it's the little things...buttermilk scones

Leftover buttermilk means only one thing in my mind...scones.  Sure sure there are loads of great things that can be made with buttermilk but, for me, scones...or maybe muffins at a push, are a thrifty way to use up leftover buttermilk...they freeze great.  

When visiting my parents, my mum bought me some buttermilk (only available in 1 litre containers) to make a cake for my aunt...the recipe called for something like 70ml of buttermilk...so we had loads left over.  One great thing about buttermilk is that it can last for a while in the fridge so we weren't in much of a rush to use it up immediately.  After days of rearranging the fridge to fit everything in the HUGE buttermilk container was driving me nuts! I had to do something.  

While my mum prepared dinner I whipped up two batches of scones...cranberry and lemon and cheddar cheese.  The basic recipe I used is my go-to recipe from The New Canadian Basics Cookbook, to which I chucked in some dried cranberries and lemon rind...and some grated Canadian cheddar.  The recipe doesn't call for buttermilk...I just substituted it for the whole milk, but I think it adds something a little bit extra (I love a little zzzzing).  

I could easily eat scones for breakfast, lunch and snacks...oh ok maybe for dinner too.  I especially love how well they transport...perfect for lunch boxes and picnics...and hikes! 

The next day I went to Algonquin Park with my mum and dad for a day of exploring the Canadian wilderness.  We packed a picnic, including a selection of scones, and I took the opportunity of taking a snap for my friend Sophia's website.  Cranberry and Lemon Scone with a view...Algonquin Park and Lake of Two Rivers. 

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A Wilderness Adventure, River-side Picnic and a Gorgeous Tart

What an adventure! We took the bus out to Dalkeith Country Estate this weekend and spent a good chunk of time wandering (sometimes aimlessly) around the trails and through the forest and fields and along the riverbank.  We managed to take a wrong turn at some point...and there was a moment where I was like...ok just keep following the river...we'll be ok...and then...the next trail marker appeared out of nowhere! Phew!

We made the wrong turn after we had stopped for our picnic lunch on the banks of the river.  I'd like to think that the reason for the wrong turn was because we were still talking about how great our picnic was...but it probably was because we had been turned around and weren't really paying attention.

Picnic Grub: Toast with butter, picante sardines, lemon sardines and rice salad...and raspberries picked from the hedgerows along the path!

Returning home exhausted, hot, sweaty and a little bit grubby neither of us felt much like eating.  I had planned to make a quiche and salad for supper (to last us two nights) so I went ahead and made it thinking that if we didn't eat any it was no big deal...

Needless to say by 7:15 we were both more than happy to sit down and stuff our faces!! This quiche is made with ricotta cheese, it is light and fluffy and creamy.  The pastry is smeared with dijon mustard (mummy's trick),topped with chopped cooked spinach, the ricotta mixture (3 eggs, 250g ricotta, 1tbsp chopped basil and 100ml milk) and then finished with halved cherry tomatoes.

For two people who weren't hungry...we still managed to eat half of it!