Scrumptious Scones

I haven't had time to bake much as much as I used to. But now, the weather's turning cooler, and I need desserts for lunch boxes and bread for sandwiches. And these scones. They're fairly easy, and oh, so good. You could probably freeze some, but they don't last long enough around here for that. I've included my favorite flavor combo - Craisins & white chocolate chips - feel free to share any flavor combos you experimented with in the comments!

Scrumptious Scones
1 c. sour cream (not fat-free)
1 tsp. baking soda
4 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
1 c. unsalted butter
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. Craisins
1/4-1/2 c. white chocolate chips

In a small bowl, blend the sour cream and baking soda, and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease two large baking sheets. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and cream of tartar. Cut in the butter. Stir in the sour cream mixture, egg, and vanilla into the flour mixture until just moistened. Mix in Craisins & white chocolate chips.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Divide in half; form each half into a ball, and then roll or pat each ball into a 3/4 inch thick round. Cut into 10 wedges, and place each scone 2” apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Remove from pans and cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

P.S. Other flavor ideas: cinnamon chips, mint extract & chocolate chips, almond extract & strawberries, etc.

Layered Mexican Trifle Salad

So this is awesome. It's a lot of work, but it is awesome. Feeds a crowd, looks cool, tastes great. What more can you ask for? I first had this at a party, and then tracked down the recipe - I believe it was originally from Pampered Chef. You can mix it up, but I really like this combo. It's easy to double or whatever is needed, based on the serving dish. The one pictured was MASSIVE, and was basically a triple batch - so much work, and at the last minute! Layered Mexican Trifle Salad I ngredients: Beans: drain, rinse and mix together 1 15 oz. can pinto beans and 1 15 oz. can black beans 1 15 oz. can whole kernel corn, drained (I've also used fresh) 1 large tomato, diced (I usually use several Roma tomatoes) 2 green bell peppers, diced 3 ripe avocadoes, diced and mashed with the juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper to taste 1 large onion, diced (red or white) 2 cups cooked chicken, diced or shredded 2 cups cheddar or jack cheese, shredded

Skillet Chicken, Broccoli, Ziti & Asiago Cheese

We ALL really love this recipe. This is based on a recipe from the good people at Cooks Illustrated - I am grateful to them for getting my kids to happily eat sundried tomatoes and broccoli! I've also made this in a huge batch and served it family-style for a dinner party (and got to use my giant Pampered Chef Simple Additions square pasta bowl (it's really big), and it was AWESOME). If people could have licked the bowl clean, they might have - there was NOTHING left. Try this, and love it: Chicken, Broccoli, Penne and Asiago Cheese Skillet 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch squares 2 tbsp. vegetable oil (or olive oil - just don't heat that to smoking) 1 medium onion, minced (about 1 cup) 3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp.) 1/4 tsp. dried oregano 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes 8 oz. ziti or penne (2 /12 cups) 3 c. water 2 c. low-sodium chicken broth 3-4 c. broccoli florets 1/4 c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed and choppe

Another Take on Comfort Food

Sometimes there's nothing you can do but cook. I've had the displeasure of seeing 2 young moms in our school community recieve cancer diagnoses in the last 18 months. If you're like me, when someone you know is hurting, you want to help, but lots of times, there's not much you can do. If you can cook, you can take away some of the stress of getting the family fed and bring a meal or two. In fact, even if you can't cook, you can pick up a meal at a restaurant or a bag of groceries, or even a gift card for a local restaurant. I think it comes naturally to some - the church and school communities I grew up in always loved with food - church potlucks, school spaghetti dinners, and of course lots of meals for people who needed them. But not everyone has done this before, so it might be overwhelming. As in my "feeding a crowd" blurb, there are a few things to keep in mind. Don't try to impress - don't try new recipes. Find out if you're

A Cooking Baker

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