Baking: Cinnamon Bun Scones

I made these this morning - They were great with coffee. It has been a while since we have made scones- We used to try new recipes quite often. These were super easy!
The recipe comes from There is No Place Like Home.


Cinnamon Bun Scones

A cinnamon-pecan swirl and creamy glaze imparts the flavors of a bake-shop cinnamon bun to these easy-to-make oat scones
Makes 12 scones.

SCONES:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick or old fashioned oats
10 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salk
8 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into pieces
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup pecans (optional)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

GLAZE:
3/4 cup powdered sugar
3 teaspoons orange juice or milk

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 425F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, oats, 8 tablespoons of sugar (set aside remaining 2 tablespoons for later), baking powder and salt; mix well. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl, combine milk, egg and vanilla; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir with fork or rubber spatula until dry ingredients are moistened. In small bowl, combine remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar with the pecans and cinnamon; mix well. Sprinkle evenly over dough in bowl; gently stir batter to swirl in cinnamon mixture. (Do not blend completely.) Drop dough by 1/4 cupfuls, 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.

3. Bake 11 to 13 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove to wire rack; cool 5 minutes. in small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough juice or milk for the desired consistancy; mix until smooth. Drizzle over top of warm scones. Serve warm.

What kind of bug is this?

I found this bug hanging out on a pot of ornamental grass this morning. The boys have been collecting bugs lately and then trying to identify them. Cade told be about this cool site that helps people figure out what insect they have. It is called Whats That Bug
I think this is some kind of An Assassin Bug- and after reading - i think it may be The wheel bug, Arilus cristatus, as it is one of the largest and most easily recognized assassin bugs. it is a good guy to have in the garden since it eats many of the insects that destroy plants.

Here is some info that I found:

"There are more than 160 species in the family Reduviidae (the assassin bugs, ambush bugs, and thread-legged bugs) in North America, many of which are fairly common. Most assassin bugs are medium-sized to large predators of crop pests, but the family does contain a few blood-sucking species. Even the beneficial insect predators can inflict a painful bite if handled carelessly, resulting in an inflammation that can persist for a few days.

Adult assassin bugs are usually 1/2 to 3/4" long. Many species are brownish or blackish, but some species are brightly colored. The elongated head is narrow with a distinct "neck" behind the often reddish eyes. The long, curved mouth parts form a beak which is carried beneath the body, with the tip fitting in a groove on the underside of the body. The middle of the abdomen is often widened, so the wings don't completely cover the width of the body. The female lays eggs in tight, upright clusters on leaves or in the soil. Nymphs resemble miniature, wingless adults.

Most assassin bugs are generalist predators in gardens and fields. They sit in wait of prey and are most likely to attack small flying insects, however they can subdue and kill medium-sized caterpillars and similar insects. Some prey in vegetable plantings include aphids, leafhoppers and asparagus beetle eggs and larvae. They may feed on beneficial species as well as pests. Although they have not been specifically manipulated for biological control, they do contribute to natural control and their conservation by judicious pesticide use is beneficial. The adult is about 1 1/4" long, gray in color, and has a striking semicircular crest on the upper back that looks like a cogwheel. Females are much larger than the males. This species is an important predator of forest insects. Wheel bugs feed on aphids as young nymphs. Later they attack caterpillars such as the fall webworm and other pests such as the locust borer. This species is common in the eastern United States.

There are several other species of assassin bug that feed on forest insects including pine webworm, gypsy moth, and May beetles. Another commonly-encountered assassin bug is the masked hunter, or "masked bedbud hunter." This brownish-black bug is often found in houses, where it feeds on bed bugs. Unfortunately it will also bite people. The soft-bodied nymphs cover themselves with dust, earning the name "dust bugs."

Ambush bugs are smaller (1/2" or less), stout-bodied insects with thickened, praying mantid-like front legs. Although they are small they can capture much larger insects, such as bumble bees. They lie in wait for their prey on flowers. Goldenrod is a favorite flower, where their greenish-yellow color allows them to be well camoflouged. Their prey is mostly large bees, wasps and flies, so they do not contribute much to insect pest control in plantings."

- Susan Mahr,University of Wisconsin - Madison

Healthy Dinner: Lentil Walnut Burgers

These were surprisingly very good. I was amazed at how much they looked like hamburgers! The recipe comes from Martha Stewart Everyday Food.





Lentil-Walnut Burgers
3/4 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
3/4 cup walnuts
1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs
3 cloves garlic- chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1/4 to 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
course salt and fresh ground pepper
4 T olive oil
1 large egg

Yogurt-cilantro sauce for serving
3/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Course salt and fresh ground pepper


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the lentils in a small saucepan, and cover with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover, and cook until the lentils are tender but still holding their shape. 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and cool.

Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and darkened, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

1. In a food processor, combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, garlic, cumin, coriander, pepper flakes, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; process until finely ground. Add lentils and 1 tablespoon oil; pulse until coarsely chopped (some lentils should remain whole).
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg. Add lentil mixture; mix well. Divide into 4 equal-size parts; roll into balls, and flatten with the palm of your hand into 3/4-inch-thick patties.
3. Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add burgers; cook over medium-low heat until crisp and browned, turning gently with a thin-edged spatula, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Per serving (without sauce): 460 calories; 28.9 grams fat; 18.7 grams protein; 35 grams carbohydrates; 13.6 grams fiber


Yogurt Cilantro Sauce
1. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, cilantro, and lemon; season with salt and pepper.

Drinking: Limeade with a Touch of Mint

The boys and I made This Limeade the other day. It was so good so we bought some fresh limes and are going to try it again today. The recipe comes from simply recipes.



Infusing the sugar syrup with lime zest is a great way to bring extra lime flavor to your limeade.
Ingredients

* Grated zest of one lime (about 1 Tbsp)
* 1 cup lime juice (from about 4-6 Persian limes)
* 3/4 cup to 1 cup granulated sugar
* 3 cups water
* Several sprigs of fresh mint

Method

1 In a small saucepan bring to a boil the sugar, one cup of water, and the lime zest. Once the sugar is dissolved (which it should be by the time the water boils), remove from heat and let cool for for a few minutes. The amount of sugar is a guideline, it depends on how sweet you like your limeade and how tart your particular limes are.

2 Place a strainer over a bowl, or wide-mouthed serving container, and pour the sugar syrup through it, straining out the lime zest. Add the lime juice and 2 cups of water. Taste for sour/sweet balance. If too sweet, add a little more lime juice. Add several sprigs of fresh mint.

Chill, or serve immediately over ice.

Makes about 1 quart.

Making: The Ultimate Strawberry Truffles

Here is a great little no-bake summery dessert. These are so easy and look impressive.

Ingredients:
9 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, finely crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup whipping cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate pieces- 2 cups
1 T strong brewed coffee
2 tsp Triple sec or other orange liqueur- I used a pear liqueur
1/2 tsp vanilla
12 large strawberries with stems, rinsed and patted dry
1 cup strawberries, hulled and cut

In a large mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs and the melted butter until well mixed. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and sides of twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin cups lined with paper bake cups. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat cream over medium-low heat just to simmering. Remove from heat. Place chocolate pieces in a medium bowl. Pour cream over chocolate and let stand 10 minutes ( do not stir ) Add the coffee, Triple Sec, and vanilla; stir until mixture is creamy. Cover and chill about 45 minutes or until thickened.

Beat chocolate mixture with an electric mixer on medium to high speed until lightened in color and slightly fluffy. Pipe or spoon mixture into crumb shells. Press one large strawberry with stem into the center of each truffle. Cover and chill truffles until very firm about 2 hours. Place cut strawberries in a blender and process until smooth. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

To serve, remove truffles from muffin cups and place on a serving platter or dessert plates. Drizzle some of the pureed strawberry sauce on each strawberry truffle. Makes 12 servings.

Discovering: Texas Brown Snake

We have finished moving a very large pile of compost - Omagro- . This pile has been in our driveway since spring. The rainy weather made it difficult to get outside and get the job of moving it done and then it is a slow job of spreading it around the yard when all the plants have grown together. I usually like to do this in the early spring before everything is growing. Our hostas have just exploded after placing a large scoop around each one. In the middle of the pile we found this little brown snake that seemed to be flat. I had never seen one before. But after identifying it and reading about them - The Texas Brown snake is a commom snake to find in Nebraska backyards and even better they are great to have in gardens. Here is some info about them.


Texas Brown Snake

Storeria dekayi texana

Nonvenomous

"The Texas Brown Snake is a very common snake, and is highly variable in color, ranging from browns to tans and even brick reds. The color of Texas Brown Snakes is fairly even, though, with the exception of a faint lighter stripe down the middle of the back. Additionally, the top of the head and the corners of the mouth are darker in color. These dark 'spots' on the sides of the head can resemble large eyes when the head is flattened out. This makes these small harmless snakes seem larger and more dangerous than they really are, since hatchlings are the size of an earthworm, and even adults are no more than 13 inches long.

Texas Brown Snakes are completely harmless if encountered, but will readily feign aggressiveness to defend themselves. This usually involves coiling up, raising the head, striking out repeatedly at anything that gets too close and vibrating the tail. This is just an act to get larger animals to leave them alone, however, since they generally strike with their mouths closed, and their mouths aren't large enough to grab human skin even if they tried!

Texas Brown Snakes can be found just about anywhere there is a cool dark moist bit of soil - like nicely mulched landscaping - which is why they are so commonly seen.

Texas Brown Snakes eat a wide variety of suitably sized insects and other invertebrates, including snails and slugs, making them a gardener's friend. After all, you decide what's better - slugs or brown snakes!"