Everyone wants a piece

Just a few minutes ago I opened my email to a whole list of promotions all begging me to use up the last of my money on their products, promising that they had that perfect item that would complete my list of Christmas gifts.

They all want a piece of me this Christmas. In our materialistic, consumer-based society, it seems like everyone wants a piece! The stores want our money, our jobs want as much work as they can get - giving the least amount of holiday time possible, our friends and family want our time, the charities want our donations and volunteer hours, the special shows and concerts want our attendance, and the cameras want our smiles. 

Sometimes it feels like we aren't just doing the consuming, we ourselves are, in fact, being consumed by this holiday season. Piece by piece by piece. 

And yet, it's "the most wonderful time of the year"! The time of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. Funny that, our greatest desires during this season are usually never realized. Our hopes for a peaceful, joyful celebration surrounded by those we love, celebrating the greatest gift of all, usually go unmet. We have spent so much time consuming and being consumed, that when it all comes down to it, we have nothing left. 

Everyone around us wants a piece, but really... what we all want more is peace. Something we can't get from each other or even ourselves. We ache for that great hope of Christ's return and we pray that we will be filled with joy and love from above. 

At least I hope we do. I hope we stop and let go a little bit this season. Don't be consumed by the holiday, but rather, be filled.

For "every good thing and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shifting shadow" (James 1:17). 

Scone Confessions: DIY

As per request, here are a couple of the recipes of the scones mentioned in my previous post, Scone Confessions. Beware... you may have your own confessions to make soon...

Note: These recipes are not my own. I gratefully found them here and here. Though I often find for the majority of the scone recipes I look up, I have to make alterations, these two were perfect as originally directed. 

Blueberry Lemon

These were my first and remain my very favourite scones. They are so amazingly soft inside and just slightly crunchy/flaky on the outside. Using fresh lemon juice to make the glaze is spectacular, don't skip that part!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
a pinch of salt
2 lemons zested
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 egg
1 cup blueberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the dry ingredients and lemon zest then cut in the butter (with a pastry blender!!! It's the only way people. Gotta go old school and do it by hand!) until the mixture resembles coarse sand.

In a separate bowl whisk together cream and egg. Add these to the dry mix and combine. This part gets a little tricky because you can either add the blueberries before and mix all together but they are more likely to burst that way. Or you can add them after the dough has formed but I found that they didn't incorporate well. So I like to mix the wet into the dry a little bit first then add the blueberries and mix a little more.

I am very particular with my scones and careful not to over-mix. It's okay if all the dry isn't all combined or the dough isn't all formed together. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and carefully knead it gently together and pat down to form a circle about 1 inch thick. (I really don't knead much at all, just mostly pat it enough to keep the dough together.) Cut into 8 triangles and transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The bottoms will be slightly browned but these scones stay pretty light on top.

For the glaze:

Combine 1 cup of powdered sugar with 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice (I usually do half of a small lemon). You want a glaze that is thick but still runs. Drizzle over the scones after they have cooled a bit.


Voila! Best scones EVER.

Raspberry Almond Scones

These darling scones are a little more effort because of the added steps of toppings but equally delicious. The crunch of nuts perfectly compliments the sweet raspberries hidden amongst the soft layers of scone.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sliced almonds (finely chopped)
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 tsp almond extract (however I do not like almond extract so I used vanilla and it was delightful)
fresh raspberries (approx a cup - and they don't have to be fresh, I used frozen but these have a tendency to break into pieces)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix dry ingredients and almonds in a bowl and cut in the butter (remember... pastry blender). Add cream and almond extract/vanilla, mix together. Add raspberries and gently stir to combine.

This dough is a little more wet than the blueberry scones above. Careful with those raspberries as they are prone to mush (or break) - however DON'T add them before the wet...you don't want dry ingredients filling up their hollow insides! Not so tasty...

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a circle 1 inch thick. Cut into 8 pieces. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Cool 5-10 before topping.

Toppings:

Mix together 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup of almond crumbs

Raspberry sauce:

1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup raspberries

Add all ingredients to a saucepan. Set over medium heat and heat until mixture comes to a light boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Pour through a sieve to remove the solids and allow to cool until ready to use.

Dip cooled scones into the syrup then into the sugar/almond topping. This makes them pink and sparkly on top. Super cute and delicious.


P.S. We used the extra syrup on ice cream a few nights later and it was delish!

And that's all for now. I'll have to post again with some more because my chai scones turned out AMAZING.

Scone Confessions

So I bake scones for therapy? What you gonna do about it? 

The answer is, come over and help me eat them.

Seriously. I am on such a scone kick over here that my family is threatening to take away my pastry blender... or they would, if they thought of it. Because I refuse to make scones with anything except an old fashioned pastry blender, without it...I'd be lost.

Raspberry Almond

Not that they don't like my scones or are sick of eating them - no the real problem is that they like them TOO much! See, they are worried about their waist-lines...and so they should be. It isn't exactly the most health-conscious pass-time to pursue I guess.

But lately, it's my stress-reliever, my fallback, my happy place.

