Cranberry-Orange Scones

Last year at Christmas I made scones and gave them away in baskets.  Yummm.

Ingredients

Scones:

• 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
• Zest of 1 orange, grated
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup heavy cream

Glaze:

• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange juice $
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Preparation

1. 1. Make scones: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment. Place sugar and zest in a food processor; pulse 2 or 3 times to combine. Add flour, baking powder and salt; pulse to combine. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture and pulse until butter is incorporated with a few larger pieces remaining. Add cranberries and pulse once or twice, just to mix.
2. 2. Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl. Pour cream on top and stir with a fork until just combined; do not overmix. Line an 8-inch round baking pan with plastic wrap. Press dough into pan to form an even layer. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured countertop, carefully peel off plastic wrap and cut dough into 12 even wedges with a sharp knife. Place scones on baking sheets. Bake until light golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool scones on a wire rack.
3. 3. Make glaze: Stir sugar and juice in a small bowl with a fork. Add more sugar to thicken or juice to thin if necessary. Drizzle glaze over scones and let stand 10 minutes to set.

Sweet Tea Lemonade recipe

Enjoy this wonderful summer treat!

Ingredients

 

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 4 large sprigs mint
• 8 black tea bags
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 4 large lemons)

Preparation

1. 1. Mix sugar and 3 cups water in a pan and bring to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Turn off heat; stir in lemon slices and mint. Allow to cool, then strain.
2. 2. Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Place tea bags in a bowl; pour water over and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove and discard bags. Let tea cool.
3. 3. In another bowl, mix lemon juice with 3 cups water.
4. 4, Combine syrup, tea and lemon mixture. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours. Serve over ice, garnished with additional lemon slices and mint sprigs, if desired.

Add some seasoning and stay healthy!

Fresh Dill - Add it to your favorite salad, soup or omelet and help maintain a youthful, radiant complexion.  Dill helps protect skin cells from the damaging effects of UV rays and inhibit the breakdown of collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm and supple.

Fresh Chervil - Add to eggs, cream cheese dips or mashed potatoes and reduce tension.  This anise flavored herb helps dilate and relax blood vessels.  This will help reduce blood pressure, increase circulation and shifts the body into a relaxed state.

Fresh Parsley - Garnish your dish with fresh parsley and flush harmful contaminants from the body.  This herb boosts the livers ability to break down and eliminate metabolism-slowing toxins.

Fresh Peppermint - Spice up dishes with peppermint and ward off indigestion.  The menthol oil relaxes the smooth muscle tissue in the stomach and intestinal walls reducing cramping, constipation and reflux.

Fresh Lemon Verbana - Eat a little of this and become a little sharper!  The herb reduces levels of inflammatory compounds which leads to performance improvements in learning and memory related tasks.

Fresh Cilantro - Eat some of this and put a little pep into your life.  This herb improves insulin secrection and can prevent energy-sapping blood sugar spikes and crashes for up to six hours.  Tastes great in Salsa!

Flaxseed Smoothies Boost Your Health

Flaxseed can help lower your risk of breast cancer by 64%.  Flaxseed contains lignans which are naturally occurring plant estrogens.  Lignans help balance female hormones to ward off health issues that plague women with age.
They also help balance estrogen levels that rise and fall wildly in women between the ages of 35 and 50.  Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN found that lignans steady hormonal swings enough to reduce hot flashes by up to 57%.
Consuming 1 1/2 Tbs. of flaxseed per day slows hair loss in 9 out of 10 women according to Taiwanese study.
1  Strawberry Kiwifruit kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
1 Banana, peeled, chopped and frozen
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 containers (6 oz. each) nonfat strawberry yogurt
1 cup milk
2 Tbs. flaxseed meal, like Bob's Red Mill

Blend and enjoy!

Sweet Berry Bliss
3/4 cup frozen strawberries
1/3 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbs. cream cheese
1 Tbs. flaxseed, Bob's Red Mill
1/2 ts. vanilla extract

Add 4 ice cubes to blender with all the ingredients listed above.  Blend and enjoy!

Coco-Peach Pina Colada
1 cup frozen sliced peaches
1 container ( 6 oz.) nonfat pneapple-coconut yogurt
1/4 cup light coconut milk
1 Tbs. flaxseed meal, like Bob's Red Mill

Blend and enjoy!

Know where to go for discount groceries.

Farmers Market - Most grocery stores have to have their products shipped to them and may pass on shipping and handling costs to you.  If you buy directly from the farmer, you cut out the middleman and save cash.  For a list of local farmer markets check out localharvest.org.

Drugstores - Drugstores are now giving out rewards.  Check with your drugstore to see if they have a loyalty card.  Target now has a loyalty card and you get discounts and points.  Drugstores also have great deals on food items.  Check the circulars!

Big Box Stores - When purchasing large quantities sometimes you get a substantial break.  You could save up to 30%.  But don't be too quick about grabbing the big bag.  Always check the unit price on all of the sizes offered.

Dollar stores - Dollar Stores don't do much advertising and employ fewer people.  This means they can pass the savings on to you.  Many of the them are now offering brand name items and not just generic.

Gas Stations - Gas stations are now turning into small grocery stores and often have great deals on groceries or snack items.  If you don't see it, ask the cashier.

Online - It is often less expensive to shop on line.  Try these sites:  Alice.com; Amazon.com; Peapod.com; Soap.com.

Small tricks for difficult tasks

When you break a glass, use a cotton ball to wipe up all  the slivers and tiny shards.  The fibers will catch any tiny pieces you can't see.
Ever try to get a sticky label off of something.  Put a little bit of peanut butter on it and let it sit so it can soften the adhesive and then wipe clean.
Dingy artificial flowers can be cleaned by putting them in a plastic bag with a few teaspoons of salt.  Shake the bag until the salt absorbs the dust.  If the salt sticks, place a hose over the end of a vacuum and vacuum the flowers clean.
Use a coffee filter to fix scuffed shoes.  It is lint free, easy to hold and disposable.  Coffe filters are also great for cleaning mirrors and windows.
To prevent containers from tomato based stains, mist with nonstick cooking spray before filling them.
Make your jewelry shine by placing it in an old pair of panty hose.  Place it in the top rack of your dishwasher and wash it out.

Upgrade to a better you

Start some new good habits this year.  Here are some ideas.

Do you exercise?  Add yoga or meditation to help reduce the effects of stress.  Having less stress wards off disease, according to research.

Throw on some shades any time you head outside.   Sunglasses help protect against the sun's ultrviolet rays which can damage the retinas over time.  This can lead to macular degeneration which is an age-related eye condition that leads to impaired vision or blindness.

Check your multivitamin for magnesium to help build bone strength and also helps absorb calcium.  Taking cilicon with calcium and Vitamin D improves production of collagen, which gives bone strength and flexibility.  Try taking supplements 3 times a day to give your body a more consistent flow of nutrients.

Steer clear of 2nd and 3rd hand smoke.  The particles left behind in hair, clothing and other surfaces are considered 3rd hand smoke and contain the same harmful chemicals as secondhand smoke.  Thirdhand smoke can become airborne when disturbed...

Give thanks daily to increase your happiness.  People who are happy live longer according to a study from the University of North Carolina.

Try something new this year and keep your brain active.  People who challenge their brain continually will experience less memory loss as they age than those who don't challenge their brain.  Take guitar lessons or do crosswords puzzles.  Get up off the couch and learn to dance!