Scones (Savoury)

I made some savory scones this morning and it took me no time to get a fresh yet delicious scones out from the oven. It's truly yummy with some cheese and back bacon added. I must say the crumbly and fluffy texture is a winner. One thing for sure it's got to be eaten warm. Anyway, it's really a simple and no much time consuming recipe that you can make it at anytime either in the morning or make it for afternoon tea. For me, it's my all time favorite snack! This great recipe came from "Do What I Like". I've slightly changed the recipe as I made it into a savoury version.


The first thing I do is making the buttermilk by adding two teaspoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice to 150ml of full fat milk and let it stand for 30 minutes. If you've got the commercial buttermilk and that will safe you some time. While I was waiting for the buttermilk, I chopped two slices of back bacon and fried them in a pan until it slightly golden brown. Turn off the heat and let it cool down while I continue with other stuffs. Roughly cut 30g of cheddar cheese into little cubes. It don't have to be in good shape as it will melt and stick at the scones when it bakes in the oven. Shift 200g self-raising flour into a large bowl. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Give it a quick stir to combine with the flour. Roughly cut 50g of butter and quickly tuck it into the flour and rub in the butter until a crumbly consistency, it don't have to be well combined, you would rather let those tiny bits of butter stay in the flour. Just don't over combine. This took less then a minutes to combine and by this time the homemade buttermilk should be ready.


Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour in 2/3 of the buttermilk and use chopstick to mix everything until it turn into a mess. You don't want a smooth round dough but a sticky and messy mixture. If dough is too dry, add in more buttermilk. For me, 2/3 is more than enough for the mixture.Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured working surface, add the fried bacon and cheddar cheese. Using both hand to bring everything together and pat the mixture into 2cm thickness. Cut the dough with 5.5cm floured cutter and pressed all the way down without twisting or turning the cutter. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper then glaze the surface with some leftover buttermilk. For more cheesy texture, sprinkle some shredded cheddar cheese on top. Bake in a preheated oven at 220C for 15 minutes. Serve warm and no jam or cream needed. Enjoy!

Black Eyed Bean Bonda/Vada/Vadai

Happy Kaarthigai Deepam to all of you.
After making all the regular pori urundai's, kadalai urundai's for Deepam, i planned to try something new for the festival.

Tadaaaaa Black-eyed Bean Bonda. It was so easy to make and tasted great.

Like most beans, black-eyed beans are rich in the best sort of fiber - soluble fiber - which helps to eliminate cholesterol from the body. They are a good source of folate, potassium, copper, phosphorous and manganese. As a high-potassium, low-sodium food they help reduce blood pressure

Now comes the recipe.

Ingredients
Black-eyed beans - 3/4 cup
Red Chilles - 4 to 5 nos.
Carrot - Medium sized carrot cut into half
Freshly grated coconut - 3 tbsp
Ginger - 1 tsp
salt to taste
hing - a pinch

Method
Soak Black-eyed beans for 4-5 hrs. Drain it thru a colander and remove the excess water. Now Grind the peas along with other ingredients. Dont Add Water. Let the batter be not too coarsely and not too fine.

Heat oil in a deep pan, take a small ball from the batter and deep fry. Remove using slotted laddle and place it on Paper towel.

Serve Hot with Ketchup or any Chutney.

Packing this Bonda to MLLA -18, Hosted by Srivalli, Event started by Susan
And also to WYF- Tea Time Snack Event hosted by EC of Simple Indian Food Blog

Winterizing Your Plumbing and Home to Prevent Water Damage

Even in areas like Maryland, Delaware and Southeastern Pennsylvania that have relatively mild winters, sudden snow or ice storms can do major damage to your property if you’re not prepared. Your plumbing system is especially vulnerable to sudden freezes and cold snaps. Fortunately, a little pre-season preparation can save you a lot of plumbing headaches later in the winter. Here are some fast and easy tips that you can do now to prevent potentially thousands of dollars worth of water damage later.

First thing you should do is identify all areas in and around your home that are most likely to freeze. This includes parts of your home's plumbing system that are located in an unheated crawl space, a basement or an exterior wall with little insulation. Also check outside pipes and hoses. Look for any signs of leaks or damage. If you see any, fix them now. are the most likely to freeze.

If you have had problems with frozen pipes that have frozen in the past or think a pipe is vulnerable to freezing, insulate them. The easiest and cheapest way to prevent a frozen pipe is to use foam insulation tubes on pipes exposed to cold climates. These insulation tubes are inexpensive and easy to install; just measure your pipes to get the correct size. You can also use heat tape to prevent freezing in pipes that have already been insulated. Heat tape is attached to the pipe and gives off a slight heat when plugged in. It is easy to install and can be found in most hardware stores.

To prevent pipes from freezing never turn off the heat in your home. Broken water pipes can cause thousands of dollars in repairs and water damage clean-up and keeping your heat on, even at a low setting, will keep pipes warm enough to prevent freezing and bursting.

During the winter season, try not to let your plumbing lines be idle for too long; instead, periodically run water through each of your major fixtures. You can also leave a sink faucet on a fast drip to keep water flowing through your pipes, as moving water doesn’t have a chance to pool and freeze. Even a little water flow can significantly warm up pipes or melt/loosen any ice that may be starting to accumulate.

Be sure to drain and shut off any unused supply or drain lines, pipes, toilets, water heaters and fixtures, especially if they will be exposed to cold temperatures.

Drain and shut off water from outdoor hoses, sprinkler systems, and swimming pools. Remove and drain any external hoses; Store them inside the house or garage, when possible, to protect them from the cold.

Besides your plumbing, here are some other potential water damage threats you should also prepare for over the winter:

One of the most important considerations before the first snowflake ever hits the ground is to make sure your home’s roof is in good shape. If you notice any water spots or leaks inside your house have a professional come inspect the structure for problem areas. Even small leaks or gaps can mean big trouble during a major storm or when winter snow starts to melt. Make necessary repairs before cold weather sets in to prevent costly damage.

It’s also important to keep snow and ice off your roof. Your best bet is to hire someone to do this for you, as it can be very dangerous work. You might even consider installing a roof heater system that will melt snow and ice on your roof, preventing it from accumulating. There are also chemicals available at many hardward stores that you can toss onto a snowy or icy roof that can stimulate melting.

Ice dams are a major concern for many homeowners. Ice dams form when attic spaces are insufficiently insulated, making them warm in the winter; this warmth melts snow on your roof. The snow melts and refreezes over and over again, piling on layers of ice until a dam is formed. These can become so heavy that they can rip gutters, soffits and trim away from the side of your house. Make sure your attic is properly insulated—it should be cold in the winter and warm in the summer. Proper attic insulation will also increase your home’s energy efficiency and can save you money on utility bills.

Clean your gutters thoroughly before the first snowfall of the season. Get rid of leaves and debris that can clog gutters and storm drains, which increase the chances of an ice dam forming on your roof.

If you are physically able to do your own snow removal, consider purchasing a snow blower. While expensive, they will make short work of clearing driveways and sidewalks. If you can’t buy a snow removal machine, invest in an ergonomic snow shovel to ease strain on your back and arms. If physical limitations prevent you from shoveling, think about hiring a contractor to plow your driveway or asking a neighbor to clear your sidewalks. Regular snow removal will prevent damage to your driveway and walkways, and will make your home safer for your family and guests.

Related Articles from Horizon Services:

• Winter Plumbing Maintenance Tips


• Winter Survival Guide


• Emergency Hot Water Heater Shutdown Procedures