Campers' Coleslaw. Dreamland Burning. Puzzle Giveaway!

Campers’ Coleslaw

A few months ago, I found a new recipe for coleslaw, and I can’t get enough of it! It’s called Campers’ Coleslaw and it’s vinegar based. As long as I can remember, I’ve made coleslaw using a bottled, creamy dressing and precut, bagged slaw. It makes a nice coleslaw, but I was just tired of the same old thing. I used to really enjoy a sweet & sour coleslaw served at the Kruse and Muer restaurant in Lake Orion until they took if off their menu. For a while now, I’ve been on the lookout for a similar recipe I could make at home, and I finally found it!

My new favorite recipe comes courtesy of Taste of Home magazine. I signed up for daily emails from them, and this recipe came via an email. FYI, just a reminder that that you can read Taste of Home courtesy of the library. If you’re coming into the library, you can check out all the issues, except the current one, for at-home reading. You can also read this great cooking magazine digitally via Libby/Download Destination; the only thing required to access the plethora of magazines available online is your CIDL library card. 😊

Besides its deliciousness, one of the other best things about Campers’ Coleslaw is how quick and easy it is to prepare. The recipe calls for shredded cabbage, but I just chop it up quickly using my largest Santoku knife. The dressing takes about five minutes to prepare on the stove. I chop my cabbage while the dressing cools and then toss it together. So simple.

This recipe makes 12 servings so it’s a great dish to take to a potluck or event. When serving it to my small family, I normally cut the recipe down. I’ve cut the recipe in half, as well as in thirds, and it turns out great every time!

And now, I’m going to share the recipe with you. Enjoy!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

1-1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 medium head cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups)

1 large onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

WHAT YOU'LL DO

1. In a small saucepan, combine first five ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat; cool completely.

2. In a large bowl, toss vegetables with dressing. Refrigerate, covered, until cold. Serve with a slotted spoon.

Wow, only two steps in the directions! I told you it was easy to prepare. I really enjoy this coleslaw, and I hope you will as well.

Dreamland Burning

As I mentioned in a past blog post, I also contribute book reviews to the Adult Services page on our CIDL website, cidlibrary.org. I recently listened to the audiobook for Dreamland Burning, a really great story, and planned on sharing on our website via a book review. However, when I realized the book is in our Young Adult collection, I knew I wouldn’t review it on our adult page, as we usually try to promote adult books on the adult page. Makes sense, huh? 😊

But as I just said, this is a really great story, very timely in nature, and so I’m going to give it a quick shoutout here. Because in actuality, the story is one that people of all ages can appreciate and should find interesting, as it makes a tragic piece of little-known history come alive.

The focus of the book is the Tulsa race massacre, “That took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of White residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and burned businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma.” (Wikipedia) As the 100-year anniversary of this event is upon us right now, this story is indeed very timely.

The novel, written by Jennifer Latham, opens in present-day Tulsa, with the discovery of human bones beneath the floorboards of the Chase family’s guesthouse. The police have little interest in identifying the skeleton or determining how it got there, but 17-year-old Rowan and her best friend, James, feel compelled to investigate.

Nearly a century earlier, in 1921, 17-year-old William Tillman defies Tulsa’s Jim Crow laws by selling a Victrola to a black teenager, Joseph Goodhope. Will grows to respect Joseph and becomes fond of his irrepressible younger sister, Ruby. When the Ku Klux Klan starts rounding up black people and burning their homes and businesses, Will is forced to make difficult decisions.

Rowan and Will take turns narrating, their stories intertwining intriguingly as they unfold in parallel. Populated with vivid, relatable characters and structured to maximize mystery, tension, and dread, Latham’s novel provides a gripping education in the real-life horror story that was the Tulsa race riot. (Thank you to Publishers Weekly from where I pulled this book summary.)

This book is available at CIDL in the Young Adult fiction section. You can also borrow the audiobook via Overdrive/Libby. Rowan’s story is read by Pyeng Threadgill, while Luke Slattery reads Will’s story. Skilled readers both, their voices are very appropriate for their characters, and definitely helped to make the novel come alive to me.

A book of historical fiction of great significance to today’s current events, this one is very worthy of your time, and I hope you get a chance to read or listen to it.

