blueberry oat scones

9.29.2012

A couple weeks ago ... post fridge death 2012 ... I was gifted some amazing goods by my friend Asti and her mom. And by goods, I mean wonderful dairy products courtesy of some cute Jersey cows in Vermont. For about 10 days, I was using whole milk ... yes, whole ... in my coffee and morning cereal. I have been a "skim milk person" for years and let me tell you, switch it up a bit folks. Throw some whole milk at your coffee and it'll change your life.

Beyond whole milk, skyr yogurt, and some amazing horseradish cheese spread .... I was also gifted some buttermilk. I wasn't totally sure what to do with the buttermilk. I thought about breading some chicken or onion rings. I thought about whipping up a batch of Irish Soda Bread - but I only do that in March. So I settled on some blueberry scones and went to work.

I was originally intrigued by the fact that this original recipe suggested you use the food processor to blend the butter with the dry ingredients. Well, folks. Sometimes you should just stick with what you know. And I know that my KitchenAid Stand mixer loves me and .... is larger than my food processor. End result = food processor fail.

So. I whipped up a batch of these bad boys on a really exciting Thursday night (yep, I'm wild) and then proceeded to dole them out to loved ones. I pretty quickly wrapped up a few of these suckers and brought them to Asti as a thank you.

(Step 1) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt in a bowl.

(Step 2) Add butter in little chunks to the mixture. I essentially just kept the stand mixer on while I slowly added in the butter in little cubes.

(Step 3) Blend in oats and blueberries ... gently. Breaking your blueberries is slightly inevitable, but let's be gentle folks.

(Step 4) Add in buttermilk and vanilla extract. And... well, blend it.

(Step 5) If you are feeling dedicated, go ahead and roll out the dough a bit (you'll need to add a little flour) and cut the dough into shapes desired. I wasn't. So, I just did some gently "dropped" scones with my ice cream scoop. Yep, another use for the ice cream scoop beyond ice cream and meatballs and cookies.

(Step 6) Sprinkle each of your scones with some additional oats and granulated sugar.

(Step 7) Bake for 15 minutes at 350F on parchment cookie sheets.


Recipe adapted from this one in Bon Appetit

Shopping List
3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
11 tablespoons (1 stick plus 3 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons old-fashioned oats
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

maine warms my heart

9.23.2012


Maine warms my heart.

Kind of in the same way that my heart warms when I sit in an Adirondack chair with my legs flopped over one arm rest since the other arm rest is responsible for my beverage.

I only sat in an Adirodack chair once while I was in Maine this time. But that’s just fine because I spent the rest of my / our days drinking coffee while the tide came in, visiting places I hadn’t seen, and attending spontaneous gatherings. Oh, and there were beverages and they were often consumed under the light of the Moon with some picturesque body of water gently lapping just a few feet away.

The last time I documented Maine … it required 3 blog posts. But given that I'm three weeks behind, it'll be one and it'll be picture heavy.


This trip to Maine was a little different than the past two. Much more "land exploring" and slightly less boating. We meandered around Rockland and Damariscotta. Went to an actual bookstore - can't say that I've done that in awhile. Had an amazing sunset dinner for two at the Anchor Inn Restaurant post Monhegan adventure. And went to the store called "The Walpole Barn"... that is in a barn... and I pretty much never wanted to leave. 

Trail down to the dock. I always wake up early and meander down to sit and watch the tide come in.

Crazy calm. The best part about that tree over the dock? You can still sit on the dock in the rain and not get wet. Well if that isn't amazing, I'm not sure what is.

Attended a spontaneous dinner party on Friday night.... complete with fireworks and dancing in the rain under the blue moon. That's the truth.

 
Ah-maz-ing. New Harbor on our way to Monhegan Island for a day of hiking and adventure.

Just three ladies soaking in the view.

Water as far as the eye can see. Amazing.

I'll take a bouquet of these to go thanks.

Pretty sure that this was the best idea we had all day.  I was responsible for guarding the chairs while Meghan picked out the ice cream. She did a bang up job. I died with happiness.

Morning dock time.

Amazing farm stand in Warren, Maine. If you ever stumble on "Beth's Farm Market"... stop. It'll blow your mind.

Oh just a tri-color blue ombre anchor cake for someone's birthday. Not too shabby if I say so myself.

Things not captured? Breakfast at the most amazing diner in Maine. Wearing fleece to bars. Cozy reading in front of the fire. And. Nightime pillow chats across a loft from twin beds. Perfection.

oh boy.

9.20.2012

Snapped this picture while I was home in the burbs over Labor Day. I've always been intrigued by the patterns that the water makes in the sand during the changing of the tides. It's almost like veins running in the sand.

