PICKING UP CHRISTMAS CAKES AND GETTING A COVID SHOT

I wanted to share our post on the bakery where we purchased this year's cakes for the holiday table, with thanks to my guys who did all the pre-shopping for me. I had been staying home for a few days. I slipped in mud and went down hard, with my nose kissing a nobbly tree root, and a lovely time eating grit (when we were out birdwatching). I was very sore but thankfully nothing broken but had a bloody and scraped nose and bruises and sore spots here and there. I have had other falls, a lifetime history of being distracted at the sight of say birds landing on a lake, and Gregg often reminds me, "Now be careful, when you're tired you're dangerous." My guys have taken to reminding me if obstacles are afoot. I'm fine now I hasten to add and well-taken care of by my angels, and I include my sweet daughter-in-law in that statement. 

Anyhow, I was late in getting the Yule Log. Normally I have ordered a Christmas Cake and the Log long before this, but my knights came to the rescue. When they got to the store they sent me photos so that I could choose the decoration. 

This bakery was our son's idea as he and our daughter-in-law's wedding cake came from there years ago, and he and his Dad decided to go to their bakery.

 A few years back I ordered a Yule Log from their restaurant at a different location. They sell an excellent selection of baked goods in their foyer.  At that time I had no idea they had their own bakery. 

 The young lady in the center of the above photo was making one of those Yule Logs. I didn't want to get too close as she was in the middle of putting it together. She noticed me and gave me a lovely smile and was probably used to the curious. I took all photos with my cell phone. Gregg and I picked our order up on 12-22-23. I mention the bakery just in case you live in the area or are visiting.  I get nothing in return and I don't think they need my help with advertising.  They have been well established here for years and the place was hopping. 

Amphoras Bakery here and:

https://amphorabakery.com/baked-goods/winter-collection/

Things to note when visiting a busy bakery, make sure it is your dear other half you are talking to when reaching out and grabbing an arm. As I turned round, Gregg was haloed by the backlit window, and I was caught off-guard by the glint of the sun in my eyes. Putting one hand out to shade them, and the other to reach out and hold his arm, I heard a chuckle and I said to him....well I can't remember what I said because suddenly a strange man was staring down at me with a big smile on his face. When I finally made out his features, it wasn't Gregg at all as still squinting, a big moustache came into focus. Nope, "You're not my husband!" Thankfully he thought it was funny and so did his wife who said I could take him home! I looked for Gregg who had moved position and was chuckling by the counter, looking at my dilemma. I rolled the eyes to the skies/ceiling for the first time that day. 

Didn't take me long to shift thoughts, as the displays were drawing me in. I definitely could have stayed in there for a long time. Somehow, I think the people behind the counter are used to customers taking photos. When I started taking mine, next to me was another lady taking hers, and we weren't the only ones.

Isn't this a cute gnome cake?

The pies were looking good also!

“Baking is the poetry of the kitchen.” 

~Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin~

"I thought maybe we could make gingerbread houses, and eat cookie dough and go ice skating and maybe even hold hands."

~Buddy the Elf~

I also bought a few Christmas Cookies and took these photos at home when we unpacked everything.  

Yes, there's a stormtrooper in there, just for a smile for Star Wars fans we know. There are actually two, one out of sight. 

The size of the Yule Log was a surprise to all of us. It was supposed to be half that. It's all good and we have since shared with more people. We thought we were getting ones the same size as those behind the counter in the photos above. I'm surprised we could make room for it in the refrigerator, but Gregg said I do puzzles, I can manage and I did.

I may have confused people. When the boys texted me a photo to show the designs, I was late getting back and son had already ordered, not this one.  I called minutes later and asked him to ask the lady to change to the poinsettia design. I heard their conversation, it seemed okay. Still, wires were probably crossed at that time.

When I saw this one my eyes got wide and they rolled to the ceiling for the second time that day. I had tasked them with getting the Christmas Cake also and it was large and tall, and beautiful. 