Puzzle Giveaway!

Last, but not least, I have an offer for a free puzzle giveaway. Calling all Nancy Drew fans, this one’s for you! The puzzle features covers of Nancy Drew books over the years and decades. I was a huge fan of Nancy’s sleuthing growing up and read as many of her books as I could get my hands on. (Indeed, “sleuth” is a word I totally associate with Nancy Drew; I can’t say for certain, but I’d guess I probably never heard the word before reading my first Nancy Drew book.) I recognize so many of the covers from the books that I was reading in the late 60s, early 70s, which made this a really fun puzzle for me to put together.

And now I’d like to offer the puzzle to one of my readers. It is slightly used, having been put together one time, by myself. But it’s in great condition, and I’ll give it away, free, to the first person who reads this post and emails me at graib@cidlibrary.org. Pickup will be at the library. I’m waiting to hear from you! 😊

That’s it for today. I hope you’ve enjoyed the hodgepodge of offerings in this post; a little bit of something for everyone. I look forward to seeing you at the reference desk soon.

Take care!

Italy: Milano

Ciao! Wanderlust is touching my soul these days, and it moves me to look back on past travels. So today I’m going to share with you a trip I took to Italy in 2015. Traveling with my daughter Janelle, I did something on this trip I don’t normally do on an overseas vacation. I know I write often of my travels to Europe on Rick Steves tours; I’ve been on several of them now and obviously enjoy traveling this way. But from time to time, I do manage to plan a trip and travel on my own, and that’s what Janelle and I did on our trip to Italy.

To begin with, the trip was kind of spur of the moment. It was mid-May 2015 when we first started talking and dreaming of going to Italy. And on July 2 we were flying off to Milan! Wow! Sometimes I can’t believe we pulled it off, on our own, in that short amount of time, but we did.

Basically, I planned air flights and hotels, while Janelle had the pleasure of figuring out the confusing Italian rail system and booking travel in and around Italy. She also scoped out restaurants and museums. Together, we decided what tourist sites we wanted to visit. We also asked Laura, daughter/sister/world-traveler extraordinaire, for her input on what we should see and do, and she did not disappoint, providing us with a great, detailed list that ensured we would not miss any highlights. And of course, I used my Rick Steves’ travel guide to Italy for reference as well. 😊

There were three legs to this trip: Milan, Florence and Cinque Terre. If this post starts to get too long, I may have to break it up into a second post. We’ll shall see. Stay tuned.

Day 1

Our first stop was Milan. The one thing I really wanted to see on this trip was the painting, The Last Supper, by Leonardo da Vinci. And so, we decided to fly in and out of Milan, in northern Italy. Milan is the second largest city in Italy, and is known for its fashion and design. It is also the financial center of Italy and home of their national stock exchange. I think this quote from LonelyPlanet.com describes the city quite well: “Milan is Italy’s city of the future, a fast-paced metropolis where money talks, creativity is big business and looking good is an art form.”

Duomo di Milano – Our first stop in Milan was the Duomo, a subway ride away from our hotel. While the Duomo is beautiful inside, going up to the roof is also not to be missed as it’s covered in spires, statues, carvings, and gargoyles! And the view from on top is amazing. It offers a panoramic view of the whole city, and on a clear day you can see all the way to the distant Alps.

Looking down into the Piazza del Duomo from the roof

Looking up from the piazza.

This Duomo can hold up to 40,000 people and is second in size only to,

in Italy, St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

I have to say I was really taken by this statue of Saint Bartholomew, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. It’s believed he was skinned alive and in this haunting statue his flayed skin is draped over his shoulders.

A few interesting facts about the Duomo:

• Construction began in 1386 and was officially completed in 1965 when the last bronze door was installed, though most parts of the building had been completed by 1813.

• There are 135 spires on the roof, each topped by a sculpture of a biblical figure.

• After conquering Milan, Napoleon Bonaparte was crowned King of Italy at the Duomo.