I'm stewing around on a lot of things right now.

Plus, I'm feeling like I'm neglecting my brand new baby blog here with things I have wanted to write about - like these amazing blueberry oat scones I made last weekend.

Alas, I haven't.

But thankfully, it's going to be the weekend and I don't have a single thing on the calendar. I plan on knocking a few items off my to-do list and spending more time in my bed than normal. There is something really decadent to me about sleeping late (which for me is past 8 am). When I do decide to open my eyes, I subsequently plan on drinking coffee in bed.

On the list for this weekend:
  • Might attempt canning tomatoes
  • Send a package out to a friend who might need a little pick me up
  • Work on a top secret surprise
  • Clean up my pictures from Labor Day in Maine .... and last year's trip to Yosemite (I'm that far behind)
  • Make something in my crockpot for weeknight meals
  • Try something new for Sunday dinner
  • Rent a movie and spend Saturday night in the corner of my couch
So we will see.

easiest bread of your life

9.16.2012

I have a huge weakness for carbs. Specifically bread ... and not of the whole wheat variety.

Whole wheat can take a hike and never come back ... just kidding. Kind of.

I've attempted to make bread a few times before, some that I've documented on the blog... some pre-blog. It feels like bread is super tricky to make. Every time I attempted fresh bread, I end up saying one or more of the following:
"I wish it tasted more ..."
"I feel like it needs some..."
"It wasn't that challenging, but I'm got tired of ..."

This bread was quite literally the opposite of all those statements. It had the most perfect amount of air pockets - which I prefer to call butter craters. It also had just the right amount of flavor. I raved about this bread so much that people started to ask me what type of bread it was ... and I could only say "bread". Not helpful right?

I'd describe it as the texture of a sourdough but without that biting tart sourdough taste. A bit like a white bread in taste. Kind of perfect right?

Answer = yes.

What wasn't perfect? Well, I covered myself in flour making this bread. Flour everywhere. I had read as  part of the recipe that the dough tended to be very sticky. Well to combat sticky .... just add flour right? Yeah, that worked but it resulted in my kitchen being saturated in white dust. Baby Sister even got in on the fun as you can see here:
In addition to being delicious, I've neglected to mention that this bread is nearly labor free. No kneading. All you have to do is mix the dough once and essentially be patient for 18 hours during the first rise. Then flop it around a little bit. Be patient for two more hours. Then cook. Then cut. Then slather in butter and honey ..... and then crack some dental bonding and go to the dentist. Or, that dentist part can be just me.

I actually made this bread for the first time last weekend .... and again this weekend. As I was lying in bed last night, I was doing some casual recipe browsing and stumbled upon a few gems that absolutely called for this bread. Despite the fact that it was 10:45 at night (don't judge my social life), I hopped right out of bed and whipped this dough baby right up... and was back in bed within ten minutes. Yep, it's that easy.

So this is how you make this amazing bread.

(Step 1) In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. The recipe says to let it rest between 12 -18 hours. Obviously the longer the better.... and ideally you want the room temperature to be about 70 degrees.

This is what my dough looked like before the rise. I was not convinced at this point I had done anything correct.


(Step 2) Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

I let mine rise for 22 hours .... and this is what it looked like. Hi little bubbles. I'm coming for you with some flour.

(Step 3) Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal. Ideally, place the "seam" of the dough on the bottom. Cover or wrap loosely with another cotton towel and let rise for 2 hours. Theoretically, the dough wil rise double in size and that's how you'll know it's ready. I'm not sure mine ever got to "double".

Here is my dough baby all tucked in for its two hour nap. Also, how pretty is that flower arrangement? I made it. Floral class has been paying off my friends.
Also a note on the flour here. Be generous. The first time I made this I was very generous and it made the process easier. Less dough sticking to the towel. The second time, I got cocky and used less flour. As a result, the dough didn't get as big (apparently sticky dough loves flour) and it stuck to the towel more.

(Step 4) At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450°F. Get a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic). When dough is ready, slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is fine. If you want, gently shake the pan to even out the dough a bit. Cover with lid or tin foil and bake (20 minutes for foil, 30 for a lid), then remove lid and bake another 15 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Given the complete and vast variety of pans and lid combos, the timing will vary depending on what you do. So keep that in mind. But essentially, split the time and you'll be fine. Famous last words probably... but it's bread not something that will kill anyone.

This is what I look like when I'm trying to decide how to get the dough baby into my casserole dish. Confused. Perplexed. And excited.

