Posted on July 28, 2011 by SSCB
A Bonus DayPosted on Thursday, July 28, 201 by Sandra Cartwright-Brown
A Bonus DayPosted on Thursday, July 28, 201 by Sandra Cartwright-Brown
A Bonus Day
Today the four guests who had flown in from Tennessee to hear their son and grandson sing at the Castleton Festival, left Saturday afternoon due to the extreme heat. That gave us a free Sunday morning. Woooohoooo!We attended services at Trinity Episcopal Church in Little Washington. I thought Norm might like the service since he was raised in the Church of England. I have been told that the 8:00 a.m. service next week might remind him more of the Church of England with Old English with “thous” and “eths”. Perhaps we will be able to go. I have been attending the Universialist Unitarian of the Blue Ridge congregation in Sperryville which is very new. Usually I am serving breakfasts and making bills, and saying goodbye to guests of a Sunday morning so it is a treat when I get to attend anything anywhere. When we’re fox hunting, then I ask Shelly to come in and do breakfast.I took my laptop with me to have it tweaked by Michelle at Oldway Glassblowers which was fruitful. My carrier had sent instructions regarding cookies which is certainly Greek to me. But a kid named Paul sorted it out in fifteen minutes. Love that! Thanks Paul!.
We had lunch after church at High on the Hog in Sperryville and Norm loved his gumbo. I had a hamburger with what must have been one million calories and wiped out the rest of the meals for me today. Delicious but decadent. They serve a Rappahannock Apple Cake with a whiskey glaze--Then we visited the Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville in Sperryville, the only one in the United States using apple wood, and it makes fabulous single malt whiskey. The tours are fun. I think Rick Wassmund is making rye too which is new. in Sperryville, the only one in the United States using apple wood, and it makes fabulous single malt whiskey. The tours are fun. I think Rick Wassmund is making rye too which is new.
We had lunch after church at High on the Hog in Sperryville and Norm loved his gumbo. I had a hamburger with what must have been one million calories and wiped out the rest of the meals for me today. Delicious but decadent. They serve a Rappahannock Apple Cake with a whiskey glaze--Then we visited the Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville in Sperryville, the only one in the United States using apple wood, and it makes fabulous single malt whiskey. The tours are fun. I think Rick Wassmund is making rye too which is new. in Sperryville, the only one in the United States using apple wood, and it makes fabulous single malt whiskey. The tours are fun. I think Rick Wassmund is making rye too which is new.
Alex gone fishin' off the Conyers House front porch.
It is interesting to see how Alex, now our only Jack Russell greeter, has adjusted his eating habits now that he and Toby don’t eat together. He has reverted to eating the way he used to when he was an indoor dog living with my daughter-in-law. She had to give him away because she remarried a chap who has a dog and they didn’t get along. Alex was born here anyway and we are glad to have him back. Now that he is alone, he is indoors again because the heat is still in the the 90s and because he whines to get in. He doesn’t like being alone. He eats only a little at a time, and comes back to it when he chooses. When he ate with Toby he gobbled up his meal by inhaling it. This certainly has to be healthier way to eat.
Saturday we said goodbye to our friend Caroline who was a member of our Thursday lunch group who was tragically killed recently. The funeral was at St. James in Warrenton and was beautiful and touching. Our group of lunch ladies supplied the flowers which were stunning. Caroline would have loved the five large arrangements—a mixture of wild flowers and a few carefully selected florist flowers. Lots of pastel delphiniums, Queen Anne’s Lace, buddlea, occasional white and yellow roses, lots of greenery. The reception was held at a beautiful estate outside of Warrenton belonging to a fellow fox hunter.One of our group made lots of scones which were Caroline’s favorite recipe (see below) . After the buffet we gathered on the porch for a champagne toast to our dear friend and enjoyed the stories that were told. Apparently at a party in Maine Caroline and a friend were appalled when a chap delivering a platter of deviled eggs tripped and dropped them, short of the table. Caroline, said to her shocked companion “Brace up! and carry on”—always the understated Brit. We’ll miss her sense of humor.
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Susan used this recipe for the scones she made for Caroline’sreception. She served it with a block of imported Irish Kerrigold butterfrom Whole Foods and strawberry jam.
Saturday we said goodbye to our friend Caroline who was a member of our Thursday lunch group who was tragically killed recently. The funeral was at St. James in Warrenton and was beautiful and touching. Our group of lunch ladies supplied the flowers which were stunning. Caroline would have loved the five large arrangements—a mixture of wild flowers and a few carefully selected florist flowers. Lots of pastel delphiniums, Queen Anne’s Lace, buddlea, occasional white and yellow roses, lots of greenery. The reception was held at a beautiful estate outside of Warrenton belonging to a fellow fox hunter.One of our group made lots of scones which were Caroline’s favorite recipe (see below) . After the buffet we gathered on the porch for a champagne toast to our dear friend and enjoyed the stories that were told. Apparently at a party in Maine Caroline and a friend were appalled when a chap delivering a platter of deviled eggs tripped and dropped them, short of the table. Caroline, said to her shocked companion “Brace up! and carry on”—always the understated Brit. We’ll miss her sense of humor.
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Susan used this recipe for the scones she made for Caroline’sreception. She served it with a block of imported Irish Kerrigold butterfrom Whole Foods and strawberry jam.
Susan’s Scones for Caroline:4 cups organic all-purpose flour, more for rolling out and cutting
2-4 Tb cane sugar, more for sprinkling
2 Tb baking powder
2 tsp sea salt
3/4 lb cold unsalted Kerrygold (pastured) butter, diced
1 cup cold pastured heavy cream
4 lightly beaten extra large free range farm eggs
1 egg beaten with 2 Tb water for wash top of sconesPreheat oven to 400 degrees.Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of electric mixer.
Mix using paddle attachment. Blend in diced butter at lowest speed until
it is in pea-sized pieces. Combine eggs with cream, add to butter
mixture until just blended. Dump sticky dough on well-floured surfaced
and knead once or twice. With a floured rolling pin and hands roll to
about ¾” thick with lumps of butter still in dough. Use 1” round biscuit
cutter. Place unbaked scones on parchment paper on cookie sheet. Brush
tops with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.Bake 15 minutes until tops are golden and insides fully baked.The key to flaky scones is to not over blend the butter.