• The Duomo is covered with pink Candoglia marble from Lake Maggiore, north of Milan. The Navigli Canals were constructed to bring the marble to the Duomo from the quarries, a distance of about 55 miles. Some of the canals are still in existence today. Speaking of which…

We headed to the Navigli District for dinner that night. This district has become quite a hotspot in Milan, known for its restaurants and art galleries. We enjoyed the local “aperitivo” culture. That is, we ordered a drink and with it came delicious, complimentary small plates of food. The Milanese version of happy hour. 😊

Day 2

It was kind of weird to be in another country on the 4th of July, where our country’s independence meant nothing to anyone but us. We still celebrated the day in spectacular fashion though, by visiting The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting is of Jesus Christ and his Twelve Apostles at their last meal together, and is believed to depict the moment just after Jesus tells his disciples, “One of you will betray me.” As I mentioned, I really wanted to see this important masterpiece on this trip and couldn’t wait for the chance.

So, let me tell you about the really stupid thing I did when the opportunity came. The painting is located inside the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. To be specific, it’s on a wall in the convent dining hall or, as they call it, the refectory. The masterpiece was painted between 1495 and 1497, and is considered one of the most important pieces of art in the world. Da Vinci used an experimental method--tempera on stone--because he wanted to be able to paint slowly. Typical fresco painting on wet plaster demands that a painter finish his work before the plaster dries and that wouldn't do for da Vinci. Unfortunately, the experiment proved unsuccessful as the paint did not adhere properly and began to flake away only a few decades after the work was finished.

To protect the masterpiece today, its environment is carefully monitored by a sophisticated air filtration system. Only thirty people are allowed to visit at one time, in 15-minute intervals. Visitors pass through humidity and dust-filtering chambers before reaching the painting. I knew this going in and was ready for the dust-filtering chambers. What I didn’t realize was you only spend about 5 minutes in two chambers and then, voila, the final door opens and you are standing in the room with The Last Supper.

And I was not ready. I thought the process to get in was supposed to take at least 15 minutes. So, when the final door suddenly opened and I was staring at The Last Supper, I walked in, in total awe, and forgot to take my sunglasses off! Seriously, I viewed one of the world’s most important works of art wearing sunglasses. I remember thinking, “Wow, they keep the room pretty dark to protect the painting from light.” Crazy. As amazing as the painting was, I think I would have been much more impressed if I’d viewed it looking through the lens of my normal glasses. Ugh. Such a stupid move on my part.

Picture taking is not allowed when viewing The Last Supper, so I found two pictures from the Internet to share with you. The photo above shows the painting at it looks today. Notice also, the top of the door below that was added to the wall in 1652. By doing so, a portion of the painting was removed, including the feet of Jesus. It’s said that by 1652 the painting had fallen into such disrepair that those who made the decision didn’t think placing the door in that location was such a big deal. Wow.

This second picture gives you an idea of how big the dining hall is where the painting resides; it's quite long and narrow in comparison.

The door your enter to see the painting and viewing the church itself.

Back outside, this is the courtyard of the Santa Maria delle Grazie.

We rounded out our time in Milan with a walking tour of the neighborhood that including seeing the Church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore. At this site there is a Benedictine convent that dates back to the 9th century; church construction began in 1503. The most important art in San Maurizio are the frescoes of Bernardino Luini.

While walking, we passed by the ancient ruins of the Roman Imperial Palace. This area was known in the 3rd century as Mediolanum, and was chosen by Emperor Maximian as the capitol of the Western Empire. Once a vast property with a palace, imperial baths and chariot racing grounds, today the ruins are preserved in this central neighborhood of Milan.

On the right, Lauta, our local guide for the walking tour.

Below, is the large, fairly modern building that is the headquarters of the Italian stock exchange. Tourists didn't normally used to visit this area, but it has become a bit of a

photo-op stop since a quirky piece of art was installed in the Piazza Affari in 2010.

The statue bears the title of L.O.V.E., which stands for Libertà, Odio, Vendetta, Eternità (Freedom, Hate, Vengeance, Eternity) and was created by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, known for his provocative works. The statue was supposed to stay in the piazza for just a couple of weeks, but the city government has decided to keep it there indefinitely.

Cattelan never commented on the meaning of the statue, but most people assume it refers to the economic crisis that affected Europe – and Italy in particular – from 2008 onwards. The Milanese refer to it simply as “il dito,” or “the finger.”

