blueberry scones

I get into grooves a lot. Grooves… or habits. Habits or routines. Routines… or slightly OCD behaviour.

Like that period in my life during high school when it took me 30 minutes to complete my extensive bed time routine, which involved the opening and closing and locking and double checking of every door in my house.

Like that time from kindergarten to grade 4 when I cried everyday before school.

Like that time when I compulsively saved every cent to buy a wiener dog.

These grooves/habits/routines apply to my eating as well.

Like that time when I ate only Just Right breakfast cereal –  for every meal. I craved it so bad… it was… Just Right. And here’s the kicker – I ate it dry. Yeah no milk for this girl. I would pour literally two cups of cereal in a ziploc bag with a spoon and take it to work for dinner. This went on for months. And then one day I just wasn’t eating it anymore. Haven’t had any since, actually. (Put on list of things to do for when I visit Toronto)

And then there was that time I only ate avocado on toast with tomato. Oh wait… that one is still going on.

And of course there was that summer that I made scones like every three days. That was by popular demand though. The demand from Sean.

Anyway, it seems like I get into routines but then I drop them suddenly without reason and never look back. I haven’t made scones in what feels like forever. So this recipe had to happen.

It should happen for you too regardless of your current food routines.

Sean loves it when I stack my food.

Blueberry Scones
adapted from here

1 1/2 c. white flour
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. raw sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 c. coconut milk
1 c. blueberries

Preheat oven to 425*F. Sift the flour together with the baking powder and then mix in the salt and sugar. Now add cold coconut milk and mix until just combined. Fold in the blueberries or fruit of choice and gather the dough into a loose ball. Turn dough onto a floured surface and form into a circle or square or rectangle or whatever about 3/4 inch thick and cut out 8-10 scones in whatever shape you please, traingles, circles, it don’t matter. Brush some extra coconut milk on top and sprinkle with extra sugar.

Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 15 minutes – 20 minutes or until golden brown.

xxx

it’s the JAM PLAN. and the queen loves it!

Did you know that I’m British?

Yeah, I’m just being real with you.

Me and the queen, we’re buds. Kate and I, (Middleton of course) we go way back. Sometimes she comes over for tea and scones and we discuss British things… like scones. and… the queen. And her excess of hats!

Are those the only British things I know? hmmm…

I’m not actually English at all, but I didn’t have a Scottish Flag tea towel on hand. Sooo…

I save my fine china for the Royals, obviously. And I’m also speaking to them about adopting a vegan diet. I think this is what British people do. We bake scones and clean our houses in case the queen comes for tea.

And when she does come,  (because she will) we serve her homemade scones, with homemade jam and whipped coconut cream. Totally vegan. and the queen is PUMPED about it.

Pip pip. Cheerio.

You know my scone recipe already. So just sub the cranberries for raspberries! It’s your call!

Jam though… JAM is a new addition.

It’s the Jam Plan!

20 minute JAM PLAN!

Strawberry/Raspberry Jam
(Adapted from OhSheGlows)

3 c. of strawberries and raspberries (I used a combo of fresh and frozen)

1.5 tbsp. chia seeds

2 tbsp. maple syrup

boiling

Bring the maple syrup and fruit to a boil in a saucepan. Stir frequently because the fruit will burn/stick to the pan. Allow it to simmer for 5-10 minutes and then add the chia seeds. Allow mixture to simmer and firm up for about 15 minutes. Keep stirring!

Put the jam in your finest china bowls and wait for the queen.

If you make the jam and scones, she will come.

xxx

all the answers to life in one small serving of flour and sugar

Life is weird. Obviously.

Have you even had those moments where your brain stops for a second… and it says ‘Wait a tick… what the hell is this?’

And ‘this’ is not referring to any specific activity, or event. It’s not an object, or a feeling… it’s just life. What the hell is it? Honestly.

I have those moments. Riding the subway to school, walking along a street in the sunshine, sitting on my couch writing a blog.

I look at my hands and I think they look so weird.

Everything looks weird.

What’s the point of all… this?

