A Day of Sunshine, Sept 15, 2010

The Bliss of Sunshine:  How to not stay indoors when the sun is shining and shining on the blessed outdoors with rays of sunlight filtering through the windows to my inside world.  It is a day when I find any excuse to be outdoors or at least see the outdoors while I attend to my tasks. 

Scones in the Morning: Up and  at em, rise and shine.  Create a somewhat healthy recipe of Mixed Berry & Pecan Scones.  I used a recipe from my huge collection and I substituted whole wheat flour for part of required flour, 2 percent milk and margarine for butter.  Here's the recipe: 

Berry Pecan Scones

Ingredients: 
1 cup whole wheat flour, 1 cup regular all purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder,
3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 cup cranberries or any dried diced fruit,
1/3 cup 2 % buttermilk, 1/4 cup solid margarine, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.


Preheat over to 375.  Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in margarine with pastry blender. Add dried fruit and nuts.  In separate bowl, beat eggs with buttermilk & vanilla.  Reserve 1 tablespoon of liquid.  Add remaining to flour mixture until  dough sticks together.  Remove to floured board & knead 3-4 times. Form into 1" thick round.  Place on baking sheet & cut into 6 - 8  pie slices.  Brush with reserved egg and sprinkle with sugar (OPT.)  Separate and bake approx 20 minutes.

Maria's Berry Pecan Scones

flooded with sunlight, a delightful morning on the porch

Winston, The Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier:  Going on my daily walk, this time with Winston, starts the day off by soaking up the sun.  Shedding my jacket after a few blocks, I get geared up.  Winston off course has to stop at every post and pole we pass by.  I finally realized that if we walk on the side of the street with Winston  on my left as usual but also between the sidewalk and the curb he will not trip me with the leash by proceeding across the front of me to that pole/post.

Sir Winston Pumpernickel 

Isn't he adorable?

Ignoring my Art Studio:  I have really tried to think of my paintings in progress today.  One painting is a still life of fresh juicy peaches with cut open to expose the seed and yumminess.  The first group of peaches finally turned soft and so while still eatable I cut up and added to my vanilla yogurt.  So off to the market to find peaches with similar markings with cell phone in hand which held an image of my painting.  If only I had taken a photo of the still life set up.  Thankfully the were few shoppers at the time and hopefully no one wondered what the crazy lady with the cell phone by the peach display was up to.



"4 Peaches"

Peach Still Life in Progress

Needless to say I just couldn't leave the beautiful daylight to enter my spacious art studio that is housed in the basement level of our home.  The libertosart.com studio with it's artificial light cannot compete with the perfect end of summer day.  Tomorrow will be a new day of creativity.

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See you then.  My best to all.

Maria L B