And then, guess what, our walking tour ended at the Duomo. I guess in Milan, all roads lead to the Duomo. 😊

Which was quite convenient, as the take-away calzone shop that Laura had highly recommended to us, Luini Panzerotti, was right around the corner. A popular place, we had to queue up and wait our turn. The calzones were delicious, and we agreed they were worth the wait.

After lunch, we made our way to the Milano Centrale train station where we boarded the train for our next stop, Florence!

And with that, I'm going to stop now and save the rest of this trip for a future blog post or two.

It's been over four weeks since my last blog post, and I apologize for the delay. I was very busy getting ready for my May Maker Magic program, putting together 45 take-home kits, for a good chunk of that time. Also, I am now back working at the library two days a week, and it is a bit harder to concentrate and write posts at work than it is from the quiet of my own home. But I must say, it is very good to be back in the library, and I love being around people again! I’ve really missed both my co-workers and our friendly patrons. Last week, I took time to snap a few pictures outside the library: signs of spring growth as well as celebrating our library and being open!

I look forward to seeing you all at the information desk real soon.

Until then, take care and stay safe.

Lavender-Honey Scones Fit for a Prince

This past Saturday, in honor of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, I made scones for breakfast. I’ve always been a big fan of the British Royal Family and watched the Prince’s funeral, from start to finish. I think the American TV networks did a good job with their coverage of the funeral, but was wishing I could have watched BBC to see how it was covered in Great Britain. I got up extra early to ensure my scones were done before the funeral started. I will share the recipe, for lavender-honey scones, with you later in this post. But first, I’d like to share some photos from past visits I've made to royal sites associated with Prince Philip.

First up, Buckingham Palace. In 2013, after touring Ireland with my daughter, Laura, we flew across the Irish Sea for a long week-end in London. We saw all we could in that short time, including visiting the two biggest palaces in London, Buckingham and Kensington. We were in luck because our trip was in August, one of the summer months that Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip traditionally spend at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. While The Queen is away, Buckingham Castle is opened up to the public.

We had ordered our tickets online, months before our vacation, and made sure we queued up on time as late-comers are not allowed in. The tour includes seeing 19 state rooms, the Throne Room and the Grand Staircase. Sadly, you are not allowed to take pictures inside the palace, and so I have none to share. It was grand, it was all beautiful, but eight years later I can’t really recall many details or have highlights to dazzle you with. 😊

But, the one thing I do remember is the special exhibit in one of the staterooms honoring The Queen’s 60 years on the throne, her Diamond Jubilee. The dress that Queen Elizabeth II wore at her coronation is so beautiful that I found a picture online to show you. The detail and embroidery on this dress is amazing and of course, it all symbolizes something: floral emblems of Great Britain and Commonwealth countries cover the gown. Lovely. Also on display were the itty-bitty finery that Prince Charles, 4 years old, and Princess Ann, 2 years old, wore on their mom’s big day.

Upon exiting the palace, you go out the back way where they have a cute outdoor garden café set up on the back porch. I ordered tea, Laura got a cappuccino and we each got a strawberry scone with clotted cream. (These details I found in my travel journal. Crazy what I think is important and write in the journal. 😊)

It was all delicious, and I soaked up every minute of the moment: sitting on the back porch of Buckingham Palace having tea!! It really felt special even if we were eating off of paper plates, and our beverages were in paper cups. Did you notice the crown of cinnamon floating on top of Laura’s cappuccino? A very royal touch, indeed.

The Garden Café on the back of Buckingham Palace

When we could not really stretch our tea time any longer, as we had other sites to visit that day, we headed to the palace gift shop where we made several purchases each. I’m going to say, if it’s possible, this was a very classy gift shop. And one of us went home with a really cute stuffed Corgi, The Queen’s favorite breed of dog.

We left the palace grounds by walking out the back way through a public part of the palace gardens. It was a lovely walk, and we passed by the lake below, but we were not allowed to go through the private section of garden as it's not normally open to the public. Doing a little reading online as I write this post, I learned the private gardens will be open this summer, while the palace will not be, because of the pandemic. Visitors will be able to freely roam the 39-acre gardens for the first time in the palace’s history. They’ll even be allowed to picnic on its sweeping lawns. What a fun thing that would be to do! I sure wish I could visit London this summer. (I'm excited to go to Windsor Castle as well, where Prince Philp's funeral took place.)

