I love fresh scones, especially with a dollop of strawberry jam and a generous serving of whipped cream.
I have been making this recipe since I was a young girl. In fact, I do believe this is the first recipe I ever made. I distinctly remember my father teaching me how to knead and roll out the dough in the little kitchen of my childhood home.
This recipe is for unsweetened scones. I prefer unsweetened scones, as I find serving them with jam gives more than enough sweetness.
Recipe (Makes +- 12 scones)
Ingredients
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil
Add 1 egg to oil, then fill to 1 cup measure with milk
Method
Preheat the oven to 200˚C / 390˚F.
Sift the dry ingredients together.
Make a well in the centre, and mix in the oil, egg and milk to form a dough.
Pat out to 2cm thick (about 4/5 of an inch).
Cut with a scone cutter. (I went very technical here and used a mug). Place on a greased baking sheet. You can brush the tops with beaten egg or milk if you wish.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the scones are golden brown.
I’ve really been in the mood for something peanut buttery lately, so I started flipping through my collection of recipes. I found an old trusted recipe for Oatmeal Choc Chip Cookies, and decided to add a peanut butter element to satisfy my nutty craving. They were so easy to make, and tasted great!
Recipe (Makes +- 24 cookies)
Ingredients
1 cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
150g peanut butter (Crunchy or smooth – I prefer crunchy)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
1.25 cups flour
0.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 cups quick cooking oats
1 cup choc chips
Method
Preheat the oven to 165˚C / 330˚F.
Cream butter, peanut butter and sugar together. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla essence.
Add dry ingredients and mix until blended. Add oats and choc chips and mix through.
Drop spoonfuls on to an ungreased baking tray.
Bake for 12 -15 minutes, until golden on top.
Leave for a few minutes to firm up a bit and then cool on a wire rack.
So… it has been five months since the hubby and I said our tear-streaked goodbyes to our loved ones at OR Tambo Int. Airport. At least, it was teary on my part. That day marked the start of our new lives; leaving everything we knew behind and venturing to an unknown land filled with the promise of a brighter, happier future.
Five months down the line… is it everything I thought it would be? Yes. And no. Something that is incomprehensible before you experience it yourself obviously can’t be exactly as you imagined. Oh, this is definitely the brighter, happier place we envisioned. Life has become so much easier in some ways, yet a bit harder in others. I’ve tried to outline some of what I’ve learnt so far on this journey.
1. Leaving is hard
Yes, you prepare yourself for months before you take the final plunge, letting go of the places and comforts you know so well, a little bit at a time. But that last jump, plummeting down the rabbit hole, takes its emotional toll. Those last moments with closest family and friends I remember clearly. It does get better, with time. Though there are those rough patches where you suddenly think to yourself, “What on earth have I done?!” Fortunately, those inevitably pass, and rational thought kicks in once again.
2. People elsewhere in the world are different
This may seem obvious, but it took me a while to notice actually. At first it was just the glaring differences that make everything so exciting: the accents, the greetings, the food (and, of course, the tattoos that are so prominent in the Sunshine Coast). Then after some time I started to notice other things, things that took a while to put my finger on. People here value different things, have different ideals. Certain norms where I come from are not tolerated by society here. The South-African drinking and driving culture is a prominent example of this. I still find it odd to hear campaigning on the radio to discourage people from walking around while intoxicated. At other times I find myself looking at someone thinking, you really don’t know how great you’ve got it here. I mean, there is such an outcry at the moment because of the future possibility of paying $7 for a doctor’s appointment. A $6 cappuccino, though… no problem!
These differences that are as a result of the society in which one grows up, will obviously take quite a bit longer for me to get used to. Until then, I’ll try to not be bothered by the awkward silence when I say (or hubby says) something not considered to be socially acceptable.
3. There are people you will have something in common with
This one had me quite worried for a while after moving here. Firstly, everyone seemed to have babies. Yes, everyone…. Secondly, I couldn’t seem to find anyone with similar interests. This is a sun/beach/surf town, and so most people aren’t really bothered with matters so trivial as the Internet or Xbox 1 games. Hubby and I aren’t exactly what you’d call… outdoorsy. We find our comforts in TV shows, games, coffee and the occasional walk. One day, by some random chance, we met a few people we could hold enjoyable conversations with. Yes, it was bound to happen at some point; it’s not like people with similar interests don’t exist. But it’s still a big comfort knowing there’s someone in this new land you can talk to!
4. We made the right choice
Every day we drive past a nearby park that overlooks a lake. There are always families there, sometimes walking their dogs, sometimes barbecuing while their children climb on the jungle gym or play cricket. I look at it and think, yeah, that’s why we’re here. We don’t have children and we don’t really barbecue, but it’s the freedom in the way those people live their lives that makes me want to be here.
I will always miss my family and close friends who are in South Africa. They can never be replaced by anyone here. But this is where we want to be at this moment in our lives, where our new home is. Unfortunately we can’t have both right now. Maybe one day… if the heavens align and we all end up happily together in a little piece of paradise. Who knows…?
Robzy Muffin 