Drop Oatmeal Scones

I'm back home in Portland and have been busy catching up around the house and a busy day calls for something simple to bake that makes the house smell great.

Drop Oatmeal Scones are tender, delicious and couldn't be easier. Just use one bowl to make the dough and drop it by spoonfuls onto a sheetpan.

Drop Oatmeal Scones

1 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup dried cranberries (optional)
* You can substitute other dried fruits for the cranberries. Dried apricots and dried cherries are especially good.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl combine oatmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the shortening and using your fingers cut it into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Add the milk, egg and vanilla and mix until just combined. Add the dried cranberries and drop large spoonfuls onto sheetpan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

In-N-Out

A burger from In-N-Out Burger may not be fancy but boy is it good and a bargain.

We stopped by the Glendale store for a late dinner on our way home from The Getty Center.

The restaurant has been around since 1948 and the menu is simple - just burgers, shakes and fries. The service is fast and friendly.

Why can't we have one Portland?

A cheeseburger costs just 2.20 and be sure to ask for grilled onions. They are a free addition and in my opinion what makes the burger great.

The Getty

The Getty Center is hands down my favorite place to visit in Los Angeles.

The art is fine but the main attractions for me are the gardens and the architecture.

We spent some time looking at the new Herb Ritts exhibit but most of the day outside wandering through the gardens.

Heath Ceramics

We visited the Heath Ceramics store and studio in Melrose yesterday.

http://www.heathceramics.com/

I love the simple design and colors of the dinnerware.

These are the dishes Alice Waters uses in her renowned Berkeley, California restaurant Chez Panisse.

I was impressed to learn that Heath Ceramics has teamed up with Skid Row Housing Trust in collecting dinnerware to be donated to the needy.

http://laist.com/2011/08/01/health_ceramics_and_skid_row_housing_trust_dinnerware_trade_in.php

Until August 31, people can bring the dinnerware they want to donate into Heath Ceramics in exchange for 25-percent off corresponding Heath items.

Spice Station

While walking in the Silverlake neighborhood with my brothers and daughter this afternoon we came across Spice Station a quaint store kind of hidden from the street.

The store was filled with jars of spices, salts and infused sugars.

The sugars were what really caught my attention.

The woman working was friendly and encouraged us to taste so we did.

Wow! There were so many flavors of sugar to try like tangerine, lime, habanero, cinnamon and dark cocoa and they all were fantastic.

The dark cocoa and lime were the ones I chose to buy and can't wait to sprinkle them on top of chocolate shortbread and sugar cookies.

Thankfully the store is happy to take mail orders because I can imagine I'll be wanting more.

Here's the contact information:

http://spicestationsilverlake.com/
Spice Station
3819 W. Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-660-2565

Away In L.A

I just arrived in Los Angeles this morning and will be here for a week visiting my brothers Josh and John.

Some very kind volunteers will fill in for me and run the kitchen at the upcoming Wednesday Community Meal.

While in L.A. I'm on the lookout for interesting food that I can post.

My brothers have a vintage oven that currently doesn't work so I'll have to forgo baking for a while. I think I'll survive.

The O'Keefe & Merritt stove that I wish I could figure out how to get up and running.. The Stove works but the pilot light in the oven won't stay lit.

Bread And Croutons

Homemade croutons ready to be toasted in a 400 degree oven.

 At the Wednesday Community Meal we are lucky to receive loafs of crusty artisan bread donated from Grand Central Bakery.

We hand out the loaves to guests and slice it to make sandwiches, toast and homemade croutons.

The homemade croutons are especially popular.

To make them, we toss chunks of the bread in a bit of olive oil and add kosher salt, black pepper, garlic and herbs.  Then we lay the bread on a sheet pan and toast them in a 400 degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes.


Purchased croutons are expensive and filled with preservatives. These croutons are way better and the best part is that we are utilizing old bread.

We served 195 meals today at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral and lots of homemade croutons on a salad of fresh greens gleaned from Spring Hill Organic Farm.