Hanging Around

Mother nature can't make up her mind lately! It was hovering around zero today, without the crazy gusts of wind. I escaped the cold weather at the City of Craft - a fantastic craft show that takes place twice a year (I went for the first time last fall). I bought a whole bunch of stuff, including some screen printed cards, homemade soaps, and a bag from Bookhou. I hung up my bag when I got home. Later on, I found the Quatchis just hanging around. I guess they like my new purchase too!

Happy weekend!

Superb Strawberry Scones

It's been a while since we've made scones a mi casa. We think of them as a treat, given their high cream and butter content. Mini was eager to help out, as always with baking. He measured all of the ingredients to a tee!

Strawberry Scones

1 cup chopped strawberries

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons shredded (or cubed) cold butter

2/3 cup cold half-and-half (or cream or buttermilk)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet. Set aside.

Combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Add butter, using a pastry cutter or 2 knives. Stir in chopped strawberries, then add cream. Gently stir the dough until it holds together.

Turn dough on a lightly floured surface and knead a few times to incorporate the dry ingredients. Don't overwork the dough. If the dough gets sticky, sprinkle with flour. 

Press the dough into a circle 3/4 inch thick. Push strawberries into the dough if they peek out. Cut circle into 8 wedges, then transfer the wedges to the baking sheet, leaving at least 1/2 inch of space between them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.

Source: Confessions of a Tart

Made with Love

I love hanging out at home in my pajama pants. Who doesn't, right? Now Q can too!

Q's pants are inspired by his favourite board game - Scrabble!

And they were made by his favourite person - my mum! She measured Q, made a pattern, and sewed everything by hand! Thanks, mum, for making Q's day!

Eat Yo Greens

These brussels sprouts from A-OK Foods were ahhhhhmazing!

Q was all smiles!

:]     :)     :D

Dear QuatchWatch Friends...

This is a long overdue THANK YOU to our QuatchWatch friends who have sent us mail over the past few weeks!

We appreciate your thoughtfulness and friendship!

Cheers!

Trip to Ikea

I've been in my condo for a good year now. I've made some small strides, but I still have a ways to go. Q joined me on an Ikea outing to get some inspiration. He's a great shopping buddy.

Q liked this media unit, but I think he liked the sasquatch-sized chair even more!

This rocker was quite comfortable, but the colour doesn't match with the living room colour scheme.

If Q could have it his way, he would have bunk beds for him and the Mins!

Q made some friends in the kids department. Their smiles are similar, don't ya think?

In the end, I only bought two picture frames. I wanted to get a media/storage unit, but it's been discontinued. Although I didn't buy much, I left with a lot of ideas. I think my to-do list has grown three times!

Larger than Life!

Like his best pal, Q, the Mins is quite the foodie. And lately, he's been into things that are larger than life! But I guess, many things are big for him considering his small size.

He's digging these lemon squares from our new Smitten Kitchen cookbook. I've tried them before, and failed miserably! He's encouraging me to try them again.

He was able to finish this Chocolate-Chocolate cookie with ease! This is another Momofuku Milk Bar recipe.

He also drank a latte as wide as him at Cafe 260. The drink was compliments of our friend, B, who gave us her Indie Coffee Passport. Thanks again, B!

Year of the Snake

 

Happy Lunar New Year!

The Quatchis wish you health and prosperity in the Year of the Snake!

To learn more about your Chinese horoscope, click here.

Q's Two Cents

Q likes collecting odds and ends. He has a few unique coins from my mum. Now that the penny is out of commission, he wanted to save two for him and the Mins.

Do we now say a nickel for your thoughts? Or, that costs a pretty nickel? I guess the penny has dropped! Har har har.

Momofuku cookies for the win!

The Quatchis and I were in for a baking challenge. The Momofuku Milk Bar cookies are pretty complex. We ultimately decided on the cornflake-chocolate-chip-marshmallow cookie.

Q reviewed the recipe carefully to make sure we had all of the ingredients. We had everything, with the exception of the cornflakes, which we substituted with frosted flakes and used less sugar. We also used regular-sized chocolate chips instead of mini ones.

Before making the cookies themselves, the Mins made the cornflake crunch.

Here is the crunch after 20 minutes in the oven. It smelled delicious!

I made quite the mess while preparing the dough, so the Quatchis looked on from the dining table. These cookies are by far the largest I have ever baked. As you can see in the photo above, they are almost as big as the Mins!

If you're looking for a highly addictive and delicious cookie, I highly recommend this recipe! The cookies have been a crowd pleaser with friends. Bon appetit!