Foodie Fridays: Cherry Scones

From Betty Crocker

We are currently in Washington, DC, to attend an awards ceremony.  Since my husband is on the executive committee, the private foundation pays all of his expenses as well as mine (spouses are expected to accompany committee members).  They provide nothing but the best -- first class airline seats, and a posh suite at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel, just a short distance from the White House!  I am not used to such fancy accommodations and activities.  We live in a small rural town, where I spend most of my time in jeans and T-shirts, caring for our animals and small acreage and trail riding on my horse.  Most of what we are doing makes me rather uncomfortable, but I was looking forward to having afternoon tea at the hotel.  Unfortunately, they only serve afternoon tea on the weekends and we will be leaving before then.  And we just missed the Cherry Blossom Tea, which was being served daily but ended on the 14th.  Almost everything on the menu was made with cherries in some form, including the tea!

Peacock Alley Afternoon Tea menu at the Willard InterContinental Hotel

One item on the menu is cherry scones, and it just so happens that I found a great recipe for these in the same mystery novel that gave me the Porcupines recipe from last week.  Since I couldn't have tea and cherry scones at the Willard, I think I will make my own to enjoy at home instead.  It may not be as grand, but when it comes to comfort, nothing beats home sweet home!

Cherry Scones

1/2 C. dried cherries

4 T. butter, softened
2/3 C. milk
2 T. orange juice
1/3 C. sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Powdered sugar
Whipped butter

Pre-soak dried cherries in 1/2 C. hot water for 10 minutes.  Drain and discard the water.

Combine the butter, milk, juice, sugar, and egg.  Add the flour and baking powder.  Stir together just to moisten the dry ingredients (do not overbeat).  Stir in the cherries.

Drop large dollops of the batter onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and cool the scones on a wire rack.  When cool, dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped butter.  Makes 6-8 scones.

Update:  I made six large scones and baked them for 16 minutes.  They were cooked through and tasted moist and delicious with the tart cherries, but they did not turn golden brown -- the tops were a pale, uniformly tan color.  They were golden brown on the bottom, however, and I have decided this is preferable to browned tops and overly dark bottoms.  I also don't want to risk drying them out, so I see no point in trying to get them any darker.
         

This 'n That Thursdays: Oversized Horse Art

From dream-wallpaper.com

In a recent post I described oversized animal art in the home, which seems to be a trend lately.  Of all the animals depicted in the artwork, it soon became apparent to me that horses were overwhelmingly the most popular choice.  Just take a look at some of the many examples:

From Dining and Kitchen Design Ideas

From Houzz

From HGTV

From Decoist

From HGTV

From decor pad

From HGTV

From Fieldstone Hill Design

From Michigan Design Center

From Houzz

From decor pad

From HGTV Canada

Oversized art is a great way to bring horses into the home!  However, the following are not:

From AIGA Design Archives

From Katiedid

From Paulick Report

From Huffington Post

Let's leave the real horses in the barns and pastures, shall we please?
         

Wish List Wednesdays: Cherry Blossoms Rug

Lately I have been on a quest to find a new rug for our TV room.  The dogs sleep in this room at night, and lately our old Dalmatian, who has arthritis, has been having a little trouble traversing the wood floors.  I would like to find a 9x12-foot synthetic sisal rug that can withstand anything a dog can (and will) do to it.  For some reason, though, I can find synthetic sisal and I can find 9x12 rugs, but never a combination of both.  Oh well, I will keep looking.

From CBSNews

Also, my husband and I are in Washington, DC, at the moment attending an awards ceremony.  This involves dressing up in uncomfortably stylish clothes and makeup, mingling with a lot of people I don't know, and sitting through dinner speeches, all of which I dislike.  However, my husband is on the awards committee and the award this year is being presented to a close friend of his who is also a former colleague and frequent collaborator, so I am willing to suffer a little discomfort for her sake.  And even though we are a just little late for peak cherry blossom season, there are still some trees in bloom and they are quite beautiful.

So what do my rug search and a spring trip to the nation's capitol have in common, you ask?  Why, this Kaituna Cherry Blossom rug, of course!

I found this while looking for rugs online, and just love the impossibly huge red cherry blossoms on the ivory background.  For those who prefer more subtlety, it also comes in citron:

Obviously, this rug is not the solution to my TV room dilemma.  It is too nice for dogs, and I am reluctant to pay thousands of dollars for the size that I need, as well as the shipping costs to have it sent from Australia!  However, in my fantasy home I would certainly find a place for this lovely rug.  Doesn't it look absolutely gorgeous in this contemporary Asian-style bedroom (the bamboo floors are a nice touch)?

Foodie Fridays: Porcupines

Photo by Cookies

One of our dogs suddenly became very ill last weekend, so much so that I had to rush her to the emergency veterinary hospital.  Fortunately, she seems to be recovered now, thanks to antibiotics and a bland diet.  Now that she is back on her usual dog food I have a lot of leftover rice.  I thought I would try a recipe for Porcupines I found in a mystery novel I just finished reading called Lost and Fondue by Avery Aames.  This cheese shop mystery series features Charlotte Bessette, who owns the cheese shop Fromagerie Bessette in Providence, Ohio, and who also solves local crimes -- if you love cozy-style mysteries the series is worth checking out.

