INDIAN SUMMER DAY WITH A HANGOVER

EXPERIMENTS IN BLISS: BAKING + SELF-CARE {Recipe below!}

TODAY WAS A BEAUTIFUL BALMY DAY. SEVENTY DEGREES IN A SOUTHERN AUTUMN BREEZE. I AWOKE TO A SLOW, SLEEPY MORNING FILLED WITH ACHING HEAD AND GAUZY MOUTH. TOO MUCH PROSECCO AND ME AN ACCIDENTAL GLUTTON LAST NIGHT. SO THE PRICE WAS PAID IN BEAUTIFUL DAY HOURS SPENT IN BED WITH COVERS DRAWN HIGH.

EVENTUALLY I GOT MY SORRY CARCASS OUT OF BED AND SET ABOUT MAKING THE MOST OF MY DAY BEFORE WORK RECLAIMED ME FOR THE EVENING. I FIRST ENJOYED A LIESURELY MORNING BREAKFAST OF EARL GREY TEA AND CLEMENTINES. THIS SWEET PETITE FEAST ACCOMPANIED BY THE GUILTY PLEASURE OF HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS STREAMING THROUGH MY COMPUTER SCREEN. NOTHING LIKE A LITTLE CAMP IN THE MORNING TO GET THINGS STARTED.

I SPENT THE REST OF THE DAY PLAYING HOUSE: TIDYING, STRAIGHTENING, MAKING THINGS PRETTY; AND HALF OF THE TIME IN THE KITCHEN MAKING FOOD. THESE ARE THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY. I IMAGINE THAT I AM BOTH GUEST AND KEEPER IN MY OWN LITTLE INN CALLED HOME. I CONSIDER INSTITUTING A TURN DOWN SERVICE FOR MYSELF, BUT SHELVE THE THOUGHT FOR NOW. MAYBE LATER. IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO FIND LITTLE TREATS ON MY PILLOW WHEN I FINALLY WANDER IN FOR THE EVENING’S REPOSE.

APRON STRINGS WRAPPED SAFELY AROUND MY NECK AND WAIST, I CHOPPED VEGETABLES, ROASTED BEETS AND SQUASH, MASHED SOME OF THE BUTTERNUT FLESH INTO SWEET AND CREAMY SUBMISSION. THEN I MADE SCONES USING MY TRIED AND TRUE RECIPE AND WHATEVER I COULD FIND IN THE CUPBOARD. I HAD TO PLAY WITH THE RECIPE A BIT, BUT THE FINAL RESULT WAS TASTY NONETHELESS. CHOCOLATE CHIP CURRANT GLUTEN FREE SCONES IN STARS AND WEDGES WITH A LOVELY EGGWASH GLAZE ON TOP. JUST THE PERFECT LITTLE BITE OF LUXURY ON THIS GORGEOUS DAY.

THE WALK TO WORK WAS WARM AND SWEET AS ANY CONFECTION. DUSTY PERIWINKLE SKY. COTTON SPUN CLOUDS FILTERED BUTTERSCOTH LIGHT FROM THE AFTERNOON SUN. SULTRY BREEZE CARRIED WHISPERS OF SUMMER AND YOUTH AND WILD ABANDON. I PASSED BUILDINGS WITH OPENED WINDOWS AND TREES WITH FIERY GOLDEN WHISKERS. THEY REMINDED ME OF OLD SOUL SURFERS STANDING TALL IN THEIR GOLDEN GLORY DEFYING WINTER’S ADVANCE. THIS IS WHAT INDIAN SUMMER IS ALL ABOUT: A BRIEF FLASH OF LIGHT IN THE DEEPENING DARKNESS OF THE SEASONS. AND THIS DAY STANDS AS A BRILLIANT BEACON. I HOPE IT WAS JUST AS BRILLIANT FOR YOU.

xoxo,

Melanie

Recipe for Melanie’s Brilliant Scones:

Scant 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill GF Savory Bread Flour

Scant 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF Homemade Wonderful Bread Flour

Scant 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill GF All- Purpose Flour

2 eggs + 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash

¾ stick butter, softened

1 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice)

Scant ½ cup superfine sugar

1½ T. baking powder

Add-ins as desired (dried fruit, nuts, herbs, chocolate chips, etc.)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Put all ingredients, less egg wash and add-ins, into large bowl. Mix together until all ingredients are blended together. (I do this with a rubber spatula first, then with my hands, but a stand mixer with paddle attachment would be fine, too.)

3. Fold add-ins into batter, if using. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 2” thick. Use cookie cutter or knife to cut into smaller shapes.

4. Put the biscuits on the baking sheet and brush with the egg wash. Chill scones for 30 minutes.

5. Remove scones from refrigerator, and brush the tops once again with the egg wash. Be careful to keep the egg wash from dripping down the sides as this can hinder the rise in the oven.

6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. (Oven temperatures vary, so adjust baking time to your oven.) Remove from oven, and transfer scones to a wire rack to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an air-tight container. Enjoy!