scones

with honey

with cinnamon & sugar

with powdered sugar

My mom would sometimes make what we called scones. I know the British version of scones and what is sold in bakeries and coffee shops are more what I consider biscuits. Then once again, biscuits to the British are what we call cookies. I know, very confusing! I'm not sure how many other people consider these to be scones, but I do. So I'll stick with it. Another name for my version of scones is Fry Bread or depending on what toppings you put on top, Navajo tacos. I had a couple of Native roommates that made fry bread often and would put taco toppings on top. It was really good. But this is a dessert here folks.

My mom used just any old bread dough recipe to make these. Use a sweet dough if you want to make it sweeter instead of more savoury. My version is much easier and faster than making your own dough and waiting for it to rise. I use frozen Rhode Rolls.

Rhodes Rolls (I usually make 20 in a 9X13 pan, but you can do as many or as little as you desire) vegetable oil for frying
suggested toppings: cinnamon & sugar powdered sugar honey & butter jam

Use the speed method for thawing the rolls. Directions are on the back of the bag. It actually takes at least half of the time recommended, because you don't have to let the rise. As soon as they are soft enough, and beginning to rise, they will be pliable in your hands. Heat the vegetable oil 1-2 inches deep on medium heat in a pot on your stove. When it's ready for frying, take a section of dough (1 roll) and flatten it in your hands until it is flattened relatively thin the same thickness all around, but not see through. Gently drop into hot oil and fry until golden. Flip over using tongs, and fry that side until golden. It takes 1-2 minutes per side depending on how hot your oil is. Remove from oil and place on a plate with paper towels to absorb oil. You can fry 2-3 scones at a time. Serve while still warm.

cold italian pasta

Basic Recipe:
12 oz. box rainbow rotini pasta
1 small can sliced olives
1 cup brocoli, chopped into tiny pieces
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped into tiny pieces
1/2 cup-1 cup mozzarella cut into little cubes
3/4 cup-1 cup Italian dressing (we use Berensteins Restaurant recipe)

optional add-ins:
green onions
grape or cherry tomatoes
cauliflower bits
sundried tomatoes
chicken
pepperoni
cucumber

Boil pasta according to directions on the package. Drain. Run under cool water. Pour into serving bowl. Add rest of ingredients except for dressing and mix together thoroughly. Once combined, add dressing to taste. Refrigerate. Serve with crusty garlic bread. Or don't.

I like to eat mine before it's been refrigerated. I also like to make this heavy on the vegetables to make it a healthier meal. The whole family loves eating this. It's fast and easy and makes great leftovers. Also a good meal to take to a picnic, bbq, or other gathering. We usually eat it as a main meal, but can be a good side dish too.

4 ingredient pb cookies

Now you see them. . .

Now you don't! (I know, it's like magic)

I love these peanut butter cookies. Simple and very peanut buttery. I like to eat them as soon as they come out of the oven with a fork because they are so soft and melt in your mouth. If you let cool, they stay soft, but won't fall apart when you pick them up. This is another recipe that is easy, fast, and has tasty results.

1 cup peanut butter (we use natural organic creamy)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. baking soda (I've left this out before and it still turned out great)
chocolate chips are optional. (We never put them in, but some people can't have one without the other)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients (minus the chocolate chips) together well in a small bowl. Then stir in chocolate chips. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet in 1 inch balls. Do not flatten! Bake for about 10 minutes or until puffy and golden. They will start to get golden around the edges. Let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before removing them or they will fall apart. I remove mine immediately because I like to eat them at this stage.

eggless cookie dough for cookie dough ice cream

We bought a ton of vanilla ice cream for HF's graduation cake. We forgot to serve it, so we've got all kinds of extra ice cream. We aren't big ice cream eaters, but HF's favorite kind of ice cream is Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. I decided to make my own eggless cookie dough for HF to use as a topping. I looked around online and found quite a few recipes. I sort of combined them all to get a cookie dough I though we would like. Here's some of the recipes I found out there.

• cupcake project
• all recipes
• plain cook

I rolled mine into little balls and then froze on a cookie sheet before storing in an airtight container. Instead of mixing mine into the ice cream, I just sort of used it as a topping. HF liked it better than store bought cookie dough ice cream.

my favorite breakfast

I grew up in a little town called Somis in Southern California. This is a little agricultural community north of Los Angeles and South of Santa Barbara in Ventura County. The perfect location. It was filled with lemon, lime, grapefruit, avocado, and orange trees. There were also many strawberry fields and other produce surrounding this little place. I haven't lived here in years or even visited, but everyone says it has changed so much and what used to be acres of citrus trees is now developed.

