A Special Visit and Cranberry Scones

On Sunday afternoon, Mackenzie's grandparents, Jim and Alice, came for a visit. They had not yet seen our house or the improvements we've made on it.

Here they are at our wedding in October of last year.

It was so fun to have them over, to talk with them, and give them the tour of our home.

Alice is so sweet, she brought over these mini roses for me! Aren't they beautiful? I will keep them in my kitchen and then transplant them outside in the spring! She also brought over some yummy chocolate peanut butter cake. I joked and said that the cake was mainly for Mackenzie because he wasn't as excited as I was about the flowers. :) But what guy is excited about flowers?

Alice and Jim also brought this beautiful wooden serving dish for Mackenzie and I. This was actually Alice's mother's and she wanted to pass it down to us, so we'd have something special from the family. How sweet of her to think of us!

It is made from myrtlewood. Also called, Umbellularia, which is found on the Oregon coast. It looks like it was designed in Bend, OR. Apparently, the tree it is from is known as the Oregon Myrtle in Oregon and in California, it is known as California Bay Laurel. Anyway, it's a very beautiful piece.

The night before their visit, I wanted to have something special prepared for all of us. Since they were coming at 2pm, I decided to make cranberry scones. Here's the recipe, courtesy of The Joy of Baking. I changed it a bit to substitute what I had at home.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder.

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cold unsalted butter

1/2 cup fresh cranberries, cut in half

2/3 - 3/4 cup (160 - 180 ml) milk

On top:

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

turbinado Sugar "sugar in the raw" to sprinkle.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C) and place rack in middle of oven. Butter or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and blend into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or two knives. The mixture should look like coarse crumbs. Gently stir in the cranberries and mixed fruit, making sure not to crush the berries. Add the milk and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

Gently knead the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat the dough into a circle that is 8 inches (20cm) round and about 11/2 inches (3.75 cm) thick. Cut the dough into 8 pie-like slices. Make an egg wash with the tbsp milk and egg. Brush it on the scone and sprinkle with turbinado sugar "sugar in the raw". Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center of the scones come out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

We had the scones and tea/coffee. I'm so glad they were able to come for a visit!

On a side note, thank you so much for all of your suggestions on what color I should paint the desk. They were all very helpful! I'm heading towards a dark, rustic brown with the brushed nickle knobs. I think it will give it a very warm feeling!