Saturday 26 January 2013

Saturday Snippets (2)



I was having virtual tea with Willie lately, and we enjoyed it so much, I thought you all might like to join me today.  Hats are required ladies!  Naturally, we shall eat outside in the virtual sunshine, and there will be cucumber and salmon sandwiches, egg and cress sandwiches, scones and butter with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and assorted cakes and pastries.  You may choose from a selection of teas, or coffee if you prefer.

Here is my favourite recipe for scones!

RICH FRUIT BUTTERMILK SCONES

8 oz (225g) self-raising flour
1.5 oz (40g) caster sugar
A pinch of salt
3oz (75g) butter at room temperature
2 oz (50g) mixed dried fruit
1 large egg, beaten
3-4 tbspns buttermilk to mix
A little extra flour for dusting tops.

You will also need a lightly greased baking sheet and a 2 in (5 cm) cutter.

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 7, 425 degrees F, 220 degrees C.

Begin by sifting the flour and salt into a bowl and sprinkling in the sugar, then rub the butter in lightly until the mixture looks crumbly.  Now sprinkle in the dried fruit, pour in the beaten egg and add 3 tbspns of the buttermilk.  Start to mix the dough with a knife and finish off with your hands - it should be soft but not sticky, so add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, if the dough seems too dry.

Next, form the dough into a ball and turn it out onto a lightly floured working surface.  Now roll it out very lightly to a round at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, then cut the scones out by placing the cutter on the dough and giving it a sharp tap.  Don't twist the cutter, just push the dough out, then carry on until you are left only with trimmings - roll these and cut an extra scone.  Then place the scones on the lightly greased baking sheet and dust lightly with the extra flour.

Bake the scones in the top half of the oven for 10-12 minutes or until they are well risen and golden brown.  After that, remove them to a cooling tray and serve very fresh, split and spread with butter.

NOTE:  Scones do not keep well so are best eaten on the day they're made.  Any left over, however, will freeze perfectly well.  Don't worry if you can't get buttermilk, just use ordinary milk.



We live in the middle of a farming community, although we aren't farmers ourselves.  This cartoon was in the local paper recently.  I wonder what you make of it?  Isn't it funny how you suddenly gain a whole new perspective of things?!  I wonder what the old farmer has got planned?!

The snow here continues and we had another load last night.  But today the sun has returned and the temperatures are climbing.  Apparently it is set to thaw, which is a good thing, but no-one knows where all the melt-water is going to go.  Everything is saturated.  I thought I'd share a couple of beautiful pictures with you I took early this morning.



This is our driveway.  Don't worry, there are a million driveways that look like this in our part of the UK.


Sometimes we need to stand and enjoy the sheer beauty of our landscape.  The transformations due to the seasons are remarkable.

Our back yard borders open fields where in summer wheat, barley and oilseed rape are grown.  At this time of the year we get lots of different creatures coming almost up to our backdoor looking for food.  I so loved the story of Ian and Lillie and the deer.  We have deer too, but not on a regular basis, and mostly very small deer.  

This is a short post this week because I am off to my grandson's fifth birthday party.  I spoke to him on the phone last night and he told me how pleased he was with his Star Wars Starfighter we gave him.  He is heavily into Starwars and He-Man.  I just love watching his imagination at work.  We can learn a lot from the young.

I leave you with another newspaper cartoon.  I cut off the caption this time.  You might have your own ideas.


They are obviously "cane" mad in this country!

Adios Amigos.















23 comments:

  1. The snow looks beautiful and tranquil. The thaw sounds messy and grimy.
    I love tea and scones. I remember going to a very famous place in England that specialized in perfect English tea. I bet it was served to the tourists not the locals, but it was so yummy. My Scotsman would love if I made your scones for his cup of tea. I may just try it.
    Yay for the birthday party, and that it goes without a hitch!
    Have fun!

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    1. I am wondering whether it was Betty's Tea Rooms in York? We all like afternoon tea in England. It's a dying custom, so therefore it is nice to resurrect it from time to time and remember when the pace of life was slower. I can definitely recommend the scones Minelle. You don't have to put fruit in them if you don't want to.

      The snow has continued to melt. Apparently rain is moving in and the temperature is going up to 12 degrees tomorrow. Rain together with snow melt equals flooding!

      The birthday party was great! You should have seen the hordes of five year olds galloping about!

      Hugs, Ami

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  2. Ooh tea and scones, yummy! Thank you for the recipe Ami, think I am going to have to give that a go!

    I love the pics. What a magnificent outlook you have. Looks beautiful with the snow, though I'm sure you are probably cursing it.

    The birthday party sounds fun. Enjoy :)

    Hugs
    Roz

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    1. They are very good indeed Roz. See the comment about the fruit above. It is a very easy and quick recipe too.

      Yes, we have a lovely view. But everything is very flat where we live and sometimes I get a hankering for mountains. Does anyone have any mountains to look at?

      The birthday party was great but very tiring. This is why it is young women who have children!

      Hugs, Ami

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  3. Huh.? More people to our tea Ami? I don't know this is a chatty, rowdy bunch-- nothing like you and I ! It could turn out to be an all night affair.

