My Favorite {and healthy–ish} Scone Recipe

I haven’t posted a recipe in quite some time and decided with Valentine’s Day coming up I’d share my favorite scone recipe with you.  It’s super easy and the scones are DELISH! 
{and wAAAy healthier than the ones from Starbucks the coffee shop}  A perfect way to start the day with the one(s) you love.

I got this recipe from a friend of a friend a while ago and really haven’t tweaked it any much…but I’m gonna tell you how you can!

Ingredients:

~2 cups flour {Ok, I have tweaked it….I use half whole wheat flour and half white, or all white whole wheat…but I won’t lie, they do taste best with all white}
~1/4 cup sugar
~1 teaspoon baking powder
~1/2 teaspoon baking soda
~1/4 teaspoon salt
~1 stick cold butter {cubed into small chunks}
~1/3 cup plain yogurt
~1/3 cup cranberries*
~1 teaspoon orange rind {oops, I tweaked it again!  I have used tangerine AND lemon rind, both with huge success} Why is there a Brittney Spears song in my head now? Oh that’s bad.
~1 egg
~1 egg, divided

Directions:

Heat oven to 350^o.
Mix flour, sugar, powder, soda, and salt. Cut in butter until crumbly- like little peas**.  Add yogurt, rind, cranberries, 1 egg and 1 egg yolk {save the white, you’re gonna use it soon}. Knead until a ball forms. Add flour if you find it really sticky…you don’t want it totally sticking to your fingers. Form it into balls….or HEARTS! Brush with egg white and splash with water.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden.  ENJOY***!!

Ok, now some side notes.

*You can use so many different dried fruits, like raisins, cherries-chopped, strawberries, etc……OR you can use CHOCOLATE CHIPS! You may or may not want to add the orange rind if you use chocolate chips…up to you whether you like those 2 flavors together…think: those orange chocolate balls that split open when you hit them against the wall. Know what I’m talking about?

**So I used a blender to cut in the butter for the first time last week, and found it worked so much better than when I used a fork. I think you need a high power blender, one that can grind grains, for it to work easily. Or maybe try a food processor?  Or just do it by hand… be sure to take lots of breaks to relieve the hand/arm cramps. The smaller the butter pieces you start with, the easier.

***When I make these with cranberries or other fruit, I love to serve them with Trader Joe’s Lemon Curd. 

It is A-MA-ZING.

You might find me crazy, but sometimes I make scones JUST to have an excuse to eat lemon curd.

 mmmm m.

{I think I should add this to my favorite Trader Joe’s items!}

Shape –em into hearts and serve some to your Valentine{s}.

Do you treat your Valentine to any treats? What do you like to make?

Speaking of Valentine’s Day…you might be interested in: My Valentine Wreath or “Be Mine” banner.

I linked up to these great parties!

My *New* {spray painted} and Improved Mailbox!

Wow, what a weekend here in Northern California! Sorry to all the folks buried in snow, but it was in the high 70s {dare I tell you 80s} this weekend.
I just had to spend some time outside.  So, after I finished pruning removing a large unsightly bush from my front yard…the one I have been threatening to remove since we moved in {was that really 2 years ago?} I took one last and final look at my mailbox and decided today is the day I am going to tackle another project I’ve wanted to do since we moved…PAINT MY MAILBOX!

You know what is so super exciting about this? It’s on my 2011 House Goals list!  That means I get to cross something else off.  Yay me!  I’ve already crossed of #6 and #7…this will put a check mark next to item #10.

Seriously, take a look at it:

Isn’t she a beauty? I believe it’s original. I can only hope the things I buy today will last 60 years.
They just don’t make -em like they used to.

At any rate…styles have changed through the years, and the gold just isn’t doing it for me. It’s the first thing you see when you approach my house, so I
figured I’d better bring it into the 21st century.

Since most of the accents in our home are oil rubbed bronze, and I already had this oil rubbed bronze spray paint from RUST-OLEUM {left over from painting my cabinet hinges from my kitchen remodel- one day I’ll get that posted} I decided to go for it.

And since it’s Rustoleum, it’s good indoors AND out and won’t rust when it starts raining again
{and it will start raining again- boo hoo!}

So I got out all of my materials:
~spray paint
~tarp
~painter tape
~steel wool {to clean mailbox and scrape off old stickers}
~soap/water/rag {to clean before painting}
~screwdrivers

And removed the mailbox from the post.



Lookin’ better already!

Next I removed the old stickers with our address numbers and used some steel wool and soapy water to clean it.
I could have used something like Goof-Off to do a better job, but I’m going to buy some new ones to cover it up again…so no matter.


I covered up the flag which I wanted to stay pink red.


And finally it was time to give this box a new look.


{Those aren’t streaks on the side, it’s dew from taking the ‘after picture’ the following morning.}

In less than an hour the front of my house went from this:

To this:

I’d say that’s a HUGE improvement! 
And the best part, it cost me nothing.

Oh, by the way…did you know you can paint screws. I did this with my kitchen cabinets. I painted the gold hinges and screws when I painted the cabinets white.  So I just popped the screws off the mailbox, poked them through a piece of junk mail, and gave a quick shot of spray. It really makes a difference.