If I ask them to do something for me, they are true to their task and I certainly wasn't going to complain. Next year I am thinking of making both myself, so if you have any good recipes with decorating ideas, send them my way if you would please. Mother always had a Christmas Cake and a Yule Log on the table when we were growing up. That tradition is engraved in me like stone. I have only ever made one log in my life, and that was in my school days. I know that's been a while, but it could be fun.  I'll visit this subject again next year.

We saw this at our local supermarket pharmacy, where we both got another Covid booster shot. We've been meaning to do that since October.  

I can't stop taking photos - it kept my mind off the actual shot, which turned out to be good, no side effects. 

We went through the door into a small office to get our shots. A nice young man gave them to us.  He was very good. I felt something but it wasn't painful, and Gregg didn't feel his at all.  Fortunately, apart from a little soreness at the vaccination site, there have been no side effects.

The supermarket was packed out, it was hopping!  I have never been there with so many people. I was glad to get out of there.

 

This area was quieter. We had just come off the elevator and I saw the poinsettia display tree. Through the doors, back to the car and we were on our home where we sat down, had a cup of tea and enjoyed a Christmas Cookie each from Amphoras. 

I hope yours has been a great day and as always, thank you so much for stopping by.

THIS AND THAT - NOVEMBER

I really love some of these pictures I find at Pinterest.  The bear almost looks like he is thinking, "It's been one of those days!"

The Tufted Titmouse is looking as if it just asked us a question and is waiting for the answer.

I was trying to think of what I wanted for lunch.  Gregg was out of the house for most of the day and I decided to fix myself a pork sandwich - yes, from the accidentally bought 8 lb. piece of pork!  I put 2 ozs. on Italian bread, and a little coleslaw on the side.  The dear man made the coleslaw earlier. Neither of us have had much success buying it at the store lately.  It always seems too soupy, or maybe we are just super-picky.  This homemade version was excellent and suited our taste perfectly.  Another win for the dear man I told him.  The rest of the pork is now in the freezer. 

A couple of hours later I made this for a treat, a chocolate chip cookie for one, with a 1/4 cup of vanilla ice-cream on the top.  It's a recipe I have made maybe only once since that first one.  I added walnuts this time instead of pecans.

You can find it at this link if you think you would enjoy it.  I took more photos, dressing my plate up for Fall.  A little ‘busy’ perhaps but I liked it. This year I bought some decorative leaves for our Thanksgiving table, which I added to the plate.  The placemats we have had for a couple of years. I got carried away with all the colors and made a little art with my ArtCard app.

But here’s the finished product, and it really was delicious.

Love these!

I'm adding a little humor because I know we've all been there.

Sharing some of my favorite flowers.  I will be buying them next week. I can't believe Thanksgiving is almost here!

This is a lovely poem and describes my feelings exactly.  When we drove to the Shenandoah National Park the other day, we passed trees that were shedding their leaves in every neighborhood.  They decorated the gardens beautifully, and some of the grass showing was still green, not dormant, a real pretty contrast to the red and gold fallen leaves.  A lot of people will be busy raking over the next few days.

Wouldn’t this be a pretty table setting at Thanksgiving?

Interesting owl art.  I like this.  I love owls!

That's all for today's This and That.  I hope there is something in here that you like.

MONDAY RECIPE POST - HAM, CHEESE AND SCALLION SCONES FOR THE BRUNCH CROWD - MAKES 10

My scone offerings to George the Bunny, Berty the Bee, Sophie the Squirrel, Bernard the Bird, and the Pilgrim Birds Mr. and Mrs. Plymouth Rock (these two are visiting even earlier but I wanted to enjoy them just a bit longer this year.  Berty the Bee asked if I could replace those spiky cones with flowers as he said he would find them more comfortable to sit on.  My reply was okay, next time I go to the store you will have your flowers, and I'll be sure to bring back a bottle of honey so that you won't have to work so hard. Berty was happy!  I am getting in touch with a pinch of inner child, a dash of whimsy, brushed with an even bigger dash of kindness on the top.  These are always good additions to any recipe.

