Basic Scones

The other night I wanted to bake something, and on a whim decided on scones. The last time I made scones they were delicious, but used a whole stick of butter and sour cream. This go around I was looking for something lighter and found the perfect (highly reviewed) recipe, courtesy of Alton Brown. Of course I had to make a few changes, anyways!

2 1/2 cups flour
4 tsps baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sugar
4 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp vegetable shortening
3/4 cup skim milk
1 egg
filling of choice (dried fruit, nuts, etc.)

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter and shortening using a pastry cutter or two knives. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and egg, then add to dry ingredients until incorporated. Stir in a large handful of your choice of filling. I used Craisins with orange flavor, which gave a delicious citrus taste to the dough. I'd suggest adding zest in addition to your choice of dried fruit or nuts. You could also add cinnamon or nutmeg for a spiced version.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Using floured hands, pat out into a circle about 1" thick. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife slice the dough into 6 or 8 equal sized wedges. Bake for about 15 minutes until the top is lightly browned. Remove and let cool a few minutes before separating the wedges.


Mmm these hit the spot! Not only did they smell delicious baking, but they were simple and fast to whip up! These scones are so fluffy, but still have the heartiness and hint of sweetness you look for in a "real" scone. I love that they used drastically less butter than other recipes, and were ok with just skim milk. The craisins with orange flavor were like little gems hidden in each bite, such a pop of flavor.

Friday Firsts - Fire Starters

Happy Friday everybody! I hope you enjoy your Memorial Day weekends! For those of you who will be grilling out, my first for this week is making eco-friendly fire starters! My mom used to make these, but this was the first time I've made them myself!



Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!



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Eco-Friendly Fire Starters

With grilling season upon us, I thought I'd show you how to make these eco-friendly fire starters. My mom used to make these for personal and Girl Scout use when I was little. It reuses a lot of headed-for-the-trash items to make something useful.

You will need:
cardboard egg cartons
paraffin unscented wax
dryer lint
shredded paper scraps
sawdust

Melt the wax using a double boiler. *Do not melt wax over an open flame because it is flammable!* Use unscented paraffin wax so it burns cleanly. Do not use leftover candles or crayons because they may have scents or chemicals you don't want burning near food.

Using flammable items such as dryer lint, shredded paper scraps, or sawdust distribute them into the cups of cardboard egg cartons. I used dryer lint from cotton loads, such as towels, sheets, and jeans. Cotton is a natural fiber and will burn cleanly, so avoid using lint from man-made fabrics. Also be careful in choosing your paper scraps, selecting those without glossy finish or harsh dyes and inks.

Once the wax has melted, carefully pour just enough to cover the material in the egg cups. Allow to set for a few hours and then rip the egg cups to separate. You can now use one or two of these to start a fire safely without the use of harmful chemicals that are bad for the environment!

Christinafied Chicken Salad

Remember earlier last week I showed you how to butterfly a whole 3 1/2 pound chicken? Well, the day after eating said chicken for dinner Johnny got sick (unrelated to my food thankyouverymuch). So, that left little ole me with a little more than half a bird of leftovers to eat by myself the days he was out of commission. The first few days there was a lot of dark meat left (which I prefer) and I was happy just eating it as is, cold or heated up.

Then I got to the last breast (Johnny had eaten the other, he prefers white meat) and I wasn't so inspired to eat it anymore. I had a few nibbles and became disinterested, but didn't have the heart to waste it.

I did the next best thing and decided on making chicken salad with it. It was a last minute cold dinner late at night after finishing some homework. I had zero intention of telling anybody I ate a cold chicken sandwich for dinner, let alone blogging about it. But one thing lead to another and before I knew it I had created this really tasty chicken salad that was interesting enough to snap some photos of and share!

1 cooked chicken breast, cut into pieces
1 rib of celery, chopped fine
1 scallion/green onion chopped fine
1 hard boiled egg, sliced both ways with an egg slicer
~1 inch from a block of sharp cheddar cheese, cubed in 1/4" pieces
~2 Tbsp mayonnaise (I used the olive oil kind)
large dash of black pepper
dash of paprika

Mix the ingredients together well until the egg yolk is incorporated. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. My chicken had been marinated in a jerk style seasoning so it was really tasty to begin with, you might need to add salt or other flavors for your tastes. Yields enough for 2 sandwiches.

Friday Firsts - Pixie Tangerines

Happy Friday everybody! I've had a bit of a stressful week due to a difficult teacher assignment and Johnny being sick. Like really, really sick. I had to take him to the ER Wednesday night for fluids and meds, but he seems to be a little better although he's still busy sleeping it off. Thanks for your well wishes on Twitter the past few days!

Last grocery trip I spotted this bag of pixie tangerines next to the other citrus and on a whim threw them in the cart for my first this week. I've been a little more adventurous grabbing new-to-me ingredients since starting Friday Firsts - how about you?

I think what intrigued me most was the promise of being sweet and juicy right on the packaging. I absolutely hate grabbing fruit of any kind and then realizing it's a dud. A beautiful red watermelon tasting like sour nothingness, or a promising orange peeled to reveal shriveled, dry tasteless wedges. It's such a let down!

After some quick googling I learned that these tangerines are grown in the concentrated area of Ojai, California. They were developed in the 1920s and have been available to the public since the 1960s. They're usually seen in stores late Spring and just have one crop a year, so I'm glad I snatched them up!

