If there’s something I love, it’s great bread. Put a basket of bread down on a table and I’m all over that like butter on– nevermind, you understand. Here’s my go-to, no-knead bread recipe!
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RiSE Festival: A Look Back At The Lanterns
There are some moments in life that will leave you absolutely breathless with joy and wonder. The RiSE Festival really tries to convey this idea, and I think to a skeptic it sounds terribly cheesy, but once you go it makes total sense. I love when I think back to RiSE, I feel good. And I don’t mean good in an “okay” way, I mean good in its best form.
I hope everyone gets to experience something they can look back on and think wow, i was so purely happy in that moment.
Because the lantern festival is taking place again this weekend, I thought I’d do a quick write up to share with anyone who wasn’t able to make it out there this year! (And to encourage anyone else to go if they have the tiniest flicker of interest.)
A couple years ago, a few friends from a grade above me in college had planned on making the trip out to Nevada and asked me last minute if I wanted to tag along. I’d never heard of the event since it was the first time it was being held at the Mojave Desert location, and normally my homebody self is so hesitant to just go, but I have a golden rule of always saying yes to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. I ended up going and it was one of the best decisions I could have made for myself at the time. Thank you, Alexis, for inviting me!
We were encouraged to write out our hopes and dreams on a lantern before sending it up into the sky.
I had read about this and thought it had sounded silly, but in the moment and surrounded by others who were doing the same, I ended up writing too. A LOT.
After the first wave of lanterns was launched together, we were free to release lanterns at our own pace. A group of friends near us was celebrating a 30th birthday, I saw three wedding proposals, I heard exclamations of joy from all around. It felt like everyone there was wrapped up in light.
As I took photos, I knew they couldn’t possibly capture the feeling of being there in person, so I recorded some video as well! I know it’s years later, but I was finally able to put it all together into something watchable with the help of my brother. Thank you, Cole, for helping me edit this into something better than what my imagination had hoped for!
I’m not anywhere in it (although you can hear me happily talking from behind the lens), but here it is! You can watch RiSE through my eyes:
I still think about what I wrote on that lantern sometimes.
RiSE Festival
Mojave Desert | Las Vegas, Nevada | Check the Schedule For Dates
Strawberry and Rosemary Scones
The first time I baked these strawberry and rosemary scones was from the comfort of my dorm kitchen during my junior year of college. I’d never made scones before and never cared much for them, but I wholeheartedly trusted in the power that was Giada De Laurentiis. It’s been years, but these delicious strawberry and rosemary scones are still coming out of my oven! And with the scent of rosemary swirling around the kitchen and the promise of a sweet strawberry jam center, these are practically irresistible.
Strawberry and Rosemary Scones
Recipe Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
⅓ cup strawberry jam
Note: To be completely honest, I never measure out the jam. I just scoop out what's needed with a very small spoon as I fill in the scones. And I'm not afraid to add a bit of extra rosemary!
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Make the scones:
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt. Add the cut butter and work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. (Giada says you can pulse all of these ingredients in a food processor, but I’ve always made it with just my hands!) Gradually stir in the heavy cream until the mixture forms a dough.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it’s ½ inch thick. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out pieces of dough and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Using a finger or a small measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each piece of cut dough. Spoon ½ teaspoon of jam into each indentation.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Cool the scones on a wire rack and enjoy!
P.S. While I do usually make the scones out to be approx. 3 inches, I love making them with even smaller cookies cutters for bit-sized perfection. Same bake time, better scone to jam ratio in my opinion!