Foodie Friday: Rhubarb Ginger Almond Scones

If nothing else, this time of under-employment has allowed me to do things I really love: 

garden, sew, walk, read, and bake. I was especially happy to bake these scones. I developed a recipe after comparing a lot of different scone recipes. These seem old-fashioned and delightful, perfect for brunch with friends or as heart-felt handmade gift. 

Weasinart's Rhubarb Ginger Almond Scones:

Ingredients:

• 3 stalks rhubarb (14-16 ounces)
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 8 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 TBSP crystallized ginger
• 1/4 cup almonds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 F. Line baking sheet with parchment or silicon mat. Because I made my scones into wedges, I needed to use two sheets.

 Cut the rhubarb into small pieces. 

They will break down a little in the scone, but keep things bite-sized!

Toss the rhubarb with 3 tablespoons of sugar and the ginger.

 Dice the ginger fine, if necessary.

Chop the almonds and fold into the rhubarb mixture.

Sift flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.

Cut butter into flour mixture until the butter is about the size of small gravel.

Add in the rhubarb mixture, vanilla, and yogurt. Stir together until a soft dough forms.

 Flour your hands and knead the dough for a minute or so, 

until the dough comes together and is not sticky.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and pat the dough into a disc. 

Using a bench scraper (or a knife), cut the dough into 8 wedges.

Arrange on sheets and sprinkle with remaining sugar and some of the crystallized ginger.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Serve warm and/or seal in an airtight container.

Enjoy! 

This post is dedicated to my all time favorite blogger, chef, and friend, 

Sara at The Cozy Herbivore.

When life gives you lemons...

You know how the old saying goes. We all do. We have heard it a million times. As we transform those lemons, we sometimes still get a sour bit. It isn't horrible and it won't kill us, but it is not what we wanted or expected.

Yesterday, I was supposed to run a half-marathon, my second. Recently though, I had gotten off my training schedule and wasn't logging the miles that I should have been. I was immersed in rehearsals, a late summer mini-vacation, a new attitude towards my work day, being a good partner, and various other little projects. My blogging suffered but my IT band suffered more. 

In a last ditch effort to prepare for the race, I started amping up the miles last week. In doing so, I tweaked a recurring running injury. I underwent  2 1/2 months of PT earlier this year and almost lost the entire running season. By Thursday, the band was swollen and I knew that I had to make a big decision. I wasn't so upset about the money, I could still cancel the hotel room and I had registered for the race in February, so I wasn't missing the cash. I had, however; invested a lot and time and energy into training only to fail at the follow-through when it was most important.

I was disappointed in myself. In my heart though, I knew that if I tried that I might not be able to finish and that would be even more difficult thank not starting at all. 

So when the starting gun went of on Sunday morning, I was home. I spent the day making soups and baking. I drank lots of tea and sang along to my ipod. It wasn't what I had planned on doing, but in its own way it was just as rewarding and just as comforting. Instead of lemonade, I used those lemons in my tea. As the week goes on, I will be posting about tea and tea-related things. It soothes my soul and that is EXACTLY what I need right now.

Foodie Friday: Paula's Chocolate Zucchini Bread in a Mason Jar

My friend Paula is one of the best cooks ever. She and her family eat gluten-free which is a double bonus for me since many nights she brings me dinner at play rehearsal. This bread is SO amazing it is like having the best chocolate cupcake ever but with a full serving of veggies!