and Butternut Squash
Rolls
Cranberry Sauce
Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Pumpkin pie!!!


It was delicious! (The two day James Bond marathon wasn't bad either) I'll be eating all the food you see above for the next three days and I don't mind one bit.

Now it's time to go shopping!

the girl with the dragon tattoo

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Luckily for the passengers sitting beside me on the flight back to Detroit I did not fall asleep with my mouth open and drool on them. Instead I read just over half of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson.

It was a page-turner! I'm not really into to thriller/mystery novels, but this one was really good. Maybe because it's Swedish? Whatever the reason, I enjoyed it. It was quite violent at points, disturbing even. Lots of plot twists and intrigue and funny Swedish names that I made up pronunciations for. I highly recommend this one!

I'm looking forward to reading the next installment, The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Next up: Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. There might be others throughout since this book is 850 pages of Dickens... (I've already seen the mini-series, but I'm determined to read the book as well!)

pumpkin chocolate chip goodness/cookies

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I'm heading back to Michigan tomorrow- for six weeks! I cannot wait. I'm really looking forward to it, expect plenty of baking posts over the holidays. My sister's friend has been nice enough to offer to drive to the airport tomorrow and in return I'm making her cookies! Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies to be exact. Perfect for the season.

I got in a fight with my can opener and a can of pumpkin puree- and they won. I've got pumpkin puree all over my shirt and I'm still combing out of my hair. I just found some in my eyebrow. I'm look like a hot mess. At least the cookies are delicious!

At the top of my Christmas List - a quality can opener.

Super Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
recipe adapted from joythebaker.com

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 F. I grea
sed the baking sheet, but I'm not sure if this is actually necessary. Better safe than sorry!

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spic
es together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

I got to use my newest toy - a KitchenAid hand mixer! Almost as good as a stand mixer...


Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. Use a spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 15 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.

I also need a new camera... asap

Comments: These cookies are huge! And that's not a bad thing, but just something to be aware of. I doubled the recipe and it only made over 2 doz. Next time I think I might use a 1/8-cup measuring cup and cut down the cut down on the cooking time.

I recommend watching Love Actually while baking, or well doing anything, or just plain watching it. Probably one of the best holiday films ever. I know it's not even Thanksgiving yet, but I can't wait! I love that movie.

Did I mention I should be writing a paper right now? My last paper of the quarter! But, once again I find myself drawn to the kitchen...

this is me avoiding work. again.

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Whenever I have a lot of work to do I start singing the "let's get down to business to defeat the huns!" song from Mulan. It gets me really pumped to do work, the only problem is that those are the only lyrics I know so my inspirational song moment last for approximately 5 seconds. Maybe this is why I am seriously lacking in motivation?


Why this song? No idea. Maybe I have some sort of subconscious obsession with Donny Osmond or a desire to be a Chinese warrior in drag.

Now that I actually went to the trouble of googling the song I'm probably going to listen to it non-stop until I actually finish this final. Should I be embarrassed about this? Yes. Am I? No, not really.

cheesy pbr (beer) bread

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One lone PBR bottle in my fridge. To drink or not to drink?

Neither! I decided to live life on the wild (and carb-laden) side and bake beer bread. I found a lot of recipes that looked delicious, but I decided to keep it simple (a.k.a lazy). I chose a recipe from Dine & Dish which I've posted below for your convenience (laziness if you're me).

Cheesy Beer Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup (or more!) cheddar cheese
12 oz beer (i recommend pbr)




Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, [dill], and cheddar cheese in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stir in beer (PBR!) and mix just until combined. Batter will be very thick. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan , brush with an egg wash if you wish (1 egg beaten with 2 tsp water - it adds a nice golden crust), and bake until light brown and a toothpick comes out clean, approximately 45 minutes.

This recipe was very simple, and while it is not the most delicious thing ever it is pretty tasty. I would definitely try it again although with a few modifications. By the way, this was all about me procrastinating and avoiding a take-home final. Otherwise I would have just drank the beer!

the blanket that has sleeves

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So I spent the past 2 1/2 days at a conference in Vail, Colorado. I was able to attend because I helped organize it for work, not because I have any relevant knowledge. I had a great time-- Vail is beautiful, the conference was interesting, and I felt like a real person for a few short days. Although I had to complete a final while I was there, but I got it done! So it's all good. I also listened to Under Pressure by Queen/David Bowie repeatedly; I think I may be addicted.


It was my first experience driving through the mountains...and it was slightly frightening on the way up (heights, steep drop offs, tight curves, eek!), but Bobby D had my back.