Shopping List
3 cups of bread flour, plus probably a cup more for the rest of the process
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 5/8 cups of water

Bonus picture? Baby sister getting caught nomming on the dough pre-oven. Admittedly ... it was delicious and should have been sampled.

my dad is 40

9.13.2012

Do your parents age? Mine don't.

I nearly died of shock when Facebook told me that my dad wasn't 40. 

I mean, it's obvious ... he's not 40. I'm 29. Based on the pictures I scanned last November, I know for a fact that he wasn't 9 when he married my mom and 11 when he became my dad.

I stopped aging my parents when they reached a certain age. It seems fair. Parents are always reflecting on when we were little and wishing they could freeze time. I even do it with my little bitty baby THIRTEEN YEAR OLD brother.... who is now taller than me. If I could turn back time to when he was small enough to wear overalls and snuggle with me while we watched endless "Thomas the Tank Engine" movies, I would... in a heartbeat. 

But since I can't. I might as well share some of my favorite pictures that I scanned of my dad and I.





And before you judge me for not including any of my other family members... just know that all of their birthdays are fast approaching and they'll get their turn.

So happy birthday to the man that always:

  • ensures I have a full tank of gas before I leave the house (and my tire pressure is great)
  • will pick up Purple Cow ice cream for the ladies of the house regardless of weather or time of day
  • thinks nothing of picking up my sister's cat for a weekend at the "beach house"
  • offers to pick up my BLT lunch / dinner / appetizer from the golf club
  • jumps right in with a critique when the ladies are watching So You Think You Can Dance
  • stocks the house with seasonal appropriate beverages (Sam Summer, bottles of red wine, hot chocolate)
  • thinks nothing of making a roaring fire for a Netflix session in the family room
  • comments on my blog :)
... and perhaps a few other gems.

So thanks for all the ice coffee Dad and the gift of humor .... and all of those sandwiches you delivered to the beach.

In the event, you thought we stopped taking pictures when I was sub 10 years old... here is one that just warms my heart from this week. I had a spontaneous dentist appointment in the burbs that resulted in a sunset walk by the ocean and night spent in my parents' house. A win in my book.


Shortly after this picture was taken, I updated my Dad on my dating life and he subsequently made me a grilled cheese on whole wheat bread. Then we watched multiple episodes of "New Girl" while he fell asleep on the couch. Spoiler alert? Your dad will be just as confused your girlfriends as to why someone said what they said. 

Happy 40th Birthday Dad!


the birth announcement

9.10.2012


for consistency sake.... here is my final posting from the "old blog".

If I was a super popular blogger, this would probably be cause for a party sponsored by some trendy cupcake company and prosecco. But, since it's just me I'm going to eat another Dove Promise and press "publish"

Consider this a birth announcement.

I’m pleased to announce that my new blog is born. After much text messaging and conversations with friends over names and even a multi-hour video chat … I have finally settled on a new blogging home. 


Hopelessly Techie was me for quite a while but this blog soon became a whole lot more about cooking, adventures, and life as opposed to why Amazon Prime is the best decision you’ll ever make. Seriously. It is. I am having toilet paper delivered today and last week I bought a container for my favorite cereal. But don’t fret … I’m still hopelessly invested and interested in technology … that will never change. But as my comfort with sharing has grown, I’ve been more interested in documenting more of my life as opposed to just what I do on my iPhone. 

All of the blog posts you’ve fallen in love with and found to be the most brilliant thing you’ve ever read…. can now be found at WJD. Same goes for the recipes. Getting lost domestically and internationally. And those pesky thoughts on life

So, come join me over there

I can’t promise you a good time but I can promise some strong visuals of me covered in flour attempting to make bread. 

Xoxo.


p.p.s. Here are the blog posts you've missed out on:

meaty meatball delights

9.09.2012


Most of my friends are married or live with significant others ... or if you are my sister are in a significant relationship with a cat. To each his own right?

Anyway. 

One of my favorite meals to single aka eat alone is meatballs. Specifically frozen ones from my freezer.

I tend to come home ravenous and need quick meals. There is nothing more satisfying than tossing a few meatballs in the microwave, saucing them a bit, and glittering them with some parmesan cheese. I'm pretty sure I never eat without my legs curled up under me. It's heaven.

I always like to have a bag of balls in my freezer and in the past few months ... I've been making my own. And, if I say so myself.... they are delish.

In fact, I actually made these for the first time back in April .... and just hadn't documented it yet. I got occupied going to NYC, enjoying floral class, or savoring summer. But, since summer appears to be leaving us and fall is approaching... all I can think about is chili and as a result, meatballs. Specifically how amazing and salty these ones are. 

