Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Scones

Photos of scones: Delish

Many people like sweet scones (or snacks). I have a savory palate and love spicy, salt and cheese. The following cheesy scones, tweaked from King Arthur Flour, make a delicious breakfast or evening snack. 

Homemade is usually better, but who has time or the desire to spend hours in the kitchen? So like all the recipes on THE SAVVY SHOPPER, these scones are easy-peasey to make and bake:

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 cup whole wheat and 1 cup all-purpose)

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Photo: WiseGeek

5 tablespoons ice cold butter, diced
2 large eggs

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 cup chopped, extra 
sharp cheddar cheese (Extra sharp is the only way to go!:)
1 small (about 1/4 cup) onion (or scallion) chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce

Directions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, whisk the dry ingredients together: flour, salt and baking powder.

2) With your hands, quickly work in the ice cold, diced butter until you get a crumbly consistency. Try not to touch it too much. You want the butter to stay cold and in pieces (that's what's makes great scones, as well as, southern biscuits).

3) Mix in the eggs, buttermilk, Dijon mustard and hot sauce. I like spicy, but you may leave out the mustard or hot sauce if you wish.

4) Toss in the extra sharp cheddar and diced onion.

5) Sprinkle plenty of flour on a flat surface. Dump the dough onto a flat surface. Flatten and form a rectangle. Toss extra flour on the dough and your hands as needed.

Oh look, somebody ate half the batch.

6) Cut the flat rectangle into 5 squares, then cut those on half to form 10 triangles.

7) Transfer the triangle unbaked scones onto a buttered and floured prepared baking sheet. Optional: You can brush the tops with a little melted butter and/or sprinkle on more cheese, if you wish. Oh, ye'ah!

8) Bake for 20 - 25 minutes at 350 degrees F in a preheated oven until they begin to brown and the the scones are done. Remove from the oven and eat warm. 

9) Throw any leftovers into the freezer to reheat on another day. Later remove one or two and microwave for a minute to eat. Place a wet paper towel in the microwave to maintain moisture.

Cheddar cheese scones are perfect for a weekend brunch, no? Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside and melted cheese with every bite! Serve with Virgin or Bloody Marys, and your guests may never leave!


You may also enjoy:
Making Pizza Dough
Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits

The World's Healthiest Cuisines
9 Ways To Save Money At the Supermarket

The Convertible Maestra Bag

Senreve's Maestra, an Italian leather bag with a stain resistant suede interior (in 3-sizes) is a fabulous find! The clever bag is an all-in-one satchel with top handle; crossbody bag; and backpack. The transition from one form to another is easy by pulling the straps. It only takes seconds!

Upscale and stylish, the interior holds lots of stuff. A side compartment secures a 10.5 inch iPad, and 7 pockets keep all your belongings organized. What's more, the large convertible Maestra holds a 13 inch laptop; your lunch; and a sweater according to Business Insider.

The gold knobs on the bottom look rich, and the bag comes in 27 colors, as well as, different textures (smooth, pebbled and dragon) in strong cowhide leather, as well as, mixed leather. 

If I had to come up with one improvement, it would be to widen the top flap (or cover), since if you look at the images, there are two openings at the top of the bag on the sides. There is an interior pouch that zips, yet the 2 side comparents are exposed -- and for the price, they shouldn't be, in my opinion. It isn't a dealbreaker, but a detail I noticed in seeing the bag in store.

Not an inexpensive bag, yet well below the exorbitant prices of so many well-known luxury bags. The Maestra is every bit as rich as the exclusive French brands, but costs far less -- all 3 sizes under $1,000 -- and has a lifetime guarantee. Expect the convertible Maestra bag to hold up for decades even with constant use. The purse is carried by Nordstom and resalers like The RealReal, so it's quite possible to catch a reduction.

With its elegance, sturdiness and versatility, the Maestra convertible bag makes a great work, or travel bag. Chiao Bella! The next big thing!! Because ... now, don't we all want one?!!!


You may also enjoy:
The City Tote From Foley+Corinna
Express Style: Classic With An Edge  
The Case For Cheaper Casual Smart Dresses
Playtime At Bergdorf Goodman's Chanel Boutique

IT Velvet Luxe for Ulta Makeup Brushes Now Only On EBay

Learn how to use makeup brushes here.

On THE SAVVY SHOPPER, I don't normally write sales-flash posts on products. Occasionally, I'll post a too-good-to-ignore sale alert on the blog's Facebook page, where such up-to-the-minute (act now!) information works better. Here (by design) readers can go back 10 years to read blogs that mostly keep their relevance. The advice and tips don't date like this present blog entry will eventually do ... in a day? ... a week? ... or a month's time. (Well, we will ... together ... find out.)

