good morning, scones.

During my last couple years of college, I was awake (and studying) into the late night hours.  For a girl who is normally in bed by 10, this was the furthest thing from normal.  😉

Countless hours were spent in my family’s living room chair, as I pounded my head full of nutrition notes and chemistry formulas.  I can still feel the anxiety of a chemistry exam, the pressure of doing well in my medical nutrition therapy class, and the thrill of seeing an A on my report card.  I also happen to remember the fear of seeing a C on my chemistry exam, but we won’t talk aobut that tonight.

This week, I felt like that college girl all over again.  I was up late doing homework assignments for my internship, and I felt that same pressure of wanting to do well.  Saturday night involved hours and hours of note reviewing, in addition to figuring out what I wanted to do my research project on. 

And then I started to think about future careers which brought a whole new level of emotions.  Exciting.  Scary.  Thrilling!

And then—finally—I decided to just stop thinking.  It was Sunday morning, after all.  A day of rest.  And I wanted breakfast.

Sundays are those perfect days when everything seems to just slow down. 

People tell me that I’m supposed to be depressed on Sunday—with tomorrow being Monday and all that—but in my opinion, there’s absolutely nothing to be depressed about on a Sunday morning.  It’s my time to (a) go for a run, (b) eat a lovely breakfast, (c) go to church, and (d) hit Starbucks with my best friend for some chatting time.  Sunday?  Depressing?  Not so much. 

My breakfast of choice for this morning was not at all fancy, but it did boast of energetic and bright flavors.  Perfect for a cold autumn morning. 

Breakfast scones are best served straight from the oven, as they have a slight crusty texture on the outside, and a warm, fluffy inside.  However, they’re also delicious served the following day.  You can simply warm them up in the microwave for a good 20 seconds. 

On the side of my breakfast scone, I served some homemade greek yogurt with flax granola and a banana smeared in almond butter.  A lovely Sunday morning breakfast.

Breakfast Sconesidea was taken from Eating Well magazine, with some tweaking involved.

The reason I’m calling these breakfast scones and not “blueberry scones” is that I’d hate to limit what this recipe is capable of.  You can turn it into an apple scone if you like.  Or a banana chocolate chip scone.  Or maybe even a savory cheese scone to be served with scrambled eggs.  So many possibilities. 😀

The orange zest adds a zingy and energetic note, making theses scones a lovely treat after a busy work or school week.  Enjoy! 

  • 4 T. reduced fat cream cheese, cut into small pieces
  • 2 T. butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 c. whole wheat flour
  • 2 T. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2-3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 c. frozen blueberries
  • zest of one orange
  • cinnamon or nutmeg
  • 2/3 c. plus 1 T. buttermilk, divided
  1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place cream cheese and butter in freezer to chill, about 10 minutes.
  2. Combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Cut cream cheese and butter into flour mixture with pasty blender, two knives or your fingers until it resembles coarse meal.  Add blueberries and orange zest, tossing to incorporate.  Make a well in flour mixture.  Add 2/3 c. buttermilk, stirring with a fork until just combined.
  3. Knead dough gently in bowl, 7-8 times.  Divide dough into 8 round balls.  Pat each piece into a circle about 1/2 inch thick and place on baking sheet.  Lightly brush tops with remaining 1 T. buttermilk and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg.
  4. Bake scones for 12-15 minutes, or until golden and firm.  Cool slightly on wire rack.  Serve warm
  5. ENJOY! 😀

Question: Do you find that you work your best in the morning or at night?  I am most definitely a morning person!!

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best of friends

Not gonna lie.  This was probably one of my favorite breakfasts of the week. 

Yes, I love oats.

But there’s something about biting into a giant sized whole wheat bagel, smeared with chunky peanut butter, and finishing the meal off with fruity sweetness.  Perfect.

Here’s another bite of truth: blueberry picking with my Pepere was the highlight of my week.  The blueberries literally—literally!!!—came off the branches in clusters.  You simply had to grab a handful, and they fell directly into your bucket.  And they’re absolutely bursting with sweetness.  Which makes this (this = cottage cheese, raw oats and blueberries) my favorite snack of the week.

 

There is no competition for these two treats of today.  None. 

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that Nicole, aka Loving Simple Moments, is my very best friend.  And I’m not just saying that as a cliche statement.  I mean, really, if you knew this girl in person, you would totally understand.

Whenever we hang out, I always have fun.  It doesn’t matter if we’re meandering our way through a country fair in the middle of nowhere…

 

 It doesn’t matter if we’re spending time at Trader Joes, where we say “yes” to any and all free food samples….

squirting ketchup onto a beef hotdog…note that my face is saying, “umm…I don’t know about this.” :mrgreen:

 

 

 It doesn’t matter if we’re shopping till we’re dropping….

 

 We always—always, always—have a blast.  I can count on this girl for when I need a good cry, a long conversation, or just a drive out to the mall.  She’s always there.  And she’s always an awesome friend.

This weekend, starting tomorrow night at 5:30 sharp, Nicole is kidnapping me.  Yes, kidnapping.  To where?  No idea.  Seriously.  Not a clue.  All she told me is that I need to…

(a) Bring a cute, girly sundress. (b) Bring my pj’s, toothbrush, and any makeup necessities.

And (c) bring my appetite.  Yes.  I can do that.

Needless to say, I may not be around for much of this weekend.  Instead, I’ll be off somewhere, living it up with my bestest of friends. 

I.  Can.  Not.  Wait. :mrgreen:

Question: What was your favorite snack/meal of the day?