Blueberry Lemon

Just me and the pastry blender and the soft dough. And when that perfect, warm, flakey, yet fluffy pastry comes out of the oven... well its almost bliss. Almost.

It started with the blueberry lemon scones (those are still the favourite) and grew from there. Raspberry almond, strawberries and cream, banana maple pecan, and tonight it was chocolate hazelnut. I'm pretty much stoked for autumn and all the new flavours that it inspires (think: cinnamon, apple, pumpkin, CHAI, and vanilla)

Then I made mock devonshire cream. Best idea ever. I guess I'm secretly British at heart, or at least... in the taste buds.

Chocolate Hazelnut

Snail Day

Wet wet wet

Grey skies mirrored in shallow puddles

Flattened grass, moist earth

Dripping tree branches

The snails reign

Leaving slimy trails along the sidewalk

Curly shells perfectly designed

Each pattern unique

Beady eyes searching and twitching

Slow, steady, soggy adventurers 

Speedy Snail

Peek-a-boo Snail

U-turn Snail

Stand-off Snail

Explorer Snail 

The arms that rocked me

As is always fitting on a bright Mother's Day Sunday, Pastor Don preached a message all about mothers today. He quoted from an old poem, you may have heard it: The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. 

It got me thinking about those hands who did so much more than just rock a cradle. They cleaned, they bandaged wounds, they caressed my hair, they taught me to crochet, they showed me how to knead bread, they held my own as we walked down the street. Those arms held me tight on countless occasions, from the rocking chair when I was a child unable to sleep, to the floor when I collapsed in distress, to the airport as I left home... and they are always open to me. 

Those hands that I know so well, always moving, always busy, always fulfilling another need. Those hands and the woman to who they belong have taught me well. About life and love and faith; about work and rest and play; about tears and joys and pain; about gentleness and strength and endurance. 

This Mother's Day, I am thanking God for those hands, those hands who have influenced countless lives besides my own and which I hope to one day be able to mimic with my own. 

Ill tidings

Watching sunlight turn to grey
Darkness drawing in
Wind is bearing tidings ill
Sound of rain tapping on tin

Drips persist and overwhelm
Force me away to hide
Helpless against a growing storm
Whose will won't be denied

Drip Drip Drop

Drip, drip, drop

Little April shower

Beating a tune as you fall all around

Drip, drip, drop

Little April shower

What can compare with your beautiful sound?

Beautiful sound, beautiful sound

Drip, drop, drip, drop

(Little April Showers - Bambi)

Okay so it's not exactly April anymore and in all honesty, it hasn't even been raining out here. BUT we did have a delightfully non-spring-like dump of snow on May 1st! Oh the joys of being in Jackson Hole.

However, with said dump of 6 inches, came a whole day of symphonious dripping as the fluffy snow melted away, dropping in heavy clumps from tree branches and leaking over the eaves of buildings. Drips and drops were heard all over campus as the snow turned to slush and the ground turned to mush. By late afternoon the sun was shining happily down on the muddy lawn and the snow was scarce.

The sparkling drops of weeping snowmelt continued into the evening. The sound was close enough to resembling a light April shower that I was willing to pretend and sing-a-long to the Bambi song as I went about the day. Now all we're missing are those supposed "May flowers".

I had almost forgotten how Wyoming seems to misunderstand the word "spring" as an actual change of seasons...

Bruised and Broken

Surrounding and Surrounded

I am here, so near

Touch me, feel me, see me

Yet I’m beyond your reach

Stretching away, beyond measure

Leaving you behind, leaving all

I am alone

Surrounding and surrounded

Uncontainable, distant, unknown

And yet caged, held captive

Restrained, held by invisible chains

But I am free

Wild and dangerous

Violent and untamed

Fearsome and unpredictable

I am awesome and powerful

But I welcome you, small one

With gentle arms           

With comfort and pleasure

You will be safe

And happy

But you will be wary

Though you love me

You do not know me

I am a mystery

Despite your searching

You cannot wholly discover me

And what remains unknown

You will fear

Find your inner woman 17: Forever young

The other day I walked into a bank to open an account and as I followed the petite, smiling banker to her desk she asked me if "we" were opening a teen account today...

Last week someone at youth group thought I was there as a student rather than one of the leaders...

At church on Sunday a kindly lady asked me what grade I was in...

Remarks like these used to really upset me but I think I really have come to terms with this young face of mine. I mean, what really is there to be upset about? Of course, everyone wants to look older when they are young and younger when they are old but isn't it all rather silly? What is the basis of this bizarre need to be viewed a certain age, even if it's just the age we actually are? It's not like we have anything to do with how old we are. It's not like I can take pride in my age or even ownership.

A person's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed - Job 14:5

My days are not my own. James says my life is only a vapour. Not exactly ample reason to stress about how many years I have had. Rather it's what I do WITH them that matters.

So I'll be "forever young" I guess, until that magical day when perhaps I will look older. I am who I am. Perhaps being "ageless" has it's perks. Perhaps it doesn't. What does it matter anyways? Perhaps we should just not judge people by their age or how they look, there's a thought...

