Scones

Here's a picture from our Auburn vs. Kentucky trip in Lexington. We completed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and celebrated a fabulous Auburn victory this past October. War Eagle!
On to my new baking frenzy. Some call it nesting. I call it learning-before-a-baby-comes cooking. SCONES! These delicious, fresh-from-the-oven breakfast treats are such a pleasure to enjoy on a Saturday morning, all cozied up with a cup of O'Henry's Christmas blend coffee. And they are surprisingly not hard to make at all, plus you can stick your dough in the freezer and pull it out when you're ready to bake it.

This is a must-read before attempting to make scones (see picture below). I have enjoyed several of this blog's recipes, including her recipe for Starbucks Pumpkin Scones. I don't have many good pictures, as the scones don't last long enough on the pan for me to take a quick snapshot. I'm not a good food photographer, but we have ordered a new lens and flash for Christmas, so I hope to learn to take better food pictures. Here's my first attempt at making scones:


My next cooking project: Biscotti! I hear they are not hard to make either, but I'll keep you posted!

This recipe is a must-try, especially for a cold winter morning. It's so easy and delicious:

Holiday French Toast

Serves 6-8

1 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 c dried cranberries
1 (8 oz) loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch slices
1 1/2 c milk
6 eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon


Combine the brown sugar, butter and 1 tsp cinnamon in a bowl and mix well. Add the apples and cranberries and toss to coat. Spread the apple mixture over the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish sprayed w/nonstick cooking spray. Arrange the bread slices cut side down over the prepared layer. Whisk the milk, eggs, vanilla, and 2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl until blended. Pour the milk mixture over the prepared layers and chill, covered with foil, for 4 to 24 hours. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake, covered, for 40-45 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes and serve with warm syrup.

From "Tables of Content" Birmingham Junior League


And I leave you with one more recipe. This Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole is another great casserole to take to friends, and I've made it countless times. It serves 10-12 people, so it's easy to take half to a friend and make the other half for your family. This is from Rushton's Recipes blogspot:

2 (6.2 oz.) packages fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1/4 C. butter
2 medium onions, chopped
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 (8oz.) cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
5 C. chopped cooked chicken
4 C. (16 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 (16 oz.) carton sour cream
1 C. milk
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
1/2 C. soft breadcrumbs

Prepare rice mix according to package directions; set aside.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery and water chestnuts. Saute 10 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Stir in rice, chicken, 3 C. cheese, soup and next 4 ingredients.
Spoon the mixture into a lightly greased 15 x 10-inch baking dish or a 4 qt. casserole. Top the casserole evenly with breadcrumbs.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup of cheese; bake 5 more minutes. (Southern Living)

Tips: You need to use your largest mixing bowl to stir this up! I prefer sharp cheddar for the cheese. For the soft breadcrumbs, use cheap white bread and just tear it into small pieces. I never measure that but just tear enough to cover the top of the casserole. It makes a yummy layer on top like croutons. You can also bake this in two 11 x 17 baking dishes or divided among a variety of sizes of dishes. Just fill them all 2/3 the way full, leaving room for the bread and cheese topping. This dish freezes great. Do not put the breadcrumbs or cheese on top before freezing. Pull it out a day or 2 before you want to cook it. If it is still semi-frozen, cover it with foil and cook for 30 min. or so. Then, take the foil off, add the toppings and bake until bubbly. Sometimes when I freeze it and then thaw it, it seems a little soupy. But the
liquid will bake out as it cooks. There is no way to really mess this one up. Serve with salad and bread.

I'll leave you with one final picture of us in Cashiers, North Carolina, this past summer. This is so you can see our sweet dog, Tucker, who we rescued from the Birmingham Humane Society in July 2007. He's been our "baby" these past 4 1/2 years of marriage. :)