Perfect Blueberry Scones

I brought these scones to a brunch this weekend and got so many requests for the recipe. Scones are pretty much always great, but these are beyond so just go ahead and double the recipe now.

Blueberry Scones
makes 8

2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
8 Tbsp cold unsalted butter
1 1/2- 2 cups blueberries*
1/2 cup sour cream**
1 egg

*use frozen blueberries so they don't get as crushed
**Daisy sour cream is the best. I am Eastern European, trust.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Grate the cold butter into the flour mixture using a coarse grater (or use a pastry blender).

Comme Ça

With your fingers, work butter into the flour until it is evenly crumbly.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg and sour cream together. Stir mixture into flour mixture. Then use your hands to press the dough together. It will feel like it's too dry but keep going until it is incorporated. Add in the blueberries.

Now you can either form into drop scones or wedge scones. To make the wedge, pat the dough onto a floured surface until it forms a circle about 3/4" thick. Then cut into wedges and sprinkle the top with sugar.  

Place individual wedges apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 400 degrees until golden on the top, about 16 minutes.

Kid-size furniture stores

I love a good deal, and as a marketer I always have the value equation at top of mind. Here's a secret to finding great value and style in home decor: forget the outlet store and shop the kiddy section!

The kids extension of your favorite home store can offer the quality and style of a retailer you love for a better price. You just have to be careful about the proportions.

Be sure to look at measurements to make sure you don't accidentally buy something wee size. Some of the items are on a slightly smaller scale, which could be a plus if you are tight on space (although some say small furniture in small rooms is a no-no).

Let's compare:

Restoration Hardware $1595

Restoration Hardware Baby and Child $1099

Restoration Hardware Baby and Child $1299

Restoration Hardware $1895

Vs.

Vs.

More finds:

Land of Nod rug $399

Pottery Barn Kids Wool Chevron Rug $299

Roasted baby heirloom tomatoes with lemon zest and capers

For me, nothing spells summer like colorful produce, especially late season heirloom tomato harvests. This recipe is my absolute favorite easy tomato side dish. It can be made all year round with grape tomatoes, but this season’s heirlooms up the sensory impact big time. 

Roasted baby heirloom tomatoes with lemon zest and capers

2 cups grape tomatoes

2 tsp olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat italian parsley

1 tsp grated lemon zest

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp capers (the kind packed in salt are superior)

⅛ tsp salt

⅛ tsp fresh ground black pepper

Combine tomatoes and olive oil in a 8” baking dish and toss gently. Bake at 425 for 18 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Combine tomato mixture with all remaining ingredients, stirring gently. Serves four.

The 5 rules for chic flower arrangements: Secrets from photo shoot stylists Part One

Thanks to a former job that had me managing advertising photo shoots, I spent a few years working with some of LA’s glamorous set. The pro photography tips, craft services, first-hand celeb gossip and interesting run-ins were great, like when I spent the day with Lady Gaga's hair stylist, and the time I was stuck in an elevator with Larry David. But my favorite part was getting to observe the master stylists at work. These stylists make the details of a home or set look perfectly and effortlessly chic every time.  

One of the observations I made across the work of multiple stylists was the particular way flowers were arranged to make a room look its most elegant and glamorous. I’ve taken a stab at quantifying the je ne sais quoi that makes these arrangements so chic:

Rule 1. Use only one type of flower per arrangement.  The mono-floral look is tremendously elegant. It will showcase the architecture of the flower without it getting lost in a busy bouquet, and it will keep you from looking like you tried too hard. 

Peonies

I made this arrangement with balsa wood flowers from here.

Yea there's a cat in this photo. Sorry I'm not sorry.

Monoflorals at our Montecito wedding

Rule 2.  If you want variation, add one or two (max) other shades within the same tone.

Shades of pink peonies from blush to fuschia

Rule 3. If you want to use multiple florals, stick to one color.

Shades of ivory

Rule 4. Small is beautiful. A neat and small arrangement thoughtfully placed will always get noticed.

Rule 5. Before arranging, cut your flowers with a sharp knife instead of scissors and insert them into a vase of hot water. The warm water is more easily absorbed by the flowers. Add flower food or a vinegar/sugar mixture for even greater longevity. 

Exceptions to the rule:  Multifloral arrangements are so beautiful and will always be in style for their freshly picked from the garden vibe. For this look it’s best to use no more than four colors, and to vary the textures and shapes as much as possible for maximum contrast (i.e. the opposite of the above). These floral arrangements work best in neutral rooms so colors don’t compete. 

The next time you receive a home decor magazine or catalog in the mail, see if you can spot any of these tips in action!

p.s. Check ASPCA’s list of plants toxic to dogs and cats before you buy. Lilies and tulips are especially dangerous!

Farmers’ Market White Peach and Plum Cobbler

My very favorite thing about living in the Chicago suburbs is the amazing farmers’ market that runs from May to September. I love browsing the aisles for fresh produce and inspiration. I always come home with fresh flowers (like giant $15 bouquets of peonies!) and loads of ideas for the week’s meals. 

And since Neil just returned from his summer in San Francisco, I had the perfect excuse to bake my favorite fruit cobbler. This one has a doughy, coffee cake-like consistency, which makes it rather unique and totally delicious! This is a versatile cobbler recipe that can be used with any stone fruit and/or berry combination, fresh or frozen. There are no rules; just fill your dish so it has a good layer of fruit at the bottom. For this one I used fresh white peaches and bubble gum plums, but I’ve also made it with blueberries and an apricot, raspberry and spiced rum filling in the past. Remember: no rules!  Enjoy.

Farmers’ Market White Peach and Plum Cobbler 

Dough:

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 large egg at room temp, slightly beaten

½ cup milk

½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Crumb topping:

½ cup light brown sugar, packed

½ cup flour

½ cup oats

½ stick butter, melted

Fruit filling:

¼ cup cornstarch

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup sugar

approx 10 pieces of stone fruit, cut and wedged and 1-2 baskets of berries if desired. Have enough to fill bottom of dish well.

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a casserole dish approx 3” tall and 8”x11” wide.

Mix together cornstarch, salt and sugar. Add stone fruit to coat. Pour fruit mixture into dish. Cover top with foil and place in oven for 5-10 minutes. Remove dish and gently fold in berries if you’re using them.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, stir together the egg, melted butter and milk. Add mixture to dry ingredients and stir to combine.  

In another bowl, stir together brown sugar, flour and oats until combined. Add the melted butter and mix thoroughly. There should be no large clumps.

Place the dough evenly over the fruit mixture, then sprinkle the crumb topping all over.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is golden and middle is not sunken.