I am now the proud owner of a Snuggie. There was a package waiting for me when I got back to my apartment today; it was full of all sorts of delights! Not only I get a Snuggie, but tea (chai!), hot chocolate, a christmas mug, some window clings, and a cute card. It was the best package I've ever received-- thanks Sarah! Now that I've joined the masses of Snuggie owners I'm going to find every opportunity to wear it. I am going to attend every outdoor sporting event in Denver, lounge constantly on my couch, etc. Do you think it's acceptable for office attire?

[They have Snuggies for dogs. If only I had a dog...]

Kinga just recommended the "best fall/winter/ polish mountain people/sailors drink ever" - tea+lemon juice+vodka or rum. Just another reason to love Poland. I'll have to try this soon.

I want to bake something this weekend, but I'm not sure what. Any suggestions? If not, I'm going to have to spend some quality time with tastespotting.com.

It's snowing. Again!

Song of the day: Plus One by Okkervil River

how to write a paper in grad school

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There are only two weeks left this quarter. That means I have way to much to do and absolutely no motivation to do it. Makes sense, right? I have 2 papers and 2 take-home finals (papers disguised as finals) to do within 2 weeks. I'm not really looking forward to it. I'm halfway through my first paper, and I'm really wondering what I was doing in school when they taught us how to write a paper, because my way seems rather illogical...


Lauren's Guide to Paper Writing:
  1. Be proactive - create a Word document with a title, your name, date etc. weeks before the paper is due (preferably upon receiving said assignment- this is a real confidence booster)
  2. Forget about the paper until approximately 2 weeks before it's due
  3. Write the introduction
  4. Write the conclusion
  5. Come up with some catchy section titles to organize your paper/take up space
  6. Jot down random thoughts that sound mildly intelligent and are somewhat related to your topic
  7. Find a quote or two that you like and throw in in the mix.
  8. Create some fluff to integrate the quote into the non-existent body
  9. When you know you want to write something but don't really have anything to say at the moment play the fill-in-the-blank game (example: Family planning policies were enforced _____. Financial incentives were offered _____. Coercion was also used _____. In some regions disincentives were used _____. )
  10. Take a break - you've earned it! Sit back, relax, and listen to the Clash
  11. Come back to your paper (this could be minutes/hours/days later, up to you)
  12. Look over what you have and begin to stress out because what you have makes very little sense and you still have a long way to go and very little time
  13. Write yourself encouraging notes to remind you to come back and fill in the blank spaces. (example: ... policy was the only solution to it” (165-6). WRITE SOMETHING SUPER SMART HERE. Susan...)
  14. Rinse & repeat until you meet your page requirements.
  15. If you're feeling ambitious, edit (this is recommended by the majority of students/professors/smart people, but I haven't hopped on that bandwagon yet)
  16. Print and turn in! All done.

zombie fest 2009

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So yesterday was Halloween... It was over 60 degrees so most of the snow melted and we were able to walk around without jackets on. It was warmer than any Halloween I've ever experienced. Snow one day, warmth & sunshine the next! The highlight of the day - zombie party! You could go as anyone you wanted, just in zombie form. My sister went as a regular zombie but she was quite frightening and her husband was Dog the Bounty Hunter: zombie style and 100+ pounds lighter. I was a Jackie O zombie, or at least I attempted to be.

Emily, my sister, and I decided we would make some Halloween inspired cupcakes. Our choice: Big-Eyed Alien cupcakes! Well a modified version. It was boxed cake mix and canned frosting for us. A good choice since the decorating was far more labor intensive than we expected! They were all about trial and error- emphasis on the error, but we finally got them all decorated.
I have a feeling Martha Stewart wouldn't quite approve of these.

We went to a costume shop a week or two ago and picked up a gel/latex wound kit. I've never used something like it before but it was a lot of fun. And our wounds looked pretty realistic...
Last year I found this pink, 2-piece dress suit for $6 at a thrift store in Chicago (on Halloween day, nonetheless)-- perfect for a Jackie O costume! Too bad everyone last year thought I was dressed up as Sarah Palin. What a bummer! This year I came a little closer to looking like Jackie, but my hair was too long for her signature bob so I had to put it up. I think I got the zombie part down pretty well, if not the Jacqueline Kennedy part...

This is my sad attempt at a Jackie Kennedy zombie...wrong hair + chihuahua


I had a lot of fun being a zombie, although next time I am going to learn the entire Thriller dance beforehand and improve my flesh wounds.

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