The weather has been brilliant for my daily treks through the fields with our Kalahari Red Goats.
We have our goats divided into groups and each group has a Maremma dog attached as a guard. When I take the older male goats out for a walk, I’m always accompanied by my favorite Maremma, Apollo.
He’s the loveliest fellow, big and cuddly yet fiercely protective of “his” goats. I love him.
He’s wonderful for keeping an eye on the little ones when they virtually disappear in the tall grasses.
And he looks on like a bemused papa when the goats mob little trees, reaching as high as possible to nibble tender leaves and branches.
With Apollo keeping a watchful eye, I’m free to capture photos of gorgeous things like these thistles.
And these shimmering coral grasses that danced on the breezes like something out of a fairytale.
After a long walk through the bush and fields, I like to rest with a cuppa and something delicious like Lemon Zest Scones.
I like these beauties because they can be ready to eat within 20-30 minutes. This week we’ve been eating them topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream and roasted strawberries. Bear declared that they’re the very best strawberries and cream he’s ever eaten, and I agree completely.
Where is your favorite place to go for a stroll?
Lemon Zest Scones
Ingredients:
1 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
zest of 1 lemon (2 if you like it REALLY lemony)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla or lemon extract
1 large egg
2/3 cup milk or cream
1 egg, beaten
raw sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
- In medium-size bowl mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and lemon zest together until well blended.
- Add in butter and cut in with pastry blender or hands. Chill for 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
- In cup whisk together milk and first egg.
- Pour into chilled flour mixture and toss with a fork to moisten until it holds together as a clumpy dough.
- Pour dough onto floured surface and knead very lightly, only enough to make sure the dough holds together.
- Press dough into circle about 1.5 inches thick. Cut into triangles and place on baking sheet.
- Brush tops with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with raw sugar to create a sparkly top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes until scones are golden brown.
- Best eaten warm or at room temperature.
I love spending time along the shoreline very early in the morning before everyone is awake. It doesn’t matter which shoreline whether it be in Hawaii, the Eastern Coast of America or along the shore of Kyushu. It’s the best place for a stroll.