Coconut Snowflake Scones

I had my first official snow day last week. Well, I didn't have to stay home from school or work due to snow, but we stayed inside the whole day watching as the flurries fell so it seemed like one.

I don't live in a place where it snows, but the mountains are just a short one-and-a-half hour drive from our home. Although, their winter weather has been quite a disappointment this year. Many of the ski resorts gave up and went home for the winter already due to a lack of snowfall.

But Mother Nature pulled a fast one in the Sierras this past week and dumped nearly 6 feet of snow. People were racing up with their snowboards and skis to hit the slopes.

As I rarely see snowfall, I was excited and eager to head up to the mountains. We sat inside a warm, cozy cabin with a roaring fire, watching as the flakes crept slowly from the sky.

I made these scones. Straight from the oven to warm our insides, but white as the snow that fell outside.

The flurries got thicker, the wind got heavier. In the time it took me to bake these beauties, nearly a foot had fallen. The winter wonderland was nearly enveloping the entire cabin. As fun and romantic as getting snowed in might be, we were afraid of our lack of supplies and an unknown period of being locked in, so we packed our things quickly and headed back down the mountains munching our snowflake scones.

Coconut Snowflake Scones

2 c. flour

1/4 c. brown sugar

1 T. baking powder

6 T. salted butter, cut into small pieces

1 c. sweetened, shredded coconut
1 egg white

1/2 - 3/4 c. milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mix together flour, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Cut in pieces of butter and blend with your fingers until butter is the size of peas. Add in coconut.

Stir egg white and milk together, pouring into prepared mixture a little a time. Amount of milk varies depending on altitude and weather. You want the dough to just come together. Combine with your hands into a round ball. Breaking off clumps, form into smaller balls (about 1 1/2 in. diameter) and press down onto an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 10.

Ides of March

 

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A little history lesson: The 15th, or Ides, of March was traditionally, in ancient times, reserved as a festival day in honor of the god, Mars. However, Shakespeare warns us 'Beware the Ides of March!' His soothsayer in his famous drama, 'Julius Caesar,' predicts to Julius Caesar that he will meet his demise that day. A plot was afoot lead by Marcus Junius Brunus and Gaius Cassius Longinus to do him.  Caesar joked to his soothsayer when the day arrived, that it was here and he, indeed, was still alive. But the soothsayer reminds him that although it is here, it is not yet gone. By the end of the day, in 44BC, he had been stabbed to death by an angry mob in the Forum. Didn't turn out so good for him after all.

Having just realized it is the Ides of March, I thought I would share with you some fun dinner suggestions to celebrate this momentous day! Here are a few suggestions for a Roman-inspired meal:

ROMAN style artichokes (Carciofi alla Romana) make a nice appetizer. Perhaps begin the meal with a CAESAR Salad, topped with ROMANO Cheese. A ROMAN Pork and Apple Stew is a wonderful ancient recipe sure to put you in touch with your Roman side. Roasted Figs and Grapes are true Roman favorites, alongside a bottle of ruby red, Mulsum Wine. And a magnificent Honey Cake will be the perfect ending to this Roman meal.

Ethnic Libations

Often times we get stuck in a rut, sticking with only what we know. But one of the greatest pleasures in life is the variety available to us. The ability to try new things, encounter new experiences, is part of the great adventure of life.

Steve and I really try to adhere to this call to adventure, especially when it comes to food. We'll often search out certain ethnic foods in our area that we've never tried before, to get a better sense of their flavors and culture.

from Paajaka Recipes

Our biggest adventures usually come in the form of a libation. I recently had my first taste of a mango lassi. Made with yogurt, milk, mango, sugar, and cardamom, it is the Indian form of a smoothie. They are sweet treats, perfectly complementary with Indian curry dishes.

Accompanying our Ethiopian cuisine one evening, we enjoyed a bottle of mead. Mead is a rather syrupy wine, a bit too sweet for my taste. Flavored with honey, it dominates, but will certainly satisfy those who like the flavor. The alcohol content in mead is often in the 18% range, so it is not for the faint of heart.

Greek gyros find a friend in Retsina wine. From the fine island of Greece, this white wine gives off a pine scent and flavor. A bit striking on first sip, one accustoms well to its woodsy demeanor. Also good with a bite of baklava.


Please share some of your fun drink finds in the comments! 

St. Patrick's Day Ideas

St. Patrick's Day is a little bit of a big deal around here. We typically spend the week before brainstorming, prepping, and visualizing the celebration. Green food? Shamrock shakes? Beer? Irish car bombs? Decisions, decisions....

I like the standard corned beef and cabbage dinner, but sometimes it's fun to mix it up a bit. Or maybe celebrate at breakfast. Or why not the whole day through?

Here are some of my favorite Irish recipes:

Slow-cooked Lamb in Red Wine
Irish Apple Cake
Irish Soda Bread
Irish Coffee
Irish Latte
Gathering of the Clans
Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cookies

What are some of your favorites?

Buttermilk Waffles

Waffles are the trademark of late Saturday mornings. Of plentiful pockets perfect for filling with butter, syrup, fresh fruit, peanut butter. Of hot griddles steaming and oozing batter as it bubbles out the sides. Of the warm scent of buttermilk as it bakes into the golden crust.

They are also the trademark of grandmothers.

This past Saturday, we celebrated the life of Steve's grandmother who passed away a few months ago. She had been slipping away over the past decade, but a memory still fresh in the mind of her grandchildren, one they continue to hold dear, was Grandma's waffles and strawberry jam. They remember awakening to the warm scent of baking waffles after spending the night at Grandpa and Grandma's, eagerly arriving in the kitchen to a feast of waffles and Grandma's homemade strawberry jam.

Although I didn't know Steve's Grandma in her waffle-baking years, I could easily imagine her lovingly serving up a warm spread straight from the waffle iron to her giggling grandchildren.

You see, my Grandma, too, instilled those Saturday morning waffle-making memories in us grandkids. And although she is still with us, she is no longer able to enjoy baking with us. But we, too, fondly recall those delightful, warm morsels filled with gobs of butter and syrup she fed our hungry tummies when we visited overnight. Those memories will remain with us even as we grow old.

Steve and I received a waffle iron as a wedding gift. We practice our waffle baking not only to recall those wonderful memories with our grandparents, but also in the hopes that someday we may instill and share similar memories with our younger generations.

We will carry on the legacy of waffles.

Buttermilk Waffles

3 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

2 t. baking powder

2 T. sugar

1/2 t. salt

3 eggs

1 stick of butter

2 c. buttermilk

1 c. whole milk

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl with a wire whisk until well incorporated. Scoop with a cup into a heated waffle iron, baking until golden.

Enjoy with syrup, agave nectar, fresh fruit, whipped cream or any other glorious topping your young heart desires.