The second royal home we visited was Kensington Palace. Today, this is where Prince William and Kate live when in London, as do numerous other minor royals. Over the years Diana, Princess of Wales lived there as did Princess Margaret, Princess Anne, and Prince Harry and Meghan for a short time. It was also the childhood home of Queen Victoria.

Fun fact, when we looked through the gates while we were there that day, that was not really Kensington Palace that we were looking at. What?!?! The front of the palace was undergoing a refurbishment that year, and giant screens looking like the palace were placed in front of it to hide scaffolding and the work being done. Look closely and you can see the corners of the blue screens at the top as well as fencing at the bottom.

When we visited in 2013, most of the exhibits and state rooms inside Kensington were dedicated to Queen Victoria and her family. William and Kate moved in after our visit when the renovations were done.

Pictures of Queen Victoria and her family, one of her dresses and her throne.

There was also a fabulous fashion exhibit at Kensington called “Fashion Rules” that featured dresses of Queen Elizabeth II (from the 1950s), Queen Margaret (1960s and 70s) and Princess Diana (1980s.) Trend-setters all, each of these women managed to look very stylish while still meeting the exacting demands of dressing royal and diplomatic requirements.

I really liked Queen Elizabeth’s haute couture outfits from the 1950s. I feel many are classic designs that really hold up well over the years. While it was not featured in this exhibit, I think the fact that Princess Beatrice wore one of her grandmother’s gowns at her own wedding last summer, and looked absolutely fantastic doing it, speaks to the timelessness of The Queen’s early wardrobe.

I was also very amazed by how tiny The Queen’s waist was back in the day after looking at all these dresses with their small waistlines.

Princess Margaret’s clothes were all just fun and funky! I’m guessing that as The Queen’s sister less restrictions were placed on her wardrobe.

I hate to say this, but the clothes I liked the least, based on this exhibit alone, were those of Princess Diana. There were some lovely gowns that I remember, but others looked dated and over the top. Sorry Di.

But check out this wallpaper featuring Diana. Granted, it was on the lower level by the restrooms, but I still think it’s pretty amazing. It’s both crazy and beautiful at the same time and I loved it!

My favorite part of Kensington Palace was the Sunken Garden out back. Full of color and fountains and surrounded by a tunnel of love woven of greenery, it’s said this garden was a favorite of Diana’s as well. In 2017, it was replanted in all white flowers to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death. It was in this very white garden that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle officially announced their engagement that same year.

This is the Sunken Garden when we visited.

And this is what it looked like in 2017 when it was transformed to honor

the 20th anniversary of Diana, the Princess of Wales. (Photos found online.)

Now lets move on to Scotland, where we traveled in 2018. I wish we could have visited Balmoral Castle, said to be Queen Elizabeth’s favorite home, but we didn’t get the chance. By the way, in 1947, Prince Philip was bestowed the title of Duke of Edinburgh by his father-in-law, King George VI, after marrying Princess Elizabeth.

We were able to visit two royal spots, both in Edinburgh. Holyrood Palace is the official residence of The Queen in Scotland. Each year, in late June, The Queen spends at least one week at Holyrood. During Holyrood Week, The Queen has several engagements that celebrate the culture and history of Scotland. She also hosts a garden party during this week to which about 8,000 guests are invited. Wow!

Sad to report, no photos were allowed to be taken inside Holyrood either. All I can show you are the front of the palace and its courtyard. And silly me never passing on a photo op. 😊

Abutting right up to the palace are the ruins of the Holyrood Abbey Church that date back to the 12th century when it was built by King David I of Scotland. Reoccurring wars and invasions took a toll on the church over the centuries, and after its roof was removed by a looting mob in 1688, it was allowed to fall into disrepair. And some 300 years later it still looks pretty much the same.

