Lemon Blueberries & Creme Scones

So this past weekend kicked my butt...both mentally and physically.  Anyone who has ever run a race with any great distance...10+ miles will understand.  Over the course of what would ultimately be 26.86 miles, not just 26.2 because you always end up running more than the actual race distance, I wanted to quit at least 5 times.  I first wanted to quit because I knew I could just stop at the half marathon distance and I would have been happy with my time.  I wanted to quit because I was bored with running by miles 15, but I knew I would be disappointed in myself if I quit at something I knew I could complete.  I wanted to stop and walk when there were hills between miles 22 and 24, and by then there weren't people cheering you on anymore.  

Do you ever feel that way, like you just want to not do something anymore even though you know you totally can?  Like I know I could do "xyz", but it is going to take a lot of time and I just don't feel like putting in that time and energy right now.  Sometimes I feel that way about baking.  Like I don't really want to make a cake right now, not because I don't want cake and couldn't make it, but because I don't want to have to then clean up the kitchen and wash all of the dishes.  My kitchen is small and sometimes I don't get excited to bake in it simply because of that.  

But the other weekend I was very excited to get to bake for my DC Taste of the Nation silent auction friends.  We were meeting on a Saturday, and I really wanted to bake them something, since I don't get the opportunity to very often.  When I found some really nice looking blueberries at the store, I new immediately what I wanted to try out...Lemon Blueberries and Creme Scones.  They have just the slightest hint of lemon to add a light brightness for spring with the plump juicy blueberries.  Plus, these are the easiest from scratch scones you will ever make.  They come out light and fluffy for scones and are super moist from the cream.  You should definitely give these a try this spring, and Enjoy!

I won't put my after picture up, here because no one looks great after running for 4+ hours (and it's on instagram let's be real), and I keep saying I won't do another one...but talk to me a year from now.  I couldn't do it without my friends and family who came out to cheer me on though.

On to the seriously delicious scones...these are so easy and I can't wait to make them again.

S'mores Shortbread

So last weekend I got lost.  I was running along, only planning on running 8 miles Sunday morning in Charlotte when I got lost.  I was trying to follow map my run, and the route they picked out, but clearly I wasn't doing it properly.  Clearly I am now so dependent on someone literally telling me where to go at an exact moment that I had lost those map reading skills.  What do kids growing up now do?  Like what happens if they are in the middle of nowhere with no phone signal, and have never needed to read a map before.  I mean do they even have a map in their car?  Of course, what do I do but, plug in their address and started once again listening to an electronic voice tell me where to go.  But then I had a moment of panic, and used a few harsh words, as my phone crashed as it was giving me directions to my brother and sister-in-laws house.  A) I still didn't know if I was heading in the right direction and B) I couldn't even order an Uber to get me to their neighborhood and I had no cash on me.  It is amazing how dependent we can become on technology.  It also made me think about how important it is to just set the phone down sometimes, stick it in a draw and actually enjoy your life, not living vicariously through others.  Thankfully my phone came back up, I stopped listening to music and just listened to the occasional direction I was given.  I paid a more attention to what was going on around me, and all of the RIDICULOUSLY large houses I was running by and not even really noticing before.  

But before last weekend, and actually the weekend before...what can I say I am a little behind...I made these s'mores shortbread for my office.  Sometimes everyone needs a little treat on Monday!  The best part about these was toasting the marshmallow just before the shortbread was going to be eaten so it was super warm and toasty.  Using a torch to do this even caused the chocolate to be somewhat melty just making these little shortbread even better.  

I am a little behind here on the blog, and I should come up with excuses, but I have been baking.

Like on the same day I made these shortbread, I also made chocolate dipped Hazelnut shortbread for Charles' office.