Aunt Crystal's Scones

I had cooked oatmeal with butter and about a half-teaspoon of cloves instead of cinnamon as planned (don't ask). We didn't want to eat clove oatmeal, so I set out to find a recipe to salvage the bleary-eyed concoction. I came across this recipe for cooked oatmeal scones by Jenny Sanders and thought it'd be a good foundation for the morning's experiment. I'm happy to report that the experiment seems to have been a success, and I have a new recipe for lovely, hearty scones.

Fresh from the oven

Aunt Crystal's Scones
(adapted from Jenny Sanders' Cooked Oatmeal Scones)

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked oatmeal (3 servings' worth per package instructions)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1 1/3 cup milk (divided)
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins

Ready to go into the oven

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F
2. Mix butter into slightly cooled oatmeal
3. Sprinkle cloves and cinnamon over oatmeal and mix thoroughly
4. Add milk, half at a time, and incorporate well
5. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt
6. Add flour mixture to oatmeal mixture
7. Turn dough onto floured surface and lightly knead in raisins
8. Form dough into a disk approximately one inch thick
9. Cut disk into 8-10 wedges
10. Place wedges onto a buttered and floured baking sheet
11. Bake 15 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of a wedge comes out clean

Cool according to preference:
- on wire rack for crusty top and bottom
- on pan for crusty top and soft bottom
- on pan with clean tea towel over scones for soft top and bottom


Warning: These are not your dainty party scones for low tea. These are hearty and filling - good for breakfast, elevenses, or high tea.

This is one of the "little" scones!

BLOG TOUR: Texas Wildflowers 4-in-1 Novella

Texas Wildflowers "A romance assortment of petits fours, and as dreamy sweet." —Harold Wolf  From the Back of the Book: The four McBride sisters risk their hearts for love in the islands, canyons, mountains and bayous of Texas. Deserted at the altar, a devastated Rosy McBride heads back to Galveston Island and begins working at her mother’s scrapbooking business. Will spending time with Larson Brookfield help mend her broken heart, or will she merely wind up pasting away? Christian counselor Lily McBride relies on her quirky common sense and God’s wisdom to help her clients. Will she be successful at her new career or break the most solemn of counselor/patient vows by falling for the handsome, eccentric, and impossibly irresistible Rubin McCall while hiking the Palo Dura Canyon? In the mountain town of Alpine, Violet McBride owns Romantic Images, a business that teaches people how to live romantically. Will Morgan Jones, a geek she meets online, show her the real meaning of romance and the art of love? Heather McBride’s picture-perfect life has unraveled in the bayou. Will the free-spirited Evan Finch not only reawaken her artistic passion but also give her the courage to fall in love—without her day-planner? Will God help give these women the pluck to love the least likely of soul mates? Read Chapter One at: http://www.docstoc.com/docs/137142510/TexasWildflowers_ChapterOne

An Interview with Anita: Tell us a bit about Texas Wildflowers. Texas Wildflowers is a 4-in-1 novella collection through Barbour Publishing. Each novella is set in an exotic location in Texas. They are lighthearted romances, and they’re all tied together with the four McBride sisters. Which of the four novellas was the most fun to write? They were each fun to write in their own way, but my favorite character was Lily, the counselor, in Forget Me Not Lily. She was quirky and fun, relatable and loveable. At least that’s what I hope readers will feel. All these novellas are set in Texas. Are the towns and parks real? Yes, in fact one of the novellas is set in Big Bend National Park, where my husband and I went on vacation. So, when you read about the characters on certain trails, they’re real, and we hiked them! Did you have a favorite book when you were a child?I loved fairytales. Cinderella was my favorite. Do you have a vacation spot you’d love to visit? I’m dreaming of Ireland. My husband and I plan to travel there next summer. Can’t wait! Then I’m going to use the emerald isle as a setting in one of my novels. What are 5 things that your readers might not know about you? While I was in college I tried working in a pillow factory. I was terrible at it. I got so weary with the repetition I started yakking with the woman next to me. We got reprimanded over and over until I quit. I discovered one thing from that college job—talking is something I excel at. I once won a hog-calling contest at a banquet. I was not embarrassed, but I should have been. I have a bird phobia, and yet I love birds! (That is, from a distance.) My house is filled with the fake kind—prints on the walls, statues, and general bird doodads. Go figure. I keep some interesting treasures near me when I write—a wooden jewelry box my son made me when he was in school, a candle from the 1960s, a hat once owned by a famous mystery writer, the inner parts of a music box, a birthday card that plays The Twilight Zone theme song, and an old family toy helicopter that says, “Going up.” Thirty-four years ago I rappelled off a cliff alongside the man I was dating. We kissed in mid-air while dangling off that cliff. I ended up marrying that man, and we've celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary! What awards have you won? I’ve won two book awards. One of my co-authored books entitled, A Tribute to Early Texas, won a San Antonio Conservation Society Citation as well as a Westerners International Book Award. Also, I was given three honors by readers: I was a Favorite New Author in the 15th Annual Heartsong Presents Awards, and my co-authored novel, Castles in the Air, was a Favorite Contemporary Romance in the 16th Annual Heartsong Presents Awards. My most recent award is a 2011 RWA Readers Choice Award (first place) for my novella, Once Upon a Christmas Eve. When readers finish the last page of Texas Wildflowers, what do you want them to come away with? I would love for them to be inspired, challenged, and entertained. If I accomplished even one of those things I would feel my writing time wasn’t wasted. Where can your readers connect with you online? Please drop by my website at www.anitahigman.com, or visit my Reader Page on Facebook and chat with me there at http://www.facebook.com/#!/AuthorAnitaHigman.

Anita Higman Author & Speaker About the Author: Bestselling and award-winning author, Anita Higman, has thirty-two books published (several coauthored) for adults and children. She’s been a Barnes & Noble “Author of the Month” for Houston and has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology, and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas, and brunch with her friends. Please visit her online atwww.anitahigman.com. Giveaway: Every blog that gets comments from at least 10 different commenters (besides the author and the blog tour host) will offer a free book to one of the commenters. Be sure to tell your friends to come read this blog and leave a comment! Share on facebook, twitter, linked-in or wherever you hang out!