Next up on my spray painting list:
~2 bedroom lamps
~a dozen+ frames in the family room
~a bathroom chandelier
~the huge mirror over my dresser
~I think there’s 10 more that I’m forgetting right now

Do you love spray painting? 
What projects have you done?

I’m linking up here:

Ribbon {and more} Memory Boards & Linky Party

A good friend asked me the other day for help making a fabric memory board.  She doesn’t consider herself very crafty and was looking to me {ME?} for advice.  I instantly started to feel like a scam artist.  I’m trying to sell myself on this blog as a creative person.  But me, creative?  Not really.  What I AM good at is searching the internet, following directions and tweaking things slightly to make them my own.

And then it dawned on me, I’ve actually made a ribbon memory board before.  I think I was in college, I have no idea where it is, and if I recall correctly it didn’t come out all that well. 

At any rate, I couldn’t just leave my friend hanging.  She was counting on me, her “most crafty friend” to help her make a memory board instead of spending an arm and a leg to purchase one.  And since I’m all about saving money…I did what I do best, started searching the internet.  And instead of just emailing her a list of the blogs I found…I figured my findings might be helpful to someone else as well.  And with that, a new blog post was created.

Here are a handful of
pretty and functional memory/memo boards,
most of which come with tutorials on how to make them yourself!  Just click on the picture to be taken to the host blog.

Simple design, simple to make by Organize Your Stuff Now:

Straight forward and simple from The Art Adventures of Sarah Sapang:

Our Seven Dwarfs added little bows:

Cute vertical ribbons for hair accessories or anything else from Sisters Stuff:

Centsational Girl made these from her old cabinet doors:

Centsational Girl shares another style:

Same idea from DIY By Design:

And if you’re up for a real project, here’s yet another from Cent Girl!

A super cute {stripes get me every time} framed board {you can easily add ribbon} from Thrifty Décor Chick:

Here are a couple different ways you can use the ribbon {these next two are just for sale- no tutorial with them, but they are cute ideas you could create by following any one of the other tutorials and switching it up a bit}

Ok, now I’m starting to deviate from the assignment, but when I found this I couldn’t resist! It is sooooooo cute!  Whipperberry made it for a guest post on Tatertots and Jello.  See the tutorial HERE.

Here’s another by Whipperberry. She calls it a “Blessing Board” and used it for Thanksgiving blessings, but I think you could use it year round for anything!

And look at this one….OH so KEY-U-T…and Easie Peasie says it’s just that:
easy peasy!

I have a thing for clothespins right now! 

Isn’t this one adorable? Found it on Lemon Tree’s cute blog!

And finally, I couldn’t resist this one with it’s burlap ribbon…lovin’ that burlap right now, too!  Thanks for the great idea Mamie Jane!

 A ribbon memory board wasn’t on my to do list, but I think I might need to add one {or two} of these adorable numbers!

UPDATE!!!

My friend who I referred to at the beginning of this email got inspired and made her memory board!! She doensn't have a blog, so I wanted to share hers here!

It turned out GREAT Deb!  Impressive!  You can't call yourself a "craft spazz" anymore.

Have you made a memory board? Are you going to try one of these? How about an impromptu linky party?

Please link it up below so everyone can enjoy! 

And also, please link back to this post. Here's my button:






<center><a href="http://mygreenbraecottage.blogspot.com/2011/02/ribbon-and-more-memory-boards-linky.html/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu94jdnoe5g0S8hOAjqod_aC3ZAiuEz2HAwrHhKRwRuUf0Mgkexy7k8Icq11d966axgr02t1uwm045JlKoY9GO5KuJpphXNtR0LxYzLUB-aIkrWlHQ17NfKmirMorbQpUKYnVzmHrOq4A/"/></a></center>

Powered by Linky Tools
Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list...

I've been featured, again and again!

I just got home after spending a week out of town for my father-in-law's funeral...so my blogging has taken a backseat to my family. 

 But I came home to some exciting blogging news: I was featured!  And not just once, but twice!  I was featured last week just as all of this was happening, and again today, and never got a chance to thank those who featured me. 

Ok, let me back up a few words. 

 What does it mean to be featured? 

Well, to a new any blogger {insert: ME} it means a lot!  When you are featured, another blogger creates a post in which your blog is highlighted.  So now everyone who reads that blog will read about my blog!  It's a HUGE compliment as well as a wonderful opportunity to attract new readers. So anytime someone features me, it makes me feel special.  Someone out there is actually reading all of my ramblings, and {dare I say} enjoying it!  So thank you!  Thank you to all those who have featured me thus far.  You have no idea how much I appreciate it!

My Valentine's Tea Party Invitations at It's a Hodgepodge Life:

 Follow me Wednesday at 3 Four and Under:

My Pretty 'n Pink Valentine's Wreath is #22 over at Tip Junkie's Wreath post:

and all by ITSELF {eeeeeeee!}  at Truly Lovely

AND {boy did that wreath treat me well!} at Mo Momma: Saving Momma Money! {and DO I like to save money!}

So now I'll be settling back into our "normal" routine and getting back to my projects!

 

 

Today I sorted through my wood for my kitchen island {but was out of "blog" mode and forgot to take pictures!}  But stayed tuned for my Restoration Hardware inspired kitchen island to start progressing soon!

Here are the boards I worked on first:

And here's my inspiration:

But mine will have a marble top.  Eeeeeeee, I'm getting excited!