They were ridiculously sweet and juicy, some were almost like taking bites of a candy orange. They're easy to peel with a thin skin and are completely seedless, which is convenient. BUT let's not skip the most exciting part of these fruits...

They're itty bitty, adorable, and teeny tiny!!! That is one with a regular old quarter for perspective! Most were about the size of a ping pong or golf ball, a few were a little larger. I don't know about you, but their cuteness made me love them that much more! Also, I bet kids would have no problem getting in their suggested fruit servings if you had these around the house!


Now it's your turn to tell me about your first! To participate in Friday Firsts create a blog post featuring a "first" of yours. Next, link that blog post below and tell us about it! If you don't have a blog or a specific post to link to please tell us about your first in the comment section! Any and all participation is welcome!



If you would like to display the Friday Firsts button as a badge in your post or on your side bar, you can copy and paste the following code:

<a href="http://www.dinneratchristinas.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://glc.dinneratchristinas.com/i/fridayfirsts.png" alt="Friday Firsts / DinnerAtChristinas.com" style="width: 220px; height: 220px; border: none"/></a>

How to Butterfly a Chicken

I'm a little ashamed to admit this, but last summer was the first time I bought a whole chicken because I had no idea what to do with it. Before that, I always just bought the neat little packages of boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Now, don't get me wrong - I still buy chicken breasts, but I think when you only buy them you tend to disconnect that you are eating chicken. Since cutting my first whole chicken I realize the importance that we all need to know where our food is coming from.

Not even 100 years ago our predecessors didn't have a supermarket to go to. If they went to a general store it would have had very little offerings of flour, sugar, and some canned items. Advancements are great, but I do find it almost a pity that in just two generations we now give no thought to the idea of where our food comes from and the work that is put into it.

How many of us know how to cut down a chicken? How many of us know how to can and put away our own food? Centuries of human experience went into the knowledge of curing, salting, and canning food for preservation. In less than 100 years that knowledge is all but lost.

Your thoughts on the subject?



Buy a whole chicken. Preferably one that hasn't been pumped full of preservatives, hormones, or other funky stuff. You'll notice immediately that the price is a fraction of that charged for pre-cleaned breasts. This four and a half pound chicken was a little over $4 and is enough to feed a family of four.

Open the package and remove the little parcel of giblets from the cavity of the chicken. Usually the chicken's neck, heart, liver, and gizzards are included. These can be saved for other recipes such as stuffing, gravy, or stock. I usually cook mine up in a small skillet with a lid on for my pets to enjoy. This way no part of the chicken goes to waste.

Place the chicken on your cutting board with the spine facing up. Using a sharp knife cut along either side of the spine. When you get to the breast area, it will be a little tougher because of the rib cage. After making the initial cut through the meat, I actually prefer to use kitchen shears for the rest of the cutting. Once the spine is removed this can also be used for stock or gravy too.

Flip the chicken over after the spine is removed. Grab either side of the chicken, by the wings and pull outwards. This will pop the breastplate which can then be removed with a little tug. At this point your chicken is butterflied.

If you wish to separate the chicken in two halves, slice through the center of the chest between the two breasts. You can cook the chicken this way, or freeze half for later if you are a smaller household.

One of my favorite ways to prepare a whole chicken is on the grill (chicken under a brick). Because the chicken is butterflied, it only takes about 30 minutes! Another way to prepare it is under the broiler, for about 20 minutes on either side. Butterflying a chicken drastically reduces the time it takes to cook the chicken, which keeps it juicy and flavorful. If I were to bake this same chicken whole, it would take 20 minutes per pound at 350°, which means nearly an hour and a half in the oven!

Even if it scares you or grosses you out at first, give it a try. It really is easier than you think and practice will make it a breeze. Not only will your wallet thank you, but you will be proud of yourself for knowing how to tackle a whole chicken! The first time I did this by myself it must have taken 20 minutes with me pausing to look at directions to make sure I was doing it correctly. Now I can do it in 2 minutes flat and it's a great skill to know!

Smashed Green Onion Potatoes

I saw this last week on Fight the Fat Foodie and told Scott it called to me! I put the ingredients on the grocery list and made it immediately, despite not being a major potato fan.

5 medium red potatoes, cut in eighths
~10 stalks green onions (aka scallions)
~ 3 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450°. Spread the green onions on a baking sheet, brush with 1/3 of the oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 10 minutes, turning once. Remove from oven and coarsely chop.

Toss the potatoes in the remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes, turning once. After the potatoes have cooked through and browned, remove from the oven and combine in a bowl with the green onions. With a potato masher, smash roughly to burst the potatoes, but not enough to turn them into mashed potatoes. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

This is one of those dishes with so few ingredients, but such a blast of flavor you won't believe it. I love dishes like these because I think it shows the art of appreciating an ingredient and coaxing the depth of its natural flavor out. Apparently, smashing potatoes with other ingredients is a favorite preparation method of Jacques Pepin - so you know you can trust it!

There is no butter or milk, but they still had such a fluffy, creamy texture. The outsides were crisp and browned and roasted, while the inside like clouds. Johnny and I thoroughly enjoyed them and the oniony bite from the scallions.

We had them with ham and frozen peas for a well-rounded dinner. I utilized the leftover potatoes and ham by making a frittata for another night's dinner. We still enjoyed the great roasted flavor profile, just in a different limelight.