Lily helped her Daddy put together the desk that we moved into the kitchen nook. Here she is trying to climb up the leg of the desk!
Lily has definitely formed a love/appreciation for my cookbooks. What can I say? You gotta start 'em while they're young! Here she is pulling them off the shelves, one by one.
And, here is the aftermath...
We've also been going to My Gym, which is a children's gym for all ages. The class she goes to is for crawlers to walkers. She loves to ride on swings, climb up play structures, walk on the balance beam (with my help, of course!), and play in the ball pit. Here she is showing off her bottom 2 teeth while lounging in the ball pit!
We have also continued to take her swimming, as she just loves the water. She kicks like a little dolphin, holds onto the side of the pool (almost without my support), climbs out of the pool (with only a little assistance from me), floats on her back (with a finger to a hand of support at the nape of her neck), and dives down with the swim instructor to pick up objects off the bottom of the pool in 3 1/2 feet of water. I think she'll be a better swimmer than me by the time she turns 2! Here she is smiling for the camera :
Needless to say, we've been enjoying our 1st year with our little girl! Look for a posting after her birthday to see how her first bites of a sweet cupcake will go!I couldn't finish the blog without a picture of a delectable treat. Since we've been continuing to get the deepest red, most juicy strawberries in our CSA box (Community Supported Agriculture, basically a farm share) from Shepherd Farms, I have been loving eating them and using them in cooking and baking. Here you will find our breakfast this morning of Strawberry Buttermilk Scones that we served up with eggs and fresh squeezed orange juice (from our orange tree). With it's crunchy, flaky exterior and layered, soft interior, these are the best scones I've made to date. Life is good!
Because it was soooo good, I will type out the recipe from The Foster's Market Cookbook, a borrowed cookbook from my friend, Kelley Johnson. Thank you Kelley!
Foster's Strawberry Scones
makes 1 dozen
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 lb (3 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
*I was out of unsalted butter, so I used regular salted butter and cut down the salt by half
1 1/4 cups plus 2 Tbs buttermilk
2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
Egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 2 Tbs milk
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets (or use parchment) and set aside
3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
4. Add the butter and cut it into the flour mixture using a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles course meal. (Or use a food processor to cut the butter into the flour mixture by pulsing 10-12 times. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl to continue making the dough.) Do NOT overwork the dough.
5. Add 2 cups hulled and quartered fresh strawberries to the flour-butter mixture. (You may need 2-3 Tbs less buttermilk depending on the ripeness of the berries.)
6. Add 1 1/4 cups of the buttermilk and mix until just combined and the dough begins to stick together. Add the remaining buttermilk one tablespoon at a time if the dough is too dry.
7. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll or pat into two 6-inch rounds, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut each round in half, then cut each half into 3 triangles (pie-shaped wedges) and place on baking sheets. Brush the tops with the egg wash.
8. Bake 30 - 35 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Mmmmm....
Thank you Heather. I am so glad you are enjoying motherhood. I remember the time when Cody would get all the stuff out of my cupboards. He was just as curious as Lily. Always getting in to stuff. Did Lily settle on a recipe she like?
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