Fabulous Friday!

The hubby & I are headed to NYC for the weekend!  Even though the weather's supposed to be not so fabulous, I'm really looking forward to it.  Hoping to have some amazing meals, explore the city and most importantly, have a blast at Ciefan & Grace's wedding!!  Congrats to a beautiful couple!

Savory Scones

What's not to love about scones?  They're the perfect treat to pair with a lovely cup of English tea.  I enjoy all flavors of the ordinarily sweet snack, but my ultimate favorite type is Cheddar and dill.  They are so buttery and delicious, it's not even funny! The dill gives the scones a slight tangy flavor that goes perfectly with the sharpness of the Cheddar.  I followed this slightly altered version of the recipe by the Barefoot Contessa.  Enjoy!

Cheddar & Dill Scones

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

3/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced

4 extra-large eggs, beaten
1 cup cold half and half 

1/2 pound extra-sharp yellow Cheddar, shredded
4 tablespoons of dry dill
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water or milk, for egg wash

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is in small dime-sized pieces. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs & half and half.  Quickly add them to the flour/butter mixture. Combine until blended. Add the Cheddar and dill to the dough. Mix until they are almost incorporated.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead it for 1 minute, until the Cheddar and dill are well distributed. Roll the dough 3/4-inch thick. Cut into 4-inch squares and then in half diagonally to make triangles. Brush the tops with egg wash. Bake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 17-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. 

When I Dress As A Frigid Bitch, I Try Not To Look So Constipated.

A preppy couple circa 1980's

The more classic preppy style of today.

Growing up, I was never what you would call a "preppy girl".  Something about that type of style always rubbed me the wrong way.  Maybe it's the WASP-ey, superior attitude associated with prepsters.  Maybe it's because I'd rather wear a garbage bag than hideous cable knit anything...barf. 

Even though preppy clothing isn't my favorite, I must admit it has dramatically improved over the years.  Nowadays designers have transformed preppy styles into classic pieces for the masses, not just for those who summer in the Hampton's.  Preppy pieces such as these are a great addition to your warm weather wardrobe.  See you at the country club, Buffy.

This Milly polo dress is so chic & perfect for work.

Sail away on Daddy's yacht with these adorable Tommy Hilfiger shorts.

Kate Spade gives super-preppy seersucker a chic makeover.

Madras shoes with a little sex appeal.  Nice job Ralph.

My Three Favorites

A thousand apologizes for my lack of posts last week...it was a doozy.  But nevertheless I still had three favorites, and here they are in no particular order:

All On The Line, the new-ish fashion reality show on the Sundance Channel.  I like how Joe Zee plays fairy godfather to give struggling designers a second chance to become super successful.

Making the first guac of the warm weather season.

"In all things it is better to hope than to despair."

I love this quote by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Fabulous Friday!

It truly is a fabulous, fabulous Friday. For tomorrow I will be in the happiest place on Earth...DISNEY WORLD!  I'm so excited; I haven't been there since I was eight.  I can't wait to go on rides, visit the different countries at Epcot and have an overall fantastic time with my family.  I leave you with Disney themed pictures by Annie Leibovitz.  So beautifully magical!

I'm Just Mad About Saffron

Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

In case you didn't know, I go bananas over anything made with bananas (see here and here for proof).  The latest and greatest banana recipe is very drool-worthy and sinfully sweet...introducing Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies.

I discovered the recipe out of sheer laziness.  Every year for Easter, I love to make Giada's Lemon Ricotta Cookies.  Last Saturday night, I began to make the cookies and I realized I forgot to buy the ricotta cheese...obviously one of the essential ingredients.  Not wanting to drag my butt back out to the store, I noticed I had a few very ripe bananas...bingo!  I found this recipe and tweaked it a bit to my liking.  The cookies came out incredibly moist and the banana & chocolate together is heavenly.

1/2 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 cup of very ripe mashed bananas (about 2 1/2 bananas)
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of all spice
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup of walnuts

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg and continue to beat until light and fluffy.
2. In a bowl, mix the mashed bananas and baking soda. Let sit for 2 minutes.
3. Mix the banana mixture into the butter mixture. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and spices. Gradually combine the flour mixture with the banana mixture, stir until well blended.
4. Fold into the batter the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop in dollops onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the bottoms are golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Makes about 30 cookies.