I don’t normally use mixes when baking but I know that making scones can be a pretty annoying and painstaking ordeal so I gave in.

The mix cuts out alot of the work for sure.

Since I’m an ingredient aficionado, I made sure that these seemed pretty harmless.

And for this price, I got two boxes!

But since heavy cream is fat laden and was nowhere in sight I resorted to my substitute ~ coconut milk.

I mixed u the ingredients and voila! My ultra puffy sticky scone dough.

No exaggeration on the sticky front. I guess that’s what $1 box mix gets me. $1 plus a good deal of kneading.

Finally, I unstuck myself enough to arrange my stones for baking.

And the obligatory close up, of course .

And here’s the finished product!

These scones are just calling to the camera!

But these scones aren’t complete yet. I prepared the glaze that came with the mix but it came out super bubbly and clear.

Then I generously poured it over the scones.

In retrospect I should’ve used cream and held back on the extra glaze. I have another box so I will another afternoon of experimenting on my hands .

Q: Have you ever taken a shortcut while baking or cooking something? Like use a box mix, etc?

~ Sharon

Sometimes you just need to have utter and complete “I <3 ME” time.

*GASP*

Pass up on a party or big event to be on my owny…all aloney?

But yes, being alone sometimes keeps me sane. Just having those few hours or even one hour all to myself to do yoga, meditate, take a bubble bath, is so essential to my well being.

Sometimes I spend that alone time doing an activity I typically loathe doing on the regular….read. But to help my brain regenerate what it loses while watching reality television shows and poking my friends on Facebook, I try to settle down with a good book or magazine that I’ve wanted to read for awhile.

*

Like this article that came out a few months ago in the New York Times magazine.

Usually while taking a lovely bubble bath,thanks to muscle salts and Lush.

I love this Lush Comforter bubble bar. A small piece like this…

Makes bubbles like this!

Stay in bath as long as you like. I usually stay in them too long .

I follow up my luxurious bath with a rich natural lotion like this one from Ecotools.

And since extra stress can wreck havoc on my skin I use a clay mask and a skin peel.

I love this one by Earth Science, which I think I got at Whole Foods.

Next, make googly faces in your bathroom mirror with your newly refreshed and rejuvenated mug.

Or when I don’t have time for a luxurious bath and face googly session I’ll give myself  a mani/pedi with an awesome nailcolor.

And treat myself to a sweet & antioxidant filled treat  like a square of dark chocolate .

And sometimes relaxing isn’t all about pampering my body. It could be pampering my creative side.

I love cutting up old magazines and making collages.

There is something therapeutic to sifting through piles of high fashion pictorials and random images.

I also collect Absolut ads. If you have extras lying around, send them this way .

And alas, the good old ‘out-of-breathe-red-in-the-face’ run that always does the trick to get those aggressions out, work out my thoughts and gives me the strength to keep on carrying on.

What do you find relaxing ? How do you spend your ‘me time’?

~ Sharon