Cinnamon Chip Scones

I'm ending the year and holidays with one last baking endeavor. 

Cinnamon chip scones!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen (I used it from the fridge not freezer. 
• 1/2 cup Hershey's cinnamon chips
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in chips.
3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream or vanilla yogurt egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)
5. Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (I used our pizza stone). Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature. 

Slow down!!!

I was talking to my good friend Trina  yesterday on the phone about how fast this year has sped by. I cannot believe in just a few short days we will be saying goodbye to 2011 and hello to 2012. I remember being a kid and feeling like it took forever to go from one year to the next. All I wanted was to grow up, to be an adult, to have freedom, but the days just moved slowly forward. Now as an adult all I want is for the days to slow down at a pace where I can enjoy each hour to the fullest, to not go to bed at night and think, "I can't believe the day is over."  I feel like life is going by so rapidly that one day I am going to be 70 years old and wonder how I got there so fast.  My favorite (and only) brother celebrated his 44th birthday on Tuesday and I was shocked at how quickly he has become middle aged. It seemed like  yesterday he was teaching me how to do a back dive into our neighbors pool or coaching my little soccer team. I wish sometimes we had  personal screens that we could sit down and watch our lives from childhood, adolescence and even recent events. It would be nice to remember moments as they happened and truly learn from our actions, mistakes and repeat the words and ideas that showed so much love. I guess I will just have to settle by taking more photos, using my time wisely and to choose the really important values of life. So cheers to a fantastic last year and here's hoping the days slow down in the new year just a bit like in the days of my youth.

She and Him

I think Zooey Deschanel's voice is lovely. Just wanted to share a little bit of ear candy. 

All that glitters is gold

I  have been obsessed with two things this past month 1.  Pinterest (if you have not checked it out you really should) and 2. gold spray paint!  I started out with my branch for my little doves to hang off and from there I was hooked. I spray painted an old Bourbon bottle The Peddler had laying around and loved how it turned out. I glimmered my old fake wreathe and the star on the top of the tree. Here are a few pics from the last few weeks as I have decked our halls with boughs of Jolly:)

No spray paint on the pears, just glue and glitter

Christmas Time Salad

In my attempts to blog more I thought I would share a quick thrown together recipe I made last night.

Every time I make pasta I always feel the urge to have a green salad, maybe it was the years of childhood where my mom said the food on the plate always needed color and she never cooked just a starch. Anyway last night I realized I was low on options for a salad and the only thing worth throwing into the leafy lettuce was a tomato. (which my husband does not enjoy) I also remembered we have no dressing in the fridge that anyone really likes. And my usual olive oil and balsamic vinegar was out of question, since there was no balsamic vinegar to be had.

As I looked around I saw all the apples on the counter and remembered my cranberries in the freezer and the 4 containers of poppy seeds in my cupboard and my brain began churning. I found some croutons and Parmesan cheese and went to town. The outcome was delicious!

Christmas Time Salad

Lettuce( I used green leaf)

Apples

Dried Cranberries

Broccoli

Croutons

Parmesan Cheese

Dressing

1/2 cup of Mayonnaise

1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tablespoons of Sugar

1-2 teaspoons of Poppy Seeds
1 teaspoon of Blood Orange Flavored Olive Oil-(probably could use Orange Juice too)

The exact measurements for the dressing may be off, as I just mixed it all to taste. (may want to add less vinegar and more sugar) I also think it would be delicious with bacon bits and or candied nuts.

Change

I love change! I always like to move furniture around our living room, or find new ways to set up our office. If we owned our house I would probably paint the walls a few times a year. So in response to my love of change and the inability to paint I decided to update the background on my blog.

life changing book

I was talking with a friend last night about a book I read a few months ago and out of my mouth I said "it changed my life!" I think those are some pretty hefty words to say about a book. But if I am honest I would have to say this book has been incredibly instrumental in dealing with a few areas in my heart that I have swept under the carpet for the past 7 or 8 years. A sweet freind of mine, Robin Pasley is the author and her transparency is apparent in the pages. She has a wonderful ability to communicate parts of her journey in a way that makes it seem she is writing my own thoughts, fears and frustrations.There are parts of this book that have space to write after prayer and seeking out the Father's heart in certain circumstances, to help the process and restoration take place. 

I have never fully had a freedom in my heart to understand what it means to be a daughter to the King of Kings, the One who loves me and holds me close to His own heart. I have struggled most of my life with feeling as if I had to strive and work really hard to "earn my keep" in His Kingdom and not simply enjoy the life and freedom I have been given.  Romans 8:15 says it like this..."For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”


If you were to buy  yourself a Christmas present this year I would say let it be this book. Let the Father unfold the wonders of what it means to be a son or daughter and the freedom, love, joy and purpose it lays before us.


Can be purchased at Amazon or Worship Circle Records