But a price drop on a stellar makeup brush (that is also unwisely being discontinued) is too good not to share!

Last year I bought a quality makeup brush from the IT For Ulta Velvet Luxe line. The brushes in that particular line, are plush, soft, firm, precise in the application; and never, ever shed. In other words, everything we want: It is hands down the best makeup brush I've ever used! 

Retailing at $48, I was happy to get it on sale for $24. In the future, I knew I had to buy more makeup brushes in the Velvet Luxe line to replace inferior brushes ... when they again went on sale. Although on sale, the money still adds up! 

Not until a year later did I return to Ulta to buy my 2nd (a blush) brush. To my great surprise, Ulta is out of stock of the It Velvet Luxe blush brush (as well as many of the other Velvet Luxe brushes which do other jobs expertly). Why??? Because IT Cosmetics is in the process of discontinuing their Velvet Luxe variety of brushes. Insane!!! ~~ as their new brushes  -- at the same price -- are inferior! They are not as soft or plush! So double trouble!!

Readers, the light at end of the tunnel is ...  you can (while supplies last) still buy the IT For Ulta Velvet Luxe brushes on eBay for even less money than Ulta's best sale price.

I own 4 of the IT Velvet Luxe brushes: LBD Powder #307; Plush Foundation #304 (a multi-tasker, I use it for blush and bronzer); Soft Focus Sculpting #315 (blush); and I just ordered the Empress Fan brush #324 (such a price drop why not? ... to set makeup with finishing powder). I also like the Kabuki brush -- it's the biggest of the brushes. If you don't mind the size, you can use it in place of  the #307 and #324 brushes. Truly once you pay for an item and walk out the door, it's nobody's business how you use it!

As to why IT Cosmetics is replacing their superior Velvet Luxe brushes with less plush, or stiffer bristles I haven't a clue. THE SAVVY SHOPPER doesn't like change unless it's an improvement. :(


You may also enjoy:
Millions Shop Ebay    
End Of Season Dress Sales
The Sample Sales Of New York City
The Best Places To Go For Antiques And Home Decor

Silicone Kitchen Tools Worth The Money

Silicone kitchen tools are plentiful nowadays. A flexible, durable material not melted by heat, silicone can do jobs as well as, if not better than metals of yesteryear. Silicone's lightness and resilience give it a space saving advantage over rigid tools.

I have silicone baking mats to line aluminum cookie sheets, and a silicone bundt cake pan, but with these 2 examples, the texture of cookies and cakes lose a little something when baked on silicone, as opposed to, on their metal counterparts. Still I often use the silicone mats to bake cookies on because of the easy cleanup. And supple silicone allows me to have a bundt cake pan as I lack cupboard space for an aluminum bundt cake pan.

Here are 3 more Silicone Kitchen Tools Well Worth the Money - Each is weightless, pliable, tough, super functional (and best of all) cheap:

1) OXO Microwave Omelet Maker in Red - Making an omelet, or a hot nosh sometimes seems like more trouble than it's worth. So much to clean up for a small bite! The omelet maker reduces your cleanup. It has a 3 egg capacity: Mix, microwave, and eat it all in the same silicone dish. I like to steam vegetables in it too. The silicone maker folds in half and seals, so the vegetables get steamed tender in 5 minutes. After they cook, unfold and voilà, you have a silicone plate. Plus an easy breezy one vessel cleanup. 

2) Silicone Sponge Scrubber - It seems like regular sponges fall apart without much use, whereas the silicone is super durable. "Sponge" is a little misleading. These won't absorb like a sponge, but are great for wiping and scrubbing dishes, pans and counter tops. So they won't replace your sponge, but they do some jobs better, and you won't need to buy as many sponges, which saves time and money in the long run. Another benefit, silicone is bacteria and odor resistant, partly because it dries faster than a regular sponge. 

3) Clean + Simple Scrubbing Gloves - What is better than silicone sponges? Little scrubbers attached onto silicone gloves! Nothing to hold! Protect your hands from heat and cleansers while you scrub-a-rub-dub away.

No need to shop at upscale retailers as all the above silicone tools are found at T.J. Maxx and Home Goods for less. When in stock, be sure to snatch them up!

You may also enjoy:
Shelf Helpers To Organize
5 Kitchen Tools I Will Never Buy Again
Last Minute Shoppers Head To T.J. Maxx  
Smart Ways To Put Money In Your Piggy Bank

Pretty Pear Blue Sapphires At Macy's

The sale at Macy's - see here - it ends soon but usually returns if you watch for it.