We lived way out far from any neighbors on 42 acres of the above mentioned trees. In the mornings my mother would sometimes send one of us kids outside to pick a few grapefruits and avocados. We would often have grapefruit and avocado on toast for breakfast. Some days we picked oranges and made orange juice. This was just everyday normal to me. Now that I don't have that, I realize how much I took that for granted. These are the very items I purchase at the grocery stores and farmer markets.

This is just a food memory post I guess. I miss Somis. I miss California. I miss fresh produce picked directly off the tree.

I don't have the energy to research this, but grapefruit supposedly:

• boosts your metabolism and aids in weight loss
• cures migraines ( i tried it once and it worked, but it could be the "placebo effect")
• lowers cholesterol
• prevents kidney stones
• protects against certain types of cancers

It also just so happens to be my favorite scent. I love grapefruit scented lotions, soaps, lip glosses, perfumes, candles, etc. The Body Shop has some nice grapefruit items. This is my favorite perfume. It doesn't have grapefruit essences in it, but it smells citrusy and grapefruity to me anyway. I've been wearing this since I was 16 or 17. I LOVE it.

What's your typical daily breakfast?

go to meals II: Pasta with Butter and Parmesan

I keep a variety of pasta shapes on hand. The kids love wagon wheels, shells, penne, and these bow ties pictured above. This recipe is Pasta with Butter and Parmesan Cheese. This is easy, fast, and delicious. I remember coming up with it one day when our ingredients in the pantry and the fridge were scarce. And it turned out really good. Then one day, I bought a bottle of shredded parmesan cheese and saw an almost identical recipe printed on the back. So I guess it's not entirely an original recipe. But it is very versatile. To make it a complete meal, I add vegetables and chicken. I keep Costco bags of mixed vegetable on hand for when I'm in a hurry or not in the mood to cook.

1 16 oz. box of favorite pasta
1 cup of parmesan cheese, shredded (the sprinkle kind just won't cut it)
1 cube of butter
1-3 cloves garlic, minced (optional-my kids prefer it without or with a minimum)
grilled chicken (optional)
mixed vegetables (0ptional)

Boil pasta according to package instructions. While pasta is draining in colander, melt butter in pasta pot over low heat until melted but not browned. Add garlic if desired. When butter is melted, add drained pasta back to pot and mix until coated evenly in butter mixture. Add parmesan. Mix well, until evenly coated with the cheese. At this point you can add in your cooked vegetables, and grilled chicken. Serve immediately.

This is a go to meal for me because it really doesn't take much time to prepare and the chicken and vegetables can be prepared in advance. I didn't take a picture of the pasta with the vegies and chicken added because it got gobbled up by hungry people as soon as I added it. Lisa, another police wife, posted another pasta recipe that looks really good.

guy food part II

Here's another recipe from HF. It's not quite as bizarre like the delgado slim, but it's definitely guy food. This is usually done in the guy world with beer, but we had A&W root beer on hand and he used that. Again, in his own words.

Root Beer Brats

I had these at an outdoor event a long time ago. Here's what you need:

Root beer (whatever you brand you like)
Brats (I used the industry standard: Generic Store Brand Brats)
Buns
Stuff to cook it in like a pan
Some kind of heat source (I used a stove top)

So take the Brats out of the packaging and poke holes all over them. I used a combat knife because it's sharp and it's extra manly.

Next, pour some root beer into your pan and turn the stove on. How much root beer? Well I filled the pan half way up.

Now it's time to put the Brats in a pan and turn the stove on to medium heat. I know you're hungry but let the Brats soak up the root beer and cook a little longer. Use the medium heat man.

Okay once you've got the pigs in the pan, cover that thing up. You want to create a meat sauna out of that pan for the Brats. As they cook they'll soak up the root beer, creating a really nice sweet flavor.

Okay so now we wait. Let the Brats soak up the root beer and cook all the way through. How do you know when that's happened? Check them every now and then. Lift off the lid and poke around in there to check the insides. Cut slits in them with a knife to look inside. You want gray not pink. Another trick is to gauge the curl of the Brat. The curlier the more done.

Once you deem them done enough for your taste, remove them from heat and put them in buns. Add your own condiments to taste. I like ketchup, mustard, and Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce.

These brats are relatively quick to make and taste delicious. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

*I have to add that he will not let anyone put condiments on his hot dogs or brats. He has to do it himself. He usually has 3 dogs. One gets a perfect mustard squiggly, one is only bbq sauce, and the other is a perfect squiggly of mustard and a perfect squiggly of ketchup perfectly symmetrical with the mustard. OCD, I tell you.