Strawberry Lemonade Scones

I usually try not to complain about things I cannot control but this seems like one of those weeks that makes me say "Darn You!! (shakes fist). I hope this doesn't come off like those silly teens that complained about not getting a smart phone for Christmas even though they got a car.

Darn You (shakes fist) List

• Went to the doctor today to get a blood test. Got stuck three times by three different nurses because they can never find a vein on me! Darn You (shakes fist) Small Veins!!
• On Saturday, a customer called for directions, which I happily provided. She got here and was upset because we didn't have what she was looking for. I politely offered to order it for her but she ran off in a huff. On Monday, she proceeded to complain on our facebook page about my "poor customer service" because I didn't tell her on the phone that we didn't have what she was looking for (though she didn't ask). She continued by stating that I "didn't care" and said "oh well" when I never would and never did. Darn You (shakes fist) Lying, Rude, Mean Customer!!!

...ok. It's not a big list but it was obnoxious enough to make me want to write a list...

Back to happy stuff!!! <------ See, PINK = Happy color!

I woke up Hubby the other day to the sweet smell of Strawberry Lemonade Scones. I heart scones... They are like Pop-Tarts for grown ups! Not that it stops me from wanting Pop-Tarts every blue moon. A blue moon happens every week or so right? I made it with a Microwave Lemon Curd recipe I found online because I don't have a double boiler. You can use store-bought or a more traditional recipe if you want.

Strawberry Lemonade Scones

from Munchkin Munchies and All Recipes

for scones

2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (chilled, not softened), cut into cubes
1 1/2 cups diced fresh strawberries
1 generous tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
Topping:
sugar
Cream

Prepared lemon curd (see below)

for lemon curd

1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 cup fresh lemon juice

3 lemons, zested
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With pastry blender, cut in butter cubes until mixture has coarse crumbs. Gently add strawberries and the lemon zest. Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together eggs and cream. Add egg mixture to flour mixture. Gently stir until moistened.

3. Place dough onto a well floured surface. Gently knead the dough by folding and pressing it about 7 times, turning the dough a quarter turn after each fold. Move dough to a lightly floured parchment-lined baking sheet (or stoneware baking sheet without parchment). Pat dough into a ¾ inch-thick circle. Cut circle into wedges and separate each slightly.

4. Brush wedges with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 16-20 minutes until golden brown.

5. While the scones are baking...
For the Lemon Curd: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

6. Drizzle scones with lemon curd and top with sugar. Store extra lemon curd for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.

...stay tuned for what I do with the extra lemon curd...

Strawberry Cute-sicles (Clementine Popsicles)

There has been a lot of reading going on in the fart-box that I work at. We are extremely slow and I have officially run out of things to do. When I have stuff to do, I start at 10am and I finish at 11am (at latest). One can only clean glass so many times while there is no one getting finger prints on it.


So, I read Watchmen this week since it took Happy Hubby a very long time to read it and share the book. We both refused to watch the movie until we were both done with the book. We watched the movie and it was very well done and definitely highly recommended even though they changed the ending.

Then, being in a graphic novel mood, I read Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset. This movie, we had seen. I had to read these graphic novels because the movie was so amazing. One graphic novel for each Evil Ex (6 books, 7 Evil Ex's. Read it to figure out the math.). Then I HAD to re-watch the movie because the novels were so good.

Then I read Bossypants by Tina Fey, whom I love! It's kind of aimed more towards women but I think a guy would also get a kick out of it. There is even a part where she thanks any man who buys the book and every women for not buying it but passing it to coworkers. I plan on getting the audio book for my next long journey, which I hope will be very soon.




I had an overwhelming amount of cuties in my kitchen that I did not want to go bad. I am eating them but they do not seem to be diminishing. I found a recipe to make sorbet with cuties and altered it to make popsicles. Happy Hubs said that it might just be his favorite dessert I have made? WHAT?!?!? "But it's so eeeeeeeasy!!!" as my mother-in-law would say. I also had some extra strawberries from the frozen yogurt I made and threw them in as well. For something with only 4 ingredients, I was incredibly flavorful and super refreshing! Now I am getting ideas for making this with other fruits.


Strawberry Cute-sicles 
adapted from epicurious.com


7 clementines or small tangerines (enough to make 1 1/2 cups of juice)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup of strawberries (quartered and sliced thin)


1. Finely grate enough zest from clementines to measure 1 teaspoon. Squeeze enough juice from clementines to measure 1 1/2 cups and transfer to a bowl.

2. Bring zest, sugar, and water to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour through a very fine sieve into clementine juice.

3. Freeze in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Mix in strawberries by hand after the juice is done freezing. Transfer to popsicle molds (or plastic cups with popsicle sticks) and put in freezer to harden (at least 4 hours). This recipe mad about 5 popsicles.

My, what straight teeth he has...

I need to get more popsicle molds...

Strawberry-Cinnamon Frozen Yogurt

I had the bestest birthday ever! My Mom got me a Crockpot (the one thing I did not get as a wedding gift) and my amazing husband got me the Kitchenaid ice cream maker attachment that I have been wanting forever.


We also went to a yummy little place in Naperville, IL called Cookie Dough Creations that serves raw (egg free) cookie dough in scoops. You can mix cookie dough together, with ice cream, in a shake, or put it between two baked cookies! What!?! I know... I got a small half chocolate chip cookie dough (classic) and half Oreo cookie dough! It was delicious, but it was filling! My good friend Leah mixed hers with ice cream and she said it tamed the heavy beast. My other friend, Dane, started sweating but managed to finish his. I stopped at the halfway point and my husband finished his before we had even made a dent like usual. I highly recommend this place and you should check it out if you get a chance.
 http://www.cookiedoughcreations.com/


When I got my ice cream maker attachment, I immediately cleaned it and stuck it in the freezer. 24 hours later, I made this refreshing dessert. It reminds me of a mix between sherbet and a cocktail. I look forward to making this again in the summer for friends and family after a cookout.

So good!

Strawberry-Cinnamon Frozen Yogurt

adapted from a recipe in ReadyMade

3 Cups plain Greek yogurt

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/4 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon  salt
1 Cup fresh strawberries, quartered and thinly sliced


1. Combine the yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, lemon zest, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth.


2. Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Add strawberries during the last minute of mixing of mixing in the ice cream maker. Transfer frozen yogurt to an airtight container and place in the freezer for 2 to 4 hours before serving.






You can all look forward to more ice cream recipes soon. I am in love with a frozen bowl that churns dairy products into cold, creamy, awesomeness...