In a burst of baking I did 2 recipes I had marked on the Internet over the last few weeks. These Maple-Oatmeal Scones looked like a great recipe to try so I dove right in.
First, this makes a pretty large batch of scones. The recipe calls for cutting them into 3-inch rounds, but I find cutting them into squares much easier. It also insures you use all the dough. I hate wasting food. (LAUGH)
I also added 1 1/2 cups of dried cranberries to the finished dough. I had a huge bag in the kitchen left over from some other recipes and it felt like a good addition here.
Finally, instead of glazing the scones I dressed them with some Maui brown sugar I had (a gift from a friend). This saved some time in the process and also saves some calories in these, already rich, scones.
I love mystery books. movies and television and I came across the Grey Whale Inn series a few years ago. Whenever I see another one is being published I put it on hold at the LA Public Library so I get it right away. It is good to know that someone in the library system (it looks like someone from the Central Library downtown) also appreciates the books and makes sure to order them quickly.
Berried to the Hilt is the fourth in the series and takes us back to Cranberry Island, Maine where Natalie Barnes runs The Grey Whale Inn and also finds herself involved in mysteries, mayhem and murder.
Karen MacInerney’s writing is top notch, friendly and suspenseful, like any good mystery novel should be. She wonderfully describes the joys of living on a small island and populates the island with a cast of quirky characters which help Natalie in both life and dangerous situations, or in the case of this book, rope her into judging the island bake-off.
Of course, every good inn owner has some extra special recipes hidden away, so at the end of each book, you get the recipes to make some of the dishes served to the inn’s visitors. This is a nice touch and I usually end up making one or two out of each book.
The Grey Whale Inn mysteries are typically a 1-2 day read for me. I am pulled through them, like any good mystery, and sometimes read late into the night to get to the end and solve the crime. After reading so many business books for my life and my work, it is nice to have a good book that I can turn to for a little escape.
Previous books in The Grey Whale Inn series include:
Vid.ly Makes Streaming Video Work on Any Device – January 24, 2011 – It seems so odd that we still have to deal with format problems, but this site might make your video podcasting life a little easier. I am checking it out today.
Facebook Fan Page Notifications With Hyper Alerts Free App! | MariSmith.com – January 21, 2011 – This service fits in with my typical workflow of using notifications to know when people want to interact with me on services that I don’t use that often or services that aren’t my “home base”. Great way to keep an eye on things without having to check manually.
CareerCamp is one of my many projects and we just finalized the location and date of our second unconference here in Los Angeles. Do you have career questions? Are you looking for some direction? Join us! — Douglas
SAVE THE DATE!
FRIDAY MARCH 18, 2011
8am – 2 pm
CAREERCAMP LA 2
Where:
LA Southwest College
1600 Imperial Highway
Los Angeles, CA 90044
Registration begins February 1, 2011
Join us for CareerCampLA 2 this March. A day full of great discussions, speakers and career building information to “Help you Build the Career You Deserve!”
Read the CareerCampLA blog for more information as it becomes available.
Our friend, Jenny Bellington, has just released her first book, East to Adonia. It is available in paperback and Kindle editions. Take a look!
From the publisher:
“Our surprise release this week is a personal favorite. ZOVA Books welcomes Jenny Bellington’s debut novel and the first in her Mapmaker series. East to Adonia (Kindle edition here) is a rip-roaring children’s fantasy novel following the adventures of 12-year-old mapmaking genius, Mercator Robinson, as he finds himself dropped onto the fantastical island of Adonia. Our young hero must face the magic and mystery of this new world while trying to find a way home again – and to survive until he can. This is a book for brave children and grown-ups alike. With brilliant illustrations from Jenny and Trish Bellington, this is a perfect book for both reading aloud or curling up in a quiet corner. We are so excited to launch this, our first children’s book, as a testament to the power of imagination and creativity. Thank you, Jenny.”
A collection of interesting items I found in my daily reading.
Announcing… – January 18, 2011 – This is our friend, Jenny’s, first book. Check it out! Buy it! Read it! Buy one for a friend!
Precorder – January 18, 2011 – At $2.99 this is not a “must buy” for me, but I have similar audio app called Epiphany that constantly records and then saves 1-2 min clips when you press the “Remember That” button. Very cool when you having a conversation with someone and they come up with a cool idea.
I came across this recipe a week or so ago in a blog post on Delish. It sounded so easy and so “No Fuss” that I figured I had to try it.
Let me tell you, it lives up to its “No Fuss” name and also makes a great piece of bread. Look at the cross section here. Crunchy on the outside and wonderfully fluffy on the inside. We started tearing pieces off this load to try and had to stop ourselves before we had no room left for our actual dinner.
On great use would be to cut off a good-sized square, then slice it in half cross ways and make a rockin’ sandwich. I have just such plans for some of the leftovers.
To make, you combine all the ingredients in a mixer (I have one of the smaller KitchenAid models) and beat it for about 1 minute. This is a basically a “no knead” bread, so the dough is really shaggy and sticky. Don’t worry, though, just tip the whole thing into greased 13×9 pan and do your best spread it around to cover most of the pan. Leave it set for an hour and it will puff up and fill the pan.
I followed the original recipe and topped it with a mixture of basil, oregano, onion and garlic powder. Bake for around 30-25 minutes or until golden brown.
I know I will be making this Focaccia again, probably whenever we have friends over for one of our regular pasta dinners. You could dress it up in any number of ways, topping with whatever ingredients strike your fancy. I’m thinking you could even make a nice rustic pizza by letting it rise on a larger pan, maybe a half sheet pan and then lightly topping it with sauce and more.
Just saw this announcement from the Museum of the San Fernando Valley — Douglas
North Hollywood “NoHo” Historic Walking Tour
Please join us on Saturday, January 22nd from 10:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to learn about real cowboys, pioneer families, movie television and recording stars, the Spanish conquest, Mexican ranchos, great steam trains, vast ranches and orchards, land barons, wars, architecture, and much more!
Tour highlights include:
Amelia Earhart Statue
Security Trust and Savings Bank (1924)
Amelia Earhart Library (1928)
El Portal Theatre (1926)
NoHo Arts District
NoHo Fire Station #60
So. Pacific Railroad Depot (1896)
Commonwealth Savings & Loan Building
Weddington Family History
North Hollywood Masonic Temple Lodge 542
St. Paul’s First Lutheran Church
Lankershim Arts Center (1939) (S. Charles Lee, architect)
Commonwealth Savings & Loan Building
Air raid siren
Lankershim Elementary School (Marilyn Monroe attended)
RSVP: 1-818-347-9665 or email at events@TheMuseumSFV.org
Please leave name, address and phone number
Cost: $10 per person suggested donation
Parking: Street and metered parking in area
Tour meets at Amelia Earhart Statue; NW corner of Tujunga St. & Magnolia Blvd. (at corner of Library)
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