    Your photos are beautiful! Thank you for sharing them with us. We are due to step out of the deep freeze here for a bit. Barney said 5 C later in the week...Notice there was no minus sign present !!!! And it will be wet and messy here too...Guess we are never happy!

    Hope you enjoy the party. I so love watching the little people. We are on baby watch this week and my niece ( who is like a little sister of mine) is due to give births...SO FLIPPIN" EXCITED I could burst ! Oops...sorry for the high jack !

    Much Love
    Willie

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    1. Willie, you can high jack my blog any time you like, you know that!

      Chatty, rowdy tea parties are the very best. We could play croquet too! Has anybody else ever played croquet? I'll teach you all!

      We are going up to 12 degrees C tomorrow with rain. Ha Ha. We are on heavy clay - so lots of mud!

      The party was so boisterous! I'm "flat on my back" dot com! But I seem to have so much more patience with little people now than when I had my own!

      Hugs, Ami

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  4. Ami,

    UK looks lovely with snow on the ground but sadly now the thaw has started there will be homes flooded out yet again.

    You can't beat scones, clotted cream, strawberry jam and a cup of tea:)

    Enjoy your grandsons birthday party.

    Love,
    Ronnie
    xx

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    1. Hi Ronnie, You know as well as me girl! Lots of flooding everywhere. Our meadows are going to become lakes pretty soon.

      Aren't scones a good Brit tradition?! They are fattening but I so love them. Only I don't care for tea, so I have coffee instead. Unless it's Earl Grey. (You see, I can't get away from those fifty shades! Perhaps it is to do with the bergamot il?!)

      Yes, the birthday party was super. Very lively and exhausting for this grandmama!

      Hugs, Ami

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  5. Your landscape is awesome, must be lovely to wake up to that every morning. Enjoy your grandson's birthday party.

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    1. It certainly is beautiful. We are so lucky. The only time I hate it is when (and if) we end up with oilseed rape planted directly behind us, because it is a true blot on the landscape. It is too bright, it smells too strong, and it gives us all hayfever!

      The birthday party was held in a large place called Monsters, and it has a huge children's adventure area where they can do virtually anything from rope ladders, to huge slides etc. They can run off their energy in a safe environment. A great success.

      Hugs, Ami

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  6. I love the pictures, and virtual tea sounds like lots of fun.

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    1. Glad you liked them. I may never get the right conditions for more like these. I love the beauty of the countryside.

      Virtual tea is great. Have you chosen you hat yet?

      Hugs, Ami

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  7. The landscape pictures are beautiful. Love the snow (for a few minutes). Here, we have nothing but ice though we are due a thaw beginning today.
    Enjoy that grandbaby. I'm so looking forward to that part of my life.
    Hugs, C

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    1. Alas, the snow is melting fast. It is predicted to rain tomorrow and go up to 12 degrees C. I love snow when it first falls, but then I get bored with it.

      My grandson is a holy terror, but adorable with it. Large dark brown eyes and blonde hair. You can imagine the combination. I can recommend being a granny, although I don't like the age thing.

      Hugs, Ami

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  8. oh sure... put out some tasty food and don't invite the guys! LOL :D
    The pics are beautiful, but they also make me feel blessed to live in the southwest US. It's around 68-70* degrees F these days. So you can borrow the warm weather for you virtual tea, if someone saves me a sandwich :)

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    1. My dear Mr BB, of course you are invited. See, my invite simply stated 'hats for ladies'! That means that the dress should be smart. So you are requested to wear a tie please. Cream flannels would go down a treat, especially with a Panama. I'll get out an old embroidered tablecloth and use my gran's silver teapot. There will be lots of sandwiches. And come prepared for croquet on the lawn!

      I love the sunshine. I revel in it. But occasionally snow is nice too.

      Many hugs, Ami

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  9. Hey Ami - Thanks so much for the recipe. I have several scone recipes but none with buttermilk so will definitely have to try.

    The pics of your snow are beautiful...looking is great, driving not so much. ;)

    Thank you for the invite to the virtual tea, sound like a lot of fun but I do have a tendency to get a tad bit rowdy at times...

    Hope you had a wonderful time at the party.

    Blessings,
    Cat

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    1. Cat, I love rowdy people! Susie says she loves them too. And Willie is always rowdy! So that's lots of us!

      Driving is better now, it's all melted. But lots of flood water everywhere.

      Party was great!

      Love, Ami

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  10. Those sound very yummy and your laneway is beautiful!

    Can I come to tea and please bring Cat too. I like rowdy. :)

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    1. Driveway is now back to normal. All the snow is gone. Can't believe it!

      Cat is coming Susie, and it will be very rowdy so don't worry. We'll argue like mad during croquet!

      Hugs, Ami

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  11. Looks beautiful, Ami
    I'll come, but have water - tea gives me hot flashes (really)
    hugs
    lillie

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    1. I have just the thing Lillie - camomile tea. It will cool down all your heat! Believe me, I know. Also, and I forgot to tell you this, oil of evening primrose is good for both PMT and Menopause - same hormones! We'll fix things for you yet lovely!

      Hugs, Ami

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  12. beautiful photos and the scones sound delicious...will have to try that recipe...thank-you for sharing...

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