Operation Garden Beds: Almost complete.

The days are growing longer, there aren't as many dark, depressing clouds hanging over; its like emerging from Gollum's cave. I love the Northwest, but I'm finished with it getting dark at 4pm.

We've been busy fixing up the house and now its time to spend some time outside. Our roommate is a carpenter and built us these amazing cedar gardening beds. We have two built right now for vegetables and herbs and he's working on building two smaller ones for berries. My husband has his heart set on raspberries and marionberries.

So we started by digging out all of the grass where the garden beds were going, since grass is a weed and we don't want it to grow up thru the beds. Also the ground here is very clay rich and we want to make sure there is proper drainage. Our roommate made the beds and we just placed them in the holes. We still have two holes in the backyard, for the berry beds, but it looks like we're digging graves right now. Our neighbors already think we're weirdos, so  what the heck. Here are some pics of our progress.

Beds all finished and ready for planting!

Lumber all cut and ready to be assembled. 

Garden bed No. 1

The backyard before we dug it all up.

Blackberry Lemon Scones

Blackberries grow wild all over my neighborhood, during August and September and I love to pick a ton and freeze them. They are a little too tart for me, for basic eating, but they work great for baking. I've made loads of pies, but this is my first time using them in scones. Loving that its spring time!

Ingredients:

Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into chunks
1 cup frozen blackberries, thawed and rinsed
1 cup heavy cream, plus more for brushing

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
Zest from half a large lemon
Juice from half a lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Shift together the dry ingredients; flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Using a pastry cutter, cut the butter in the flour mixture, till coarse crumbs appear. Fold in the berries. Create a well in the middle of the batter and pour in the cup of heavy cream. Fold the cream into the batter, till incorporated. Don't over mix.

3. Place the batter on a lightly floured surface and press into a rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half and  then half again, till you have 8 triangles. Place the scones on an ungreased cookie sheet. Lightly brush with the cream. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Let the scones cool on a wire rack.

4. Place the powder sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl. Mix with a spoon till all lumps are gone. Spread over the cooled scones and let harden for about 30 minutes.

Shift the dry ingredients. 

Place the cold butter chunks with the dry ingredients.

Cut the butter with a pastry cutter.

Cut till coarse crumbs appear.

Add the berries.

Fold them into the batter.

Create a well and add the cream. Fold till just incorporated.

Place the batter on a lightly floured surface and form a rectangle.

Cut into 8 triangles.

Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Brush with a little bit of cream.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

To make the glaze, mix the powdered sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice.

Coat the scones with the glaze.