it’s the little things

My work “To Do” list is pretty long; and each day it seems to get longer no matter what I check off of it. But this weekend, despite knowing it was there, looming, ready to stare me down tomorrow morning, I just couldn’t bring myself to work on any of it. Instead, I chose to enjoy quality time with friends that were headed back to the West Coast and my family. We made masks. And had a blast. And it wasn’t until just now that I thought about that pesky list.

That’s one thing I love about having a toddler, and a husband with whom I like spending my time. They remind me what’s really important. The Buttermilk Strawberry Cobbler we had for dessert also helped remind me that it’s the little things that really matter.

Eleanor’s first mask.

Practicing cutting.

Drawing an owl.

Modeling the lion mask.

Owl,  finished product.

Owl, annotated.

Buttermilk Strawberry Cobbler

Adapted From the Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

Serves 6-9

{Note: I ended up using only strawberries because that’s what I could get my hands on, and that’s what looked good. I can see how mixed berries would add a nicely to the flavors, but the strawberries stood up well on their own. I might be included to use a few more next time, because I like the juices/fruit and wanted more. Also, I used lowfat buttermilk, and thought it worked nicely. The biscuits were very light.}

Fruit

• Scant 4 c mixed fresh berries, gently rinsed and drained
• ½ c sugar
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbs fresh lemon juice (half of one lemon)
• ½ tsp cinnamon

Biscuit Topping

• 1 ¾ c flour (1 c all-purpose, ¾ c whole wheat)
• 1 Tbs baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3 ½ Tbs sugar
• 5 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 c buttermilk (see headnote)

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Prepare the fruit: gently rinse and hull the berries. Stem and slice as needed. Toss the berries with the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Spoon into a 9-inch deep dish pie plate or baking dish, and bake in the middle of the oven until the juices begin to bubble at the edges, roughly 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile prepare the topping: stir and toss the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar in a mixing bowl. Work the butter in with your fingers, or the tines of a fork, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Then stir in the buttermilk to form a slightly lumpy batter.
4. Remove the berries from the oven, and drop large spoonfuls of the batter over the fruit, approximately ½ inch apart (I fit 9 spoonfuls across the top of the pan). Bake until the topping is nicely browned and puffed and just cooked through between the biscuits, 20-25 minutes.
5. To serve, scoop a portion of the biscuit topping into each serving bowl, then spoon the warm berries and juice on top. Top with whipped cream or ice cream as desired.