Do you guys ever go through your stuff and get rid of it willy-nilly? I’m going through another stuff-purge right now. It’s a good thing, but also feels pretty intense! When I moved into my apartment in April I did a massive purge — it was pretty easy since it had all been in storage for a year while I was in Asia, and I was able to turn off any/all nostalgia and simple get rid of things I no longer needed/wanted/used. Turns out, it was AWESOME! So, I’m doing it again!
I started last week, in preparations for moving again (which I am doing slowly/surely over the next few weeks — more on that later!), in my bathroom. SOUNDS RIVETING, MARY, TELL US MORE! You betcha I will! As a semi-grungy Portlander (again, more on THAT later…) I’ve realized I have way too much stuff in my bathroom, and I use about 5 things. Literally, all the makeup I use fits into an 8oz canning jar on my counter. So why do I still have purple eyeshadow from high school and sparkly eyeliner from that ONE Halloween way-back-when? Because “I MIGHT need it one day!” — WRONG. I decided to just get over it and get rid of all the products I never (seriously, never) use. My bathroom stuff diminished by like 80%! Pretty much all I use is coconut oil, anyways, so … that’s all I need. SO GOOD!
Now, I’m onto the rest of my stuff. Clothes will be easy — I’ll be pretty ruthless there again (if I haven’t worn it in the last 6 months, or the last winter I was in the USA, it’s gonna go!). Kitchen stuff will be harder… it’s something I’ve never done. As a food blogger, it’s SO FUN to have all sorts of kitchen stuff! But there are things I never use. Bowls I’ll never photograph. Old plastic measuring cups I don’t need (does anyone need more than 1 set? I think not.). Ugly placemats I definitely don’t need. THEY’VE GOTTA GO. The other hard thing will be books… it seems like I should NEVER get rid of ANY books. But some of them I’ll probably never read again — so why keep them? Also: libraries. Also: kindles. I love paper books, but I think I could do some paring down.
I kind of feel like I’m writing this post to amp myself up for ruthless purging — it seriously does take an IDGAF attitude (which I generally excel at cultivating). Clearly I have huge weekend plans…
Let’s talk about scones. These are super easy. They have no sugar. WHAT THE WHAT!? I mean, that’s kind of a lie: they have maple syrup. I KNOW I HAVE A PROBLEM I CANNOT STOP HAAAALP! Don’t halp, actually. This is the kind of problem I love having. Maple syrup in everything? YES PLEASE. I adapted these from my ancient (from my first month of blogging!) gingerbread scones recipe and was surprised at how simple they are… There really aren’t that many ingredients. SO EASY! A little sticky, thanks to the maple, but they bake up nice and pretty and get smothered in orangey glaze and pecans! I’ve been eating this all week (popped in the microwave for 15 seconds, to make them irresistible!) with coffee and maple turmeric cashew milk. You cannot go wrong!
I’m going back to packing/purging. Maybe we’ll chat next week about moving… I’m not sure exactly when I’m going to do the big push (maybe Wednesday? Maybe in another week? Clearly hurrying is not a priority (I have both places for like 3 overlapping weeks). Have a beautiful weekend! xo
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter, chilled
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp orange juice
- ½ cup pecans (toasted is best!)
- Combine all dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Whisk the maple syrup, milk, egg, and vanilla together; add to dry ingredients. Mix just until dough forms.
- With floured hands, gather dough and transfer it to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat out into a circle ½″ thick. With a floured knife, cut into wedges (you may need to freeze for 10 minutes before doing this step, if your dough is too sticky!). Bake at 425F for 18-20 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and allow to cool completely.
- For the icing, combine powdered sugar and orange juice. Add more orange juice or sugar accordingly for your desired consistency. Spread or drizzle over scones, and top with the pecans and extra orange zest.
Wow, these look fantastic – so tall and fluffy! The orange-maple combination is one I haven’t tried, but it sounds lovely. I admire your ability to be so thorough in getting rid of things. While I’m certainly not a hoarder, I tend to keep every book and article of clothing that my apartment will hold!
I definitely understand the urge to keep everything! I used to be that way 100%! Thanks for the comment! xo
Hi Mary 🙂
I only have around 1/4 C Maple Syrup left at home so is it possible if I replace the other 1/4 C with golden syrup or rice malt syrup? Do you know which would be a better option?
Thank you
Kind Regards,
Sara
Hi Sara,
OH no! I don’t actually have any experience with either golden or rice malt syrup, so I don’t feel like I can fully advise you there… I’d use brown sugar, and maybe cut down on the dry ingredients to make up for the liquid difference! Let me know what you try and how it turns out!
xoxo
Mary