Inside Voice

Waking up this morning to the rattling of rain in the downspouts outside the bedroom window makes me feel like it's time to start hibernating.  This feels like the first real rain of autumn, in that it isn't accompanied by gusty winds, and is heavy and constant.  I'm writing this about seven hours after I woke up, and in that time the rain has not slackened in the least.  It is this kind of rain that gives the Salish Sea its reputation as such a wet place, even though it is much wetter on the west side of the Olympics and in fact areas of the Salish Sea are relatively dry due to rain shadow effects.  There is even a native cactus here, believe it or not.

The rain is so thick that I can't see more than about a mile out into the water.  The eared grebes and scoters made an appearance in their usual patch of water earlier this  morning, but mostly it is just dark gray, and my attention turns toward making my nest a cozy retreat from the wet outside.  It isn't especially cold yet; temperatures are in the mid-50s today, and will be in the 40s tonight, perfectly normal for this time of year.  But the humidity is high--94% as of this writing--so even sheltered outdoor space feels clammy.  The creature comforts of my indoor nest become very appealing:  curling up in an armchair with my knitting and a hot mug of cocoa or cup of tea, the slow cooker full of a hearty stew, the sweet smell of baking filling the house.

On the agenda today is rendering down last night's Jack o' Lanterns into pumpkin puree, some of which will be made into these:

WhaleHo's Pumpkin Oat Scones
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar, dried cane juice, or preferred sweetener
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup firm butter cut into small pieces
3/4 cup chopped currants or raisins (optional)
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 Tbsp dried orange rind, powdered (or grated rind of 1 small fresh orange)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Preheat the oven to 425 F.  In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients except oats.  Cut in butter.  Add oats, currants or raisins and nuts; blend together.  Mix the milk and pumpkin puree together in a small bowl.  Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and add wet ingredients all at once.  Mix until the dough mostly cleans the sides of the bowl (some oats might be left behind; dough will be quite sticky).  Divide the dough into two equal parts.  Pat each part into a 1/2"-1" thick circle on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Sprinkle with maple sugar or a cinnamon-sugar mixture, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until top is lightly browned.  While still warm, cut each circle into wedges with a sharp knife (it helps to wipe the blade clean between each slice).  Serve warm.  Makes about 16.