I love fine jewelry like some other bloggers love designer shoes or handbags. Although I pop into Tiffany & Co., Bulgari and other Madison Avenue jewelers occasionally, there's no way I can justify paying thousands of dollars on such expensive pieces. I mean, few of us actually have $100,000 sitting idle, plus a gal would need the lifestyle to merit buying such sparkle. Would I adorn myself in 6-figure jewelry only to walk up and down Madison Avenue? Or go to a movie, or the ballet? Nooo, I'd have to be part of the Met Gala or Page Six society ball set. I look because it's fun to see gorgeous, top-notch jewelry! And younger, my father and I used to gawk at jewelry store displays, picking our favorites.😍

Because I don't live the lifestyle, it's safe for me to browse. When on a spending hiatus, it's T.J. Maxx where I dare not go!

As my readers know, I don't consider jewelry an investment since you will rarely (or never) get what you paid if you resell it. Realty: Short of being famous (with millions of fans), or a queen, you will lose money on jewelry. So only buy it because you love it!

A matching necklace here.

It is why I'm a big fan of Macy's fine jewelry department for mid-priced jewelry. To find value to suite your budget and taste, it pays to shop where there is a wide selection. Although the gems are not top-notch, you still get lots of bang for the buck. Macy's offers real gold, variety, great design, reasonably good stones; at bargain prices. The gems aren't top-grade, but you haven't paid for them with an arm and a leg either, so it's a smart trade off enabling ordinary people on budgets to own some glitter IMHO. I mean, we can save up to buy a proper piece. 

The earrings featured at the top ↑ is an example of what I think is a steal ... or at least a good deal:

• 6 carats of blue sapphires, with 1/4 carat of white sapphires, so 3 big carats per ear
• Set in 10k white gold
• Original price: $1,250.00
• Sale price: $445.99 (64% off)
• Extra 25% off, so with offer = $335.24           

Don't get me wrong, Macy's isn't giving anything away. Here are the reasons the earrings are affordable:

The gold is only 10k, the sapphires are navy blue, so on the dark side, yet still blue (not black). The diamonds aren't diamonds, but white sapphires. All OK with me for the price. 

Earrings in 18k gold, or platinum; with 6 carats of certified natural Ceylon (color not country) sapphires; surrounded by diamonds would cost between $7,000 - $10,000+ depending on color, clarity and cut. BTW: Sapphires are no longer mined in Ceylon (the Island country a/k/a Sri Lanka) so those rare sapphires can be $20,000 - $100,000+ especially for single, bigger stones!

The Macy's earrings are much less in quality and price than what Tiffany sells. Nonetheless, you get real bling with real gold and real sapphires ... a luxury splurge with money leftover to buy necessities. That's a good deal for a Savvy Shopper!

 You may also enjoy:

In My Jewelry Box

Rubies The Scarlet Stone

For The Love Of Sapphires  

The Gemstone Chrome Diopside

L'Orèal's Air Dry It Hair Series

I wash and blow dry my hair every day, but sometimes I get tired of the ritual, and even with heat protecting conditioners, it's healthy to give hair a break from heat. Unfortunately avoiding electric stylers and heat usually leaves your hair untamed and messy. A sad, unappealing sight that can now be remedied! L'Oèal has launched an exciting series of styling products to give hair: body, shine, smoothness and texture, sans the heat, i.e. by letting it air dry naturally. Best of all, the new stylers do their work without leaving your hair, sticky, flaky, crunchy or stiff. The end result is soft, touchable hair that has fullness, hold, shine and texture.

L'Oèal's Advanced Air Dry It hair stylers include:

1) Ruffled Body Mousse - Perfect for curly and wavy hair. Creates a soft, ruffled look. Extra tip: Flip head upside down and scrump the ends with your figures to add volume.

2) Undone Style Cream - Perfect for straight or wavy hair. Gives an undone, soft and shiny look. Extra tip: Apply to the ends of the hair for added smoothness.

3) Waved Swept Spray - Perfect for all hair types. Produces a natural , textured, wavy look. Extra tip: Spray on wet and braided locks of hair for extra waves.

These new hair products save time: Natural, effortless, shiny, full, smooth hair ... minus the heat. Wow, envision going away without packing your blow dryer, straightener or curling iron! Each product costs under $5.


You may also enjoy:
Hair So Silky, It Shines
Introducing The Hair Bungee
Are Expensive Flat Irons Better?
New Hair Tools: Crimpers, Curlers And Making Waves