Lemon Cranberry Scones

I'm not quite sure when it happened, but somewhere (somehow) I developed a taste for tart foods. Traditionally, I'm a sweet and salty kind of gal, alternately loving the sweetness of a warm chocolate chip cookie and the crisp bite of a salty potato chip. These are the tastes I grew up with in the heart of the Midwest. Rarely a dinner table was without a half empty shaker of salt (the pepper stayed curiously optional), and the breakfast table looked scarce without a sugar bowl at the ready. Certainly sour and tart foods made an appearance, but they never stayed long enough to wash up at the sink and join me in the kitchen.

It is difficult to mess with tradition, but if you push against it hard enough, you can make space for new ones.

Last winter, I had a quiet affair with grapefruits and sour Greek yogurt. This summer I simply couldn't get enough lemonade. My palate is evolving, expanding to embrace the sour and tart flavors I've neglected for so many years. While just two years ago, these Cranberry Lemon Scones would have been far out of my comfort zone, today they feel like a natural extension of my growing affection for new tastes. The marriage of lemons and cranberries makes for a sharp and charming flavor profile.

I like to imagine that my taste buds are finally growing up.

The tartest of fruits reside in the winter months. In a way, I find it fitting. The berries have lost their allure, growing tarter with each passing day, and the bright flavors of fall have become subdued. It is time for the grapefruits, cranberries, and lemons to come out to play. The sharp taste of these fruits mimic the chill of the winter air, sweeping the taste buds like the rush of cool wind.

In the dead of winter, when the sweet fruits of long summer days are but a fading memory, the contrast of the tart fruits of winter remind us of the changing of the seasons.

Lemon Cranberry Scones are delightfully tart. Scones are infused with lemon zest and riddled with cranberries. The dough is quite sweet, especially because the dough is sprinkled with sugar before baking. However, the bright, tart cranberries act as a strong contrast to the sweetness, rendering the scones both sweet and tart. A simple lemon glaze rounds the flavors together. Be warned, however. These scones are certainly not for everyone, but are wonderful for those with a tart palate.

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Dark & Stormy (with Ginger Ale)

I have been drawn into the Olympics this summer. Traditionally, I've always enjoyed watching the competitions and learning about (and subsequently getting into) the drama surrounding individual athletes, always rooting for Team USA. However, this time around I am faced with finals week in graduate school; while my head should be buried in books, I find my eyes glued to the television instead. It would be easier to handle if the Olympics didn't make hours of my evening mysteriously disappear, as class notes lay scattered and neglected across my lap.

I just can't miss men's swimming or women's gymnastics.

Though I do enjoy the summer Olympics, the winter games will always steal my heart. I used to be a figure skater, doing jumps and spins on the ice at the local rink. I wore the expensive skates, the sequined uniforms, and dreaded performances as my nerves would find a way to get the best of me. Now I prefer to watch the world's best instead.

Men's figure skating is my favorite event. There is so much drama surrounding so few athletes and, as I follow their competitions through the years, I'm anxious to see how they match up against one another. During the winter games two years ago, I was so excited for the events I convinced my boyfriend (who knew nothing of men's figure skating or, really, skating in general) to brush up on a few years of history between the competitors before we watched the games together. Not only did he surprise me by recognizing the skaters' skill sets, he spouted off facts and figures even I didn't know.

Perhaps that's how you know you've picked a good one.

This year I held a little get together at my apartment to watch the opening ceremony. There was spaghetti, cupcakes, and these Dark & Stormy cocktails to go around. We watched the ceremony with countless millions from all over the world, united by a common force of good. I find something magical about the Olympic's ability to bring countries and people closer together.

We toasted to the games and ourselves, as my humble living room grew to accommodate a small part of the world.

Dark & Stormy cocktails are traditionally made with dark rum and ginger beer, but I prefer the clean fizzy flavor of a good ginger ale. The cocktail is simple to prepare, with three ingredients that do not need to be blended or mixed. With a lemon twist, this cocktail manages complex flavors while staying light and bright. Contrary to its namesake, Dark & Stormy cocktails may also be enjoyed on days that are sunny and golden, when friends and family are near.

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Lavender Lemonade

The heat of the summer sun feels like a light kiss in the cool morning air. The bright rays land lightly on my skin, feeling warm and rosy against the crisp breeze fading away from the rising sun. Morning light makes me want to lie in the dew-kissed grass, ignore the damp clothes sticking to my skin, close my eyes, and revel in the warmth of the beginning of a new day. I want to take in these small moments—indulge in their sweetness. Even though I'm given a new opportunity each morning to do so, I don't take it.

Instead I spend my morning on the couch, behind glass, only noting the sun's presence from the glare across the television screen. I greet the sun in late morning as I walk to my car, not out of choice, but out of necessity. It leaves me wondering: where did I go wrong?

I have dreams about the person I wish to become one day. I want to be the woman who keeps a clean house (and doesn't let the dishes pile up on the countertop). I want to be the woman who keeps wildflowers in a vase by the window. I want to be the woman who listens to jazz music instead of watching reality television. But mostly, I want to be the woman who reads on her porch in the morning sun with her bare toes digging into the cool grass.

Maybe someday I will be all of these things... or maybe I will ever stay the same, not quite finding my way out of this groove. Until then, I may not enjoy the sweetness of the morning sun, but I can get sullied up in the afternoon heat and be glad I already am the woman who can make the perfect summer lemonade.

Lavender Lemonade is tart, tingly, and deliciously pink. The flavors of lemon and lavender come together so seamlessly, so effortlessly, that one sip will convince you they were meant to be together. Fragrant and fruity, this lemonade has made a home in my heart. It will be certain to cool you down on any warm summer's day.

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