I think about my stress and it seems so inconsequential.

What is it? What does it alllllll mean… why am I worried about my job? Why is it necessary for me to do the laundry right now? Why do I have these extremities? How did I get on a piece of machinery that somehow propelled itself into the air and carried me across the planet? Why do I sometimes scratch an itch… and then feel it in another part of my body? And for the love of god, why does scratching an itch feel sooo good?

It just makes no sense to me. Why?

I don’t mean to get deep and philosophical. I have no intentions of figuring it all out… but it makes ya wonder. It’s makes ya wonder and then in makes you feel a bit queasy.

So that’s when I make scones. When I feel like there is nothing else to do, cause honestly, what’s better than making scones?

Another deep and philosophical question. The difference here is that I know the answer to this one. Nothing. There is nothing better than making scones. And when you think about it, in the GRAND scheme of this ridiculous ‘life’ caper we have going on… aren’t scones just about as important as anything else?

so so delish

And just to clarify, making scones implies you eat them also.

Boom.

cranberries!

Lemon-cranberry Scones

My usual is date scones, but sometimes life (or my mom) just begs for a little something lighter. And tangier.

3 c. flour

2 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. -1/2 c. raw sugar

1/3 c. coconut oil

1 1/4 c. non-dairy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. frozen cranberries

zest of 1 lemon

lemon sugar

Mix the lemon zest with the raw sugar to infuse it with lemony goodness. I think this helps to spread the lemon flavour.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Create a well for the wet ingredients and pour them in. mix gently until just combined and fold in the cranberries. Scoop 1/4 c. of batter onto a baking sheet per scone.

Bake for 15ish minutes on 400*C.

Eat them and then forget about all of life’s unanswered questions. And stop looking at your hands, because apart from all those hangnails… they are perfectly un-weird.

xxx

perfection

pumpkin scones in the spring time

How is it the end September already? I mean, really. It’s ridiculous. I’ve been here for almost five months now… no wait. I HAVE been here for five months. Today! Weird. Anyway, time is just flying by.

pumpkin sconesss

My body is confused though. I’m craving the heat. I want that warm sun on my face. I want that feeling of walking out of your house only to realize its warmer outside than it is indoors. I want to not wear a jacket to work. And I want to rock shorts and a tanktop without the fear of afternoon chills.

But again, it’s SEPTEMBER… this is autumn in Canada and for that reason my body wants pumpkin pies and warm tea. Maybe a wood burning fire, delicious treats and halloween.

I haven’t had a proper summer since 2009… It seems I’ve been chasing winter back and forth across the globe, so yes. Summer is what I need, but pumpkin is what feels right.

That, and every other recipe I’ve seen since September 1st has been Pumpkin themed. Honestly, Autumn needs some new flava. But I won’t complain. I love me some pumpkin. Even if I can’t find it canned in Sydney. And even if what Australians call a Pumpkin is ACTUALLY a butternut squash… its delicious none the less.

So what do I do? I make smoothies. With pumpkin. and breads. with pumpkin… and SCONES! with pumpkin.

So today I bring you those Pumpkin Scones. Autumn Pumpkin scones, in Spring. Yum.

delicious

Pumpkin Scones with cinnamon icing

Recipe adapted from here

1 c. spelt flour

1 c. all purpose flour

1/2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

1 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1/4 c. vegan butter

1/3 c. pumpkin puree

1/3 c. oat milk

Cinnamon Icing

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tbsp. almond milk

Cinnamon to taste

For the Scones

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Celcius and place the butter and milk in the fridge.

Mix together the flours, the spices, the baking powder and the sugar. Cut in the cold butter and then stir in the milk and pupmkin puree.

Mix the dough until a loose ball forms. lightly flour your surface and mold the dough into a rectangle. Cut into triangles. Mine made eight very small scones.

Bake the scones for 12-13 minutes.

For the Icing

Mix the ingredients together and add cinnamon to taste. Drizzle icing over the scones and allow to set.

make these! I bet they’d taste even better in cool, windy weather.

xxx