Of course the recipe calls for some cheese as well as rice, but I like the fact that the Porcupines are made of ground turkey rather than beef (I have mentioned several times on this blog that I am allergic to red meat).  While I am making the version that calls for rice, any starch can be substituted -- bread crumbs or barley are suggested, and I often use oatmeal for this sort of dish.  The recipe includes a dip, but you could also serve them with pasta and sauce instead.  Oh, and don't worry, the recipe gets its name from the fact that the rice grains look like porcupine quills sticking out of the meatballs -- no actual porcupines are harmed in the making of this recipe!

From A Cute A Day

Porcupines

1 lb. ground turkey
1/2 C. cooked rice
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 T. chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 egg
Spicy Catsup Dip (below)

Combine all of the ingredients.  Roll the mixture into balls the size of walnuts.  Place the meatballs on a greased cookie sheet, spacing them evenly.  Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes, then set the oven to broil and broil for five minutes.  Remove from the oven and place the meatballs on paper towels to drain.  Serve with Spicy Catsup Dip, if desired.  Serves 6 as an appetizer, 4 as a main dish.

Spicy Catsup Dip: Combine 6 T. catsup, 1 T. Worcestershire sauce, and 1 T. horseradish sauce.  Serve the Porcupines as an appetizer with this dip.

Update: These meatballs are quick, easy, and tasty I will make them again, but I used ground turkey breast since that is what I had on hand and they were a bit dry.  I certainly did not need to drain them on paper towels!  Next time I will use regular ground turkey (with dark meat), or add a little oil to the recipe.  Some sautéed minced onion might be a good addition as well.
         

This 'n That Thursdays: Dog Print Chairs

From The Inspired Room

When it comes to interior décor, I enjoy seeing a touch of whimsy -- my husband, not so much.  For his sake, I try to keep the more amusing aspects of design to a bare minimum in the main parts of the house (although anything goes when it comes to my office space, and hubby can simply stay out if he doesn't like the look).  A few Dalmatian items here and there, mostly in the kitchen, have to suffice for me.  But what would I do if my inner designer were unleashed to choose anything I wanted?  Well, for one thing, a delightfully different dog print chair or two would most likely follow me home!  Here are just a few available options:

Dachshund Red Thomas in Hound Armchair from John Lewis

Hot Digital Dog Print Chair from Red Hook Antique Center

Grey Copper Sausage Dog Chair from Jimmie Martin

Prestigious Dogs Armchair and Ottoman from eBay

While I would happily welcome any of these chairs into my abode, being the Dalmatian lover that I am, I think this one would be my number one choice:

Dalmatian Tub Chair from Amazon.co.uk

Perhaps it's just as well that my husband puts a damper on my enthusiasm for oddball décor, or we could end up with a veritable pack of dog chairs inhabiting our home!
         

Wish List Wednesdays: Terra Fire Pit

If I were in the market for an outdoor fire pit and money were no object, then my first choice would be the Terra Fire Pit by metal sculptor Rick Wittrig.  Available from Thos. Baker, this unique handcrafted fire pit made of molded carbon steel is attractive day and night, whether there is a fire going or not.  The price tag of $1,495 may be more than most are willing to pay, but this piece is built to last a lifetime and then some, and the one-of-a-kind design makes it a work of art.  If you are looking for a fire pit "worlds apart" from the rest, the Terra Fire Pit is for you!

Find out a bit more about the artist here:

         

Foodie Fridays: Radiatore Pasta with Tomatoes, Dill, and Queso Fresco

I had a lot of fresh herbs left over after making our Easter brunch, including a big bunch of dill that I did not actually use for that meal.  I boiled up some small fingerling potatoes to make buttered potatoes with herbs, but I still had an abundance of leftover herbs.  Luckily, finding a recipe to use them up was only a computer click away.  I googled dill recipes and soon came up with one for Orzo with Feta, Tomatoes, and Dill which was easily modified to suit my ingredients and taste.  As I've mentioned before, I don't care for feta, but I had some queso fresco, which is my usual substitute.  I had no orzo, so I used the radiatore pasta that I did have.  A little more tweaking, and the end result was a delicious and easy pasta salad that I will certainly make again.  Leftovers have never tasted so good!

Radiatore Pasta with Tomatoes, Dill, and Queso Fresco

6 T. olive oil
2 C. grape tomatoes, halved
1 C. chopped dill
1/4 C. chopped parsley
1/4 C. sliced scallions
zest and juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper (or to taste)
8 oz. radiatore pasta
10 oz. crumbled queso fresco

Toss together the first seven ingredients in a large bowl.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes.  Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes.  Drain and toss with the tomato mixture.  Add the cheese and toss again.  Serves 6 as a side dish.