{Happy Birthday}, a Give-Away, and some ramblings...

Happy Birthday!

No, not to me, but to Gift of Simplicity!  Tomorrow, June 4, marks the second year of this blog!  In honor of this, I am doing my Very First Give-Away!

Do you like this Vintage Reproduction Postcard?

Or do you like this one?

Or how about this card?

Or what about this one?

Or better yet, how about One Dozen cards, three of each design?

I think the final option is the best, don't you?  (I hope so, because that is the Give-Away.)


Here is how to enter this Drawing:
For each of the following steps you complete, you will receive one entry.  Complete one, get one entry; complete five, get five entries--you get the point.

1.  Leave me a comment on this post (and tell me how many of the
     following you were able to complete).
2.  Share your favorite recipe from this blog on Pinterest.
3.  "Like" my blog page on Facebook--
     use this link: Gift of Simplicity .
4.  Share my blog page on your Facebook page.
5.  Follow me on Pinterest.
6.  Tweet this blog.
7.  Share on Google+.
8.  Share through another form of social media (LinkedIn, etc.).
9.  If you are new to this blog, let me know who sent you and you
    BOTH will receive an extra entry.

Now, I will need you to leave me a comment telling me how many steps you were able to complete.  I don't Tweet, use Google+, or LinkedIn, so I'm trusting you to be honest!  :)  I'm not techy and haven't figured out how to use those cool little gadgets, so this will be done to the absolute best of my ability to be accurate, but will depend on you telling me how many entries you completed.  I will have an extremely unbiased person (my 4-year-old) draw the winner from a paper bag.

This Give-Away is open to residents of the USA and Canada, and closes at Midnight, June 10th, 2013.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here on the home front, things have been busy.  School has been out for two weeks and in this two weeks we have had dentist appointments, a really cool 3-day writing class (for the boys)/geo-draw (for big sister)/play camp (for little one), a day in town with the boys-whew!, a sewing day, a blue-berry picking day (3 moms, 10 kids, 2 hours, 165 lb. blueberries).

I'm tired.

This coming Sunday will be the boys' 11-year birthday, so that means a celebration!  And then Church Conference on Father's Day weekend, so this means that any posts this month will be what I can get completed today and scheduled to post throughout the month. 

And here is the final Tea Party recipe:

Buttermilk Almond Scones

with Devonshire Cream

For the Scones:

2  Cups  Flour

1  Tablespoon  Baking Powder

2  Tablespoons  Sugar

1/2  teaspoon  Salt

6  Tablespoons  Cold Butter

1/2  Cup  Buttermilk

1/2  teaspoon  Almond Flavoring

1 Egg, separated

For the Glaze:

1/2  Cup  Powdered Sugar

1/4  teaspoon  Almond Flavoring

1  Tablespoon  Milk, or as needed 

For the Devonshire Cream:

8  ounces  Cream Cheese, softened

2  Tablespoons  Powdered Sugar

1/2  Cup  Sour Cream

For Garnish:

Turbinado or Raw Sugar

Sliced Almonds

For the Scones:

Preheat oven to 400*.  Mix dry ingredients.  Cut in Butter until coarse.  Make a well in the center of dry ingredients; pour in Buttermilk, Egg Yolk, and Almond Flavoring.  Mix together gently, until dough clings together and is sticky.  DO NOT OVER MIX.  Turn out onto a floured surface and shape 6-8 inches around.  Cut into pie wedges or use a favorite cookie cutter.  Handle as little as possible.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Brush lightly with beaten Egg White and sprinkle with Turbinado Sugar.  Bake for 9-10 minutes.  Cool completely; frost with Glaze and sprinkle with Sliced Almonds.  Serve with Devonshire Cream.  Makes 8 to 10 scones, depending on cookie cutter size.

For the Glaze:

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, stirring until smooth.

For the Devonshire Cream:

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, using an electric hand mixer if desired.  Serve with Scones.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.  Also yummy on bagels.

"For ye know the grace of

our Lord Jesus Christ,

that, though He was rich,

yet for your sakes

He became poor,

that ye through His poverty

might become rich."

II Corinthians 8:9

 

One there is above all others,

Well deserves the name of friend;

His is love beyond a brother's

Costly, free, and knows no end.

Which, of all our friends to save us,

Could or would have shed his blood?

But this Savior died to have us

Reconcil'd in him to God.

Oh! for grace our hearts to soften!

Teach us, Lord, at length to love:

We, alas! forget too often,

What a friend we have above.

Recipe adapted from Southern Fixin's, page 188.