A Recipe for a Rainy Day

Flexibility is proving to be the key to happiness on this trip...well, that and baked goods.

We had meant to leave Dunedin Friday to start our bike up the east coast.
It's sunday and we are still here. And guess what? It's......RAINING!
We checked the weather service and there are little tiny raindrops covering the entire nation.
We've decided to stay put for yet another day.

There is one key factor that is allowing us to make this decison with considerable ease.
Liz
Not the same Liz who biked with us...but another Liz that has come into our lives, welcoming us with open arms.
Liz is a Queen's Physeddie too! She is on exchange right now at Otago University here in Dunedin. About a week ago we got an email from her saying "if you guys pass through Dunedin, just let me know and you can stay with me".

And just like that, we were on her doorstep (caution to anyone reading this who may be thinking of offering!!). We had our laundry hanging out back, our bikes in the yard, and my insulin in the fridge!

We didn't really even know Liz and Liz didn't really know us. But we have been having a fantastic time. We all love paddling, hiking, talking about outdoorsy things, doing outdoorsy things and being outside. We have explored the Otago Peninsula, saw a giant Albatross, tramped with sheep, climbed the steepest street in the world, toured the town, gone to a rugby game, seen the view of the city from the top of Mt. Cargil and more...but what we have really bonded over is food...we have spent a large portion of our time here grocery shopping, going to Farmer's markets, cooking and baking.

So when we awoke this morning to teeming rain and gusting wind, there was really only one solution.

Stay, bake scones, drink tea.....ride tomorrow.

I never realized how small of a distinction there really is between biking and baking. Coincidence? I think not! In my opinion they should be freely interchangable.

That's Liz up there making orange-honey-butter to put on our warm oat scones.

This is me enjoying a warm, whole wheat, oat scone with orange-honey-butter and a steaming mug of English Breakfast tea...in my pyjamas, in a dry, cozy, warm living room.
Rob is to my right, doing the exact same thing.

I'd-rather-be-baking-than-biking-whole-wheat-oat-scones

2 1/2 cups Rolled Oats

1 cup All Purpose Flour

2 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1 tsp. Baking Soada

2 1/2 tsps. Baking Powder

1 cup and 2 TBS Butter

2/3 cup Buttermilk (may need a bit more)

Combine all dry ingredients and mix. Look outside and be glad you're not biking in the rain.
Cut in chilled butter. Look at bike in back yard and tell it you will ride tomorrow. You promise.
Add buttermilk and combine untli everything sticks together.
Pat the mixture into a big rectangle about 1 1/2 inches thick.
Cut into wedges and place on a baking sheet.

Bake at 350 F for 30 min or until golden brown and you have forgotten about biking at all.

I-don't-like-bikin'-in-no-rain-Orange-Honey-Butter
Combine a few tablespoons of softened butter, some honey, the zest of an orange and some orange juice. Mix well. Spread on warm oat scones. Enjoy!