These ruins were fascinating as well as being very photogenic, and we spent a lot a time exploring them and taking many, many pictures. I think we enjoyed them more than the palace to be honest with you. 😊

Looking at the picture below, that peak in the distance is called Arthur’s Seat. It is an extinct volcano and the highest point in Holyrood Park. From the top, it offers one of the best views of Edinburgh. Alas, we did not make the hike to the top.

While in Edinburgh, we made sure to visit the Royal Yacht Britannia, the former yacht of the monarch now permanently docked at the historic Port of Leith. It was decommissioned in 1997 after 43 years of service and more than 1,000,000 miles traveled around the world. The yacht is now open to the public and one of the top tourist destinations in Scotland.

The tower in the middle is how you get on the yacht and allows access to all the decks onboard.

The day we visited was a rainy one, and we dodged the rain drops as we checked out the five main decks. The State Apartments and Royal Family’s living quarters are as elegant as you’d expect. The royal family’s rooms are large and lovely. What I noticed though, was the lower you went on the yacht, the smaller the rooms got. Down below, the officer’s quarters are smaller, but still a decent size. But get down to the deck where the crew’s quarters are and they are in tiny rooms with six bunks to a room.

The Queen's Bedroom

Prince Philip's Bedroom

Prince Charles and Diana's honeymoon suite

And this is where the crew slept, six bunks to what can't even really be called a room.

The State Drawing Room

The Officer's Drawing Room

The State Dining Room

The Officer's Dining Room

This is the sun lounge, The Queen’s favorite room on the yacht. She would eat breakfast

and have her afternoon tea in this room with a view.

There are family photos all over the ship.

Interestingly, the Royals would sign their names below each.

At one point it was so rainy and cool, we decided to take advantage of the amenities of the Royal Deck Tea Room. We ducked in to warm up with a hot beverage and, but of course, a tasty scone.

And just in case anyone gets sick, or needs surgery, they were ready!

We enjoyed our time on the yacht, even if the weather did not cooperate. It really is an amazing vessel. I kept thinking to myself, “They call it a yacht, but it’s a big boat! A ship, for goodness’ sake.” If you’d like to read more about the Royal Yacht Britannia, I highly recommend checking out its official website. It’s very interesting and has a lot of great pictures and fun facts. Here’s a link to the website:

https://www.royalyachtbritannia.co.uk/

LAVENDER-HONEY SCONES

I’ve been making lavender scones for a few years now, always saving them for special occasions. It had been a while, but I made them just a few weeks ago for Easter. And again this past Saturday, as it seemed appropriate to be eating scones for breakfast as the funeral coverage for Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, began at 9 a.m.

I found this recipe in the April 2015 issue of Better Homes and Gardens and would like to share it with you now.

WHAT YOU NEED

¾ cup whipping cream

2 TBSP. honey

1 TBSP. dried lavender buds

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 TBSP. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

6 TBSP. butter

1 egg, lightly beaten

WHAT YOU’LL DO

1.) In a small saucepan combine whipping cream, honey, and lavender. Warm over medium heat until mixture begins to steam, about 10 minutes. Chill about 30 minutes or until cooled completely.

2.) Preheat over to 400° F.

3.) Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.

4.) Whisk egg into cooled cream mixture. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.

5.) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat dough into a 10x4-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise and in sixths crosswise to make 12 rectangles.

6.) Place rectangles 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush rectangles with additional whipping cream. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove scones from baking sheet. Drizzle with additional honey, if desired. Serve warm. Makes 12 scones.

Along with the recipe, Better Homes and Gardens offered these three tips for successful scone baking:

I purchased the lavender buds online from Amazon. Yes, if you look closely, you’ll see that mine are expired. They still smelled fragrant when I checked them before using, and so I took my chances and used them. Still delicious!

Good luck baking and I hope you enjoyed a little royal travel inspiration. 😊

Let me leave you with this bit of Royal Yacht trivia with a Michigan twist!

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you; that is indeed the Royal Yacht about to go under the Mackinac Bridge. The date was July 5, 1959, and Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were on a six-week tour of the United States and Canada. After celebrating the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway with President Dwight D. Eisenhower, they traveled down the seaway, through the Great Lakes, all the way to Chicago. For security reasons, traffic was stopped from traveling over the bridge while the Britannia traveled under. What a sight it must have been!

As always, take care and stay safe.