lemon Archives -

May 6, 2016

Lavender Lemon Spelt Scones with Honeyed Lemon Ricotta

Each school morning we begin with a full hour of reading as I’ve found it’s been quite a pleasant and sweet way to begin our school time together. We curl up on the couch, sip tea, and immerse ourselves in piles of books. On one of the days during this past week, I thought it would be fun to do something a little extra-special- a simple breakfast and reading time in bed. My daughter was completely delighted. We took turns reading to each other as we ate our scones and sipped our tea. During this season of homeschooling, I’ve prioritized our reading time together with hopes that it will rekindle her love for books and her curiosity to learn. It’s in these small ways that I hope to make reading and learning a positive and joyful experience for her. We’ve already noticed small changes- she now reads on her own again, the lists of books she wants from the library are getting longer, and she is always excited to begin the school day because of these shared times of reading. We are thankful.

September 24, 2015

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

We had the pleasure of dining at the American Spoon Cafe this past summer during a family weekend up in northern Michigan. We ended up eating there twice in the same weekend because there were just so many things on their menu that we couldn’t resist (unusual since we usually try to experience as many new places as we can when we travel). On one of those occasions, both of our kids ordered adult-sized portions of their lemon ricotta pancakes. My oldest cleaned up his plate without any hesitation and my youngest came very close to finishing hers. To say they tasted good would be an understatement. Incredibly scrumptious would be more like it. I wanted to make a whole grain version of those same pancakes at home, partly to reminisce about our summer travels and partly because I wanted a plate for myself this time.

August 20, 2015

Blueberry Lemon Thyme Bread

With the end of summer in sight, we are trying hard to make the most of it by squeezing in as much fun as possible while also being mindful to take each day slowly and intentionally. This past weekend we hosted a backyard morning brunch for our neighbors and it was such a nice way to kick off this end-of-summer season. The kids ran around and played while the adults mingled and my heart was filled with gratefulness once again for this community that we live in. Looking ahead to these next couple of weeks, we’re going to try to fit in a just a few more summer playdates, one last mini-golf outing, a trip to the raspberry farm, maybe one more picnic, and so on. I’ve made this blueberry lemon thyme bread to celebrate the end of summer as well. We’ve gotten beautiful thyme from our CSA and it adds such a fragrant and fresh summer flavor to the blueberries and lemon. The bread is made with white whole wheat flour and whole wheat pastry flour for a light texture and yogurt to keep it moist and tender. This is the kind of loaf which is perfect for an afternoon tea or snack. It’s sweet, but not quite indulgent enough for dessert. We aren’t always able to sit down for a snack in the afternoons, but I do enjoy the times when we are able to come together for a few moments to rest, recollect ourselves, and savor a sweet treat together. School is just around the corner and I know I will be missing these times soon.