I made my scones yesterday, Sunday the 10th.  They were a delicious addition to brunch and were well received. I found them here at Tasting Table, host Katie Rosenhouse.  I always highly recommend visiting the original recipe, at this link, to see all the tips beforehand, and also to look at photos and other recipes.  There is a YouTube video where Katie goes through all the steps at her website - you can see it on YouTube if you click here.

 

Ham, Cheese, And Scallion Scones Recipe - makes 10 scones Approximately 454 calories per scone.

3-¼ cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1-½ tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

½ teaspoon paprika

¾ cup salted butter, cold, cubed

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

8 ounces maple ham steak, cut into small cubes

1 cup thinly sliced scallion

⅔ cup plus 2 tablespoons half-and-half, divided (the 2/3 cup will be mixed into the dough, the 2 tablespoons will be brushed on top of the scones before baking)

1 large egg

Optional Ingredients:

Coarse salt, for sprinkling

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set aside.

Measure out all ingredients before you start and have them close so that it will make the steps easier (see my notes below).

In a medium bowl, stir to combine flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and paprika. 

Add butter and work in with your fingertips or a pastry cutter until only pea-sized bits remain visible.

Fold in the cheese, ham, and scallions.

Whisk to combine ⅔ cup of half-and-half with the egg. Pour into dry mixture and toss lightly to combine. 

(Katie described the dough as looking a bit shaggy.)  

Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and gently press to form a 4x14-inch rectangle (it should be about 1-½-inches thick). 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

While the dough is chilling, preheat the oven to 400 Fahrenheit.

Cut dough into 5 equal sections. Then cut each section into 2 triangles. 

Space the triangles out across the baking sheet. 

Brush the tops with the remaining half-and-half and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt, if using.

Bake for 24-26 minutes until golden brown.

Transfer to a rack to cool slightly.

Serve warm.

My scones didn't turn out the perfect triangles that I would have liked, but there was no doubt that they tasted great.

Notes from Kathleen:

"The dough should be "shaggy" in its appearance." 

"Chilling the dough helps keep the fat (butter) cold, making for flaky layers within the scones. It also helps control the spread when the scones hit the heat of the oven, and makes them easier to cut,"

"When the dough has chilled, but before you've thrown it in the oven, you want to cut it into perfect, scone triangles. She suggests doing this by cutting the rectangle of dough into squares before cutting each square diagonally to make the triangles.”

"Bake and cool before serving."

"If you don't have half-and-half on hand, using half milk and half cream will have the same effect.  You are looking to add richness and fat to the dough, but straight cream would be overwhelming.  The combination of milk and cream gives the scones a flaky, rich, texture, without weighing it down."

My notes:

I have one other savory scone recipe that is very similar to this.  You can find that at this link to compare. 

I got everything prepared and ready the night before, so that I could easily bake the scones first thing in the morning.  The aroma of freshly baked anything is always very welcoming.

I combined the flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder, black pepper, salt, and paprika in a bowl, gave them a good mix to combine and covered the bowl tightly with foil to continue the next morning.

I also measured out the rest of the ingredients in separate containers, and refrigerated what needed to be.   

The mixture seemed a bit dry after adding the egg with the half and half.  As I thought my large egg was on the small side, I added another egg and a little more half and half, which I whisked together and added to the dough.  After mixing it in the dough seemed better to me.  You can be your own judge if you think the extra is needed.  

The next morning I followed the recipe and it was easy, the process went smoothly, and we had that wonderful aroma wafting through the house.

I used cubed sliced deli ham that was already in the fridge.

I have included the full website address next if you prefer cutting and pasting instead of using my links:

https://www.tastingtable.com/1378571/ham-cheese-and-scallion-scones-recipe/

That's it!  If I have missed anything and you have any questions, please let me know in the comments and I will do my best to answer them.