Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Dermatologist, The Rising Dough,

Went to see the dermatologist today and Matt has two more basel cells to be treated. He will be
seeing the same plastic surgeon he saw before. The dermatologist also froze a few places on his face, places he said were trying to become cancerous. As I said before, we just didn't know, when we were young, how dangerous the sun could be. The Vitamin D it provides is so good for us and so necessary, but we don't need to spend hours in the sun to get it. There are published statistics telling one how much sun we should take. Most of us used to lie out there trying to get a tan and many of us didn't both with sun tan creams, didn't think we needed them. As kids we didn't lie out but we played in the sun all day long. We didn't spend time indoors watching TV (well it wasn't really available) or using cell phones and such. Not been invented. So if it wasn't raining we were mostly outside.  I still sit in the sun for a while during the summer, but rarely for more than half an hour at a time and  these days all the face creams and skin creams are full of sun blocs of one kind or another.

In the same building as the doctor which is called The Grist Mill Centre, at street level, there is a store called The Rising Dough Bakery where I like to go to buy Cornish Pasties. Unfortunately they only had a couple and I wanted four. They said they would be another 10 minutes or so. Decided to sit and have coffee ($1.60 - I thought that was a lot) and wait. I have never really looked at everything they carry before and found it interesting. Liquorish Allsorts which I haven't eaten since I was a child, TCP antiseptic which made me think of Hilary's uncle. Scotts Porridge Oats, many British candies of one kind or another. Many other things which I don't recall now. The Allsorts packet was marked with a price of £1 which I thought was a lot, I asked how much they sold for here, about $5 I was told. Not cheap. OK, I know the stuff has to be imported. In the end I got my 4 pasties, as well as 4 wholewheat raisin scones and a couple of jars of clotted cream. We had a couple of scones for our mid afternoon snack and a couple of the pasties for supper. Boy were they ever good. I have made scones many times, although not for years, but never had wholewheat before. In my opinion these are best served warm but it's a matter of choice. You can just cut them in half and slather with butter or you can do the whole Cornwall/Devon thing and have jam and thick clotted cream on them. No I just buttered mine.


Wholewheat Raisin Scones

Makes 12 small scones

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
Scant 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup oatmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 oz unsalted butter (5 tbs)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. Stir in oatmeal. Rub in butter, or place in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and beat at low speed, or pulse in a food processor, until incorporated. Add buttermilk and raisins and mix just until dough comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and gently shape into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle. Cut either into 2-inch circles with a biscuit cutter or into 6 squares, then cut each square in half on the diagonal. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, until browned on the bottom. Flip over, bake 2 more minutes, and remove from the heat. Serve warm or allow to cool.

These freeze very well too.


Have a great day

19 comments:

  1. I remember the commercials selling oil to get that great tan. Hugh Jackman has had more cancer cells removed from his nose and is saying the same thing you are saying here. We just have to be careful especially when one is blond and very pale(like moi)

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    1. If only we'd known when we were younger Birgit.

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  2. I've never tried to make whole wheat scones but those sound good.
    My family was more aware than most about sun damage because one of my brothers burned very easily so we always wore hats and used what passed for suncream in those days - not that it compares with today's sunscreens - and never went to the beach in the middle of the day. Even so he has a lot of sun damage and I've had to have a few keratoses burned off, too.
    I worry about my husband, though. His family baked themselves all summer long and his sister has had to have a lot of skin cancers removed.

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    1. The ones I bought are delicious Helen. Wish I had bought a few more. I am glad you are less at risk because you all took care. We have a friend in the States who did that. Don't hear from him a lot but I have often wondered how his skin is doing. Hope your hubby will be OK. I guess it doesn't always happen.

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  3. Hi Jo - many people here are suffering as is Matt - thankfully they can treat us - I haven't had to be yet ...

    Thanks for the Mr TCP mention - that still amazes me that story ... I miss him and my mother ...

    Cornish Cream and scones - that sounds delicious ... and I still can't buy Cornish pasties - have to have them made! But am glad you're still enjoying the ones you can get ..

    Sweet packets here cost a pound - can't tell re exchange rate and shipping charges etc ... cheers Hilary

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    1. Well it was in England it started for him I guess Hilary. Certainly he and his friends were outside constantly as kids and swimming at the local pool all summer.

      I guess your TCP story really stuck with me and I thought of your uncle the minute I saw the bottle. Haven't seen the stuff in years. Pity you're not here, I would love you to try these pasties. They were fresh out of the oven and delicious. I couldn't believe that they cost £1, that seems like such a lot of money for a pack of sweets to me. Mind you, so does $5.

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  4. I was so used to being away from sun that when I moved here my Vitamin D levels were almost non existent. My doc told me to take a D supplement and get out in the sun. I've done neither. I will sit out and read sometimes in the summer and I do take a lot of walks too.

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    1. Even if you don't sit out, you should certainly take some Vitamin D pills especially if the doctor recommended it. You are certainly outside a lot with all your walking JoJo.

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  5. I've never been a sun worshiper. I always wore sun screen if I was outside and do so even now. I have so many friends who have skin cancer conditions from exposure. As for scones, I like mine traditional.

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    1. I used to work on getting a tan every summer Denise. But I wore sun screen too.

      These wholewheat ones are delicious. Not untraditional in the UK really.

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  6. I guess it's a good thing I preferred to stay inside as a kid. My natural paleness will work in my favor. Hope everything goes well with Matt.

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    1. So how did you amuse yourself indoors all the time Alex? It should be OK. The last two worked fine. He will be going to the same plastic surgeon. The one who's photo is so glamourous!!

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  7. I avoided the sun, usually. I hated the pain of a burn, but got a real good one the first time I visited Daytona Beach. Horrid to think that could come back to haunt me.

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    1. I got burned a few times in my life. I used to think it was a great way to get a face peel LOL. I don't think one burn would hurt you Yolanda, but I'm no expert.

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  8. Sorry to hear about the new cancer spots. I spent a lot of time in the sun myself as a kid. I had many, many burns being fair skinned.

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  9. Mmmm, scones with jam and cream. We pay $5 for a cup of coffee here!

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    1. Delicious aren't they Pinky. Just checked, $5 Oz is only a tad more than here $4.94. I thought $1.60 was a lot.

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  10. Like many others here I don't remember using suncream as a child - we just played out in all weathers. As an adult I rarely bothered with it as I was usually out and about with the horses and suncream just attracted dust/muck to stick to it ... I remember my Father smothering himself in oil as it seemed to be a macho thing years ago to 'fry' oneself in order to burn/tan ... amazing how times change really..

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    1. Too true Sue, we did. I hope you bother these days especially in Fuerte.

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