A few tricks for meatballs:

  • Just like cookies, universalize sizing makes cooking much easier. I used an ice cream scoop and it was perfect. Yep, ice cream.
  • Pan frying meatballs is far more work that I'd like to engage in. I recommend cooking these suckers in cupcake trays. It's the perfect solution for keeping their shape. Plus, there is no risk of a meatball rolling off the cookie sheet.
  • Make extras. You will not regret it.

This recipe makes 28 meatballs ... and based on my average 4-5 meatballs a serving that will last you 5-6 meals. Unless you were like me and ate 2 of these suckers straight from the pan because they were so amazing. I believe the secret ingredient is the pancetta.

I'm all for limiting cleaning and mess so I pretty made this in one bowl. I'm sure that some fancy meatball lady would request you mix eggs separately or soak the panko crumbs in milk... but whatever. Do you like doing dishes? I don't.

(Step 1) Get a big bowl and scramble your eggs in it. Then add in the onion and garlic and parsley. It's worth the effort to chop well here... you probably don't want a bite containing sizable chunks of garlic or parsley. Keep that in mind

(Step 2) I'm sure you don't need to pre-cook the pancetta but for some reason I like to. So, this is where I diced up the pancetta and toss it in a skillet until it's just a tad bit cooked. Maybe, you aren't as weird as I am and you just dice it up and toss it in your bowl.

(Step 3) Add in your milk, salt, pepper, and panko crumbs. The reason I add all of these other ingredients before the ground meat portion is because I feel like its sometimes hard to ensure that pancetta will get in every bite ... and I fundamentally care a whole lot about getting pancetta and other meatball bits in every ball.

(Step 4) Add in your ground beef (meat and veal) into the big bowl and give it a good mix with your hands. Unless you live in the North End and you get the meat ground as a blend, it'll be pretty obvious based on color whether or not you have blended well.

(Step 5) Roll the delightful meaty mixture into even sized balls and place them into the mini muffin pans. The meat will give off enough grease (that's hot right?) that you don't need to grease the pans.

(Step 6) Cook the meatballs at 400 F for 20-25 minutes.

And yes, that is a sizeable hunk of pancetta you see in that ball. Nom on that.

Shopping List
1/2 c Panko crumbs
1/4 c milk
1 medium onion diced
2 eggs
5 cloves of garlic minced
salt & pepper
1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
1 lb ground veal
1 lb ground beef
1/3 lb thick slice of pancetta
1/4 cup of grated parmesan

fridge death

9.05.2012


I had these grand plans of posting some glorious pictures today of my vacation in Maine.

But then life happened.

I got home from work yesterday and had all these plans for mac and cheese. I was going to put on some sweatpants, get in the corner of my couch, and edit pictures. All whilst shoving Kraft Mac & Cheese in my face. I might not even put it in a bowl. Bowl? Meet crook of my arm. Now be friends.

So, I got home. I wanted sweatpants so bad that I turned on the air conditioning just to make it happen. I assembled an outfit that said, “I’m not expecting visitors” and proceeded to settle in for hours of tv entertainment and pictures. With cheesy noodles. Then, I opened my fridge and was overcome by the most terrible smell. I’d put it akin to rotting carcasses … and that’s pretty much what was happening except with vegetables, condiments, lemon curd, ice coffee, etc. You do not want to know what a cucumber looks like after a week in a hot fridge in a plastic bag. Spoiler alert? It essentially liquefies.

The long and the short of it is that….
  • My fridge is not dead. Just that specific outlet  is now dead. I’m not sure what this means except now I apparently need to unplug my fridge if I want to use my microwave. I probably won’t be doing much microwaving
  • I had a bottle of seltzer in my fridge that expired in 2009. I’m not joking. How does one even buy something like this? No wonder if felt flat for my gin and tonic last week.
  • Mold grows in some super weird patterns on tomatoes

The only thing that seemed to make it out alive where some cans of Coke, unopened salad dressing and garlic cloves. I tossed the garlic cloves because I figured the death smell probably permeated these suckers some how and I don’t want my next batch of pesto to smell like fridge death.

I used to have one of those fridges where you could just whip things up… now I’m starting from scratch. Maybe I should just have a cocktail party and invite people to bring their favorite condiment as a housewarming gift?

Oh, and that package of chicken breasts I had in my freezer? It might have been the worst discovery of all.
I hope you never come home to a death fridge ever.

P.S. this is the outfit I was wearing during the entire event. It pains me to say that I lost a pound of bacon as well, but at least I had already decided I hated that kind. Small wins.

© WHAT JEN DOES • Theme by Maira G.