Like Father, Like Son

One of the first things I learned from my mother-in-law once I got married was just how much my husband hated having his hair cut.  Now that I say it, I'm not so sure I learned it from her as much as discovered someone who could sympathize with the grumpy results of taking a pair of clippers to my man's head.

Which was definitely nice.

Well, all sorts of things are passed down from a father to his son, 

and, unfortunately for our family, the Cutting Crabbies is one of them.

Lucky for Sam, when I pull out the scissors there's another person who knows where he's coming from

and is willing to talk him through it.

Though Finding Nemo and a dum-dum are pretty helpful too.

Thirty-one

I officially became a thirty-something last week, 

and spent a gloriously-mellow Saturday at home making a lemon meringue pie-

teaching so many cake classes of late required a slight shift from birthday tradition!

I'm sure it would make some sad to slave away in a kitchen over their own celebratory dessert, 

but I really do love it- something I repeatedly told my sweet husband with a broad smile to assure him it really is just fine that he doesn't cook.

That night the kids headed out to a sitter's and Ryan whisked me away to a surprise party of a few 

wonderful friends where we chatted and laughed and they each performed a bongo drum solo 

accompanied by a sentence or two of something they loved about me.

It was all very artistic and hilarious, and we pretended to be beatniks as we snapped our fingers to applaud.  

It ended with a spread of delicious pies they'd baked for the occasion (word of a birthday girl's preferences travels fast!), 

and so the lemon meringue would instead be an after-church treat the next day.

So here's to birthdays and extra slices of pie,

wonderful friends and family who remember us and make us laugh,

and the sweet kids who sang more rounds of Happy Birthday than I can count 

while gladly helping me devour a soggy lemon meringue pie!

  

On the Horizon

Lately, I'm craving some serious springtime.

Maybe it's the new running gear I recently purchased in flashy shades of electric yellow and fresh papaya, 

but I can't help thinking it's high-time we move on from the season of ice and snow.

That's what I've been thinking anyway-

that is until I took the kids for a little drive and found myself pulling over 

next to this gorgeous view.

Reese dug out an old, abandoned disposable camera that somehow made its way into the back seat,

and together we 'clicked' until the light faded, 

sighing at the colors and showing off our shots like real professionals.

I guess I can take a little more winter-

if it promises to stay this beautiful!

Ruby Red Grapefruit Scones

Anyone who knows me well knows I frequently fall into an obsession with baking ingredients.

There was the cardamom craze of '07,

a whirlwind of pomegranate and italian plums in '09,

and I've only recently moved past a three-year candied-ginger-fix -

though I still have quite the soft spot for Margaret Fox's  Pumpkin Pancakes with Crystallized Ginger Butter.

Anyway, I mentioned a while back I'd purchased a new book by Nancy Silverton, and, 

as promised, I baked.  

I gotta tell you I feel the beginning of a new era:  Grapefruit.

I know it isn't anything new, but somehow every year I forget all about them and then have this mind-blowing Ah-ha! moment of rediscovery sometime in January, when the winter days a particularly long and 

summer feels light years away.

I've seen a few grapefruit scone recipes out there,

but decided to create my own based on Nancy's Ginger Scone recipe-

It's a wonderful base for your imagination to go wild, and the end result is tender, flaky, and not too sweet.

Without further ado...

Some pictures, 

a Sugar Snitch, 

and a stellar recipe.

Work the zest of a lemon and a ruby red grapefruit into the sugar-

rub it really well to get all the flavor and oils into the sugar!

 Peel and segment your grapefruits, taking care to remove the seeds--

and save all the juice that's sure to run out, we'll be using that!

 After combining the dry ingredients in your food processor, add the cubes of frozen butter and pulse until the mixture becomes the consistency of fine meal.

Pour the mix into a large bowl and create a well in the center.

Fill the well with the cream, the grapefruit juice, and your diced grapefruit segments.

Using your hand, work from the center out and draw the dry ingredients inward 

until everything just comes together. 

Wash and dry your hands, then dump the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface.

Knead it a few times- no more than 10- and cut the mass into two pieces.  

Shape each into a ball, flatten into a disc, and using a chef knife,

cut each into six wedges.

Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, giving about 1" space between each wedge.

Brush with cream, and cover the tops with the remaining citrus sugar.

Oh, and watch out for Sugar Snitches!!

Pop those pans in the freezer for about ten minutes (this helps the scones spread less & keep their shape),

then into a 400 F oven for 12-16 minutes, 

until the tops are cracked and the scones are light brown.

Grapefruit Scones

adapted from Ginger Scones, Nancy Silvertons Pastries from La Brea Bakery

2 1/4 c. unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour

2/3 c granulated sugar

1 Tbs. baking powder

zest of 1 ruby red grapefruit

zest of 1 lemon

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1" cubes and frozen

2 grapfruits, peeled, segmented, and cut into small chunks

1/4 c. grapefruit juice

1/2 c. heavy cream, plus extra for brushing the tops of the scones

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 400 F.

Zest the grapefruit and lemon and, using your fingers, rub the zest into the sugar.  

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, 1/3 c. of the sugar, and baking powder, and pulse or mix on low to incorporate.  Add the butter, and pulse on and off or  mix on low until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of fine meal.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, and make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.  Pour in the cream, juice, and add the segmented grapefruit slices.  Using one hand, draw in the dry ingredients, mixing just until combined.

Wash and dry your hands and dust them with flour.  turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead a few times to gather it into a ball.  Divide the dough in half and roll or pat each into a circle about 3/4" thick.  Cut each round into six wedges.

Place the scones 1" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Brush the tops with cream, and sprinkle with the remaining citrus sugar.  

Freeze 10 minutes, then bake 12-16 minutes, until the surface cracks and they are slightly browned.

Today, we are dancers

Some days are so long we crave an escape.

One filled with Tchaikovsky and shoes with sparkles on the toes.

We turn our backs on the world to twirl til we're dizzy in a ruffled skirt.

Today, we are dancers.

Love Day

This year for V-day we started it all off with a build-your-own oatmeal breakfast with toppings like golden raisins, cinnamon, milk chocolate chips, strawberry puree, sprinkles, 

and brown sugar.

Upside-down bowls hid valentine treats for each of us,

and Ryan sweetly laid flowers across Reese's place as an extra surprise.

When she shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing her eyes and doing her best to wake up,

I told her the flowers were from her boyfriend.

"Marty's here?"  She exploded, her eyes wide and a huge grin on her face.  "Marty McFly?!!"

Didn't see that one coming.

Neither did Ryan, who confessed later he felt slightly gypped at not getting the credit he deserved 

for wow-ing both the women in his life on such a special day.

What did Mr. Powerful do for me?

Only found two out-of-print books by my favorite childhood author 

to wrap up and give to a girl whose heart instantly melted.

Man, I love that sentimental sweetheart!

Later that night, we enjoyed a delicious dinner of baguette, 

roasted asparagus, smoked salmon, and a traditional cheese tray.

A wonderful Love Day was had by all.