Real Boy

This sort of painting, despite its merits, would not typically catch my prolonged attention. My favorites are more modern, more ambiguous, and less academic. But this portrait of a little boy with a long name, destined not to grow up, came to life during story time with  my younger son.  The painting is in our An Alphabet in Art book under M for Magpies. Suddenly, through the eyes of a three-year-old, I saw this painting for the very first time.

This is a portrait of a tiny kid, a toddler really, just the sort of boy we would meet at a playground. And birds, oblivious to danger. And kitty-cats, a little sinister but soft. As I watch my own little boy look at length at his long-lost friend, asking questions, the formal portrait fades and all that's left is a real boy.

Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuniga by Francisco de Goya y Lucientes - image loaned from the Met

Read about our favorite kiddie art history books here.

Apricot-Ginger Tea Scones (GF)

A few months back, with a bake sale looming, I couldn't find a suitable gluten-free scone recipe (plain old wheat ones were abound, of course). I settled on chocolate chip scones from Gluten-Free Goddess. But with a few substitutions. Vanilla rice mild (meeh!), became soy milk. Spectrum shortening was replaced with coconut oil. And chocolate chips were replaced with apricots and ginger. So, behold my very own version of gluten-free scones.

These puppies went fast!

Set the over to 375 and get mixing. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of white rice flour
• 1/2 cup of amaranth flour (or millet - hey, baking GF, you can't avoid a few oddball items)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup sugar (or brown sugar)
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup of soy milk
• A dash of boozy vanilla 
• Grated fresh ginger and chopped dry apricots

 Mix, mix, mix.

 

Form a circle on the cookie sheet lined with parchment and score it with knife into wedges. Sprinkle with sugar (raw sugar if you have it on hand). In the oven it goes for 25 minutes.

Serve with dairy free butter, Earl Gray for grown ups and berry tea for classy tea-loving tots.