After all God uses the weak against the strong and the foolish to shame the wise.

Where does that leave me? At the realization that I should see the person, not the stats written on their passport.

Besides sometimes I feel like a ten year old anyways... who's to judge?

Not knowing

All this time not knowing
Where you are, where you're going

Hidden mostly, sometimes showing
Shining little, softly glowing

Behind the clouds that go on snowing
Swept off by wind that's ever blowing

And time keeps stretching, somehow slowing
Dull and dreary, nothing growing

But like the river ever flowing
Still we wait in hope, unknowing

I'm like a flower

It's one of those days of delightful comfiness, requiring pajamas and slippers all day long.

And I'm constantly distracted by work I should be doing because my eyes can't help but be drawn to light glowing from my windows. This unexpected blessing of sunshine and blue sky is a little more than I can bear.

It's one of those days where I just want to lay on a blanket and embrace the sunshine as it warms my face with the tender rays of late winter.

It's one of those days that brightens my spirits and hope for the future.

Farewell

For being the shortest month of the twelve, February seems to have dragged on rather long this year. I wasn't ready for it when it got here but then it seemed to be quite happy to stay awhile. Funny how time can just fly by slowly....

It was also one of the busiest for our family. It seemed we were always headed somewhere for some festivity or another: weddings, parties, baby showers... I'm hoping a new month will give us some time to breathe.

It was a month of bright sunshine and drenching rain. As usual, the people of the Fraser Valley seemed to be trying to rush spring one day: planting flowers and taking walks without jackets, but the next day they are hitting up the slopes, enjoying the fluffy snow of a glorious powder day. I just have to smile. We live in a truly special place here on the coast. 

Today seems like the perfect day to bid February farewell. Wet, windy and wild, I'm looking forward to March and the closer it brings us to the freshness of spring once again. 

Some of my favourite pictures of the month came from my dear cousin's wedding (no surprise there!). I was blessed to have both my sisters with me again and to enjoy the time up north with family. 

Still hard to believe my beautiful little cousin is married! 

Typical Swaan-Styles girls pic 

Loved watching the precious moments between my aunt and Courtney as they both move on to a new stage of life.

These two are my favourite. Best friends for life.

Me and my gorgeous, talented sister who slaved over everyone's hair all morning! 

Always Daddy's little girls

Thursday Smiles (No. 5): Frosting

Well, it's that day again. The day of love and chocolate and hearts and cupid. You can't escape it even if you want to. It's all around us:

"St. Valentine's Day"
"Single's Awareness Day"
"I Love You Day" (as one of my good friends calls it)

or even if it's simply February 14th, you can't escape the reminders of romance everywhere you go.

I wrote about this day two years ago in my post "Happy February 14th"and I still agree with my sentiments from back then. I think it's a fine holiday to celebrate and it's fine if you don't feel inclined to do anything special. I think what's important is to be careful about the two extremes of obsessing over your Valentine...or lack of and also be careful not to hate on the holiday and mock others who like it. You don't need to send out cards and frosted cookies but you also don't have to be overtly negative. It IS a day to celebrate love, so why don't we show a little?

Finding February

February feels odd to me this year. I'm not sure why. I mean, perhaps it's related to my previous post about the sudden realization of change... but maybe it's also because I've just never really thought about it. 

This second month of the year doesn't really have a lot going for it you know. No big holidays. No change of season. And it's that oddly short month on the calendar. How many days again? 28? Wait, is it a leap year? How many would it have in a leap year again? Who decided on that system anyways?? It's still winter in February but it's not really known for its winteriness...at least not here. It's just chilly and wet and a short stopping off point on the way to spring I guess. 

We had sun this week though. And it's been uncharacteristically warm, though still cold enough to wear my new fuzzy boots and red mittens. It was rather pleasant, if I do say so myself. I was out walking and I was feeling sorry for this morose short month. The brief moment of sunshine made me realize that its rather grey most the time. Everything has a dull tone. Grey skies, grey-brown trees, the dead leaves have lost their luster, even the grass is rather dull. Winter has seeped into the heart and soul of the earth and it's just waiting for the uplifting fragrance of spring. 

And so I decided to capture this sunshine and search for the beauty I know is out there, the beauty that makes February, well, February.  

Well hello February

It seems like I have been called to a period of waiting at this time in my life. And I have discovered there is a lot to learn in these periods. I would never characterize myself as a patient person. I am not one to sit back and watch and hope... not that I don't do that sometimes. I have my dreams and aspirations. But I'm more of a get-up-and-get-it-done type. I'm a planner. I organize. I strategize.

But not always. Not now.

Right now, mostly, I wait.

And during this waiting I have experienced an odd phenomena. Time seems to stretch on and on and on; the future is this foggy unknown; the days go by marked only by their lack of definition and unknown answers.

And then suddenly it's February.

It's like I have been in this habit of waiting so long, feeling immobile, that though time is passing, I don't really expect anything around me to change because I'm in a seemingly static state.

But the month has changed. They tend to do that, I realize. And I knew it was coming. But it's here now. A simple change maybe. But a change nonetheless.

Perhaps there's hope for me too.