Many of my guy friends were shocked when I confided in them that my husband was not a football/baseball fan?
“What the hell do you guys talk about? Â Or watch?”
A lot of HBO & Netflix (sci-fi shows in particular – yes, we’re geeks), but also tennis. Â While my husband isn’t a fan of the Big 4 (football, baseball, basketball, and hockey), he’s an avid fan of tennis and golf. Â I’m the same with the former.
Summer is especially good for our tennis fandom, as 3 of the 4 Grand Slams are played through the season. Â Wimbledon is a favorite of ours. Â I couldn’t tell you his reasons, but mine include a Middleton sighting (I’ll take Pippa or Kate), the crisp whites worn by the players, and the excuse to cook up an English breakfast.
A full English breakfast was my second favorite indulgence when we lived in London (high tea being the first). Â From the familiar items in the buffet (scrambled eggs, sausages) to the random (stewed tomatoes and baked beans), I’d pile a plate high of everything and relish in the diversity of flavors and textures. Â Paired with a strong cup of tea, and it was the perfect way to start the day.
I’d always planned to prepare a proper English breakfast for the Wimbledon men’s final – but Andy Murray’s appearance (and eventual win) finally made it happen.
We woke early and hit the market at 7:30 am. Â As the brothers McEnroe and other talking heads began their commentary, my scones were in the oven and the strawberries chopped. Â As the experts prattled on about Murray’s serve versus Djokavic’s forehand, I cut and seasoned the tomatoes, poured the baked beans into a saucepan (what? Â It was EARLY). Â By the time the players were warming up, we were settled on the couch, cups of tea in our hands (Lady Gray with lemon for me, Irish breakfast with milk for him) and ready to watch.
And what a match it was. Â 3 sets later, and Murray became the first British man to win the title in 77 years.
Me?  I had a full belly pile of work to attack.  As did my husband – and a full sink of dishes to wash.
Prepare this for a Wimbledon watching party or just a themed breakfast in your home. Â I highly recommend Twinnings tea and Victoria’s slow roasted tomatoes recipe. Â If you’re feeling especially ambitious, bake up a batch of sweet scones as well!
Cheddar-Dill Scones
makes 10 small scones
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 cup of grated sharp cheddar
2 tablespoons of baking powder
1/4 tablespoons of salt
1/3 cup of grapeseed oil
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of fresh dill, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. Â Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Â In a large bowl, stir all the dry ingredients & cheese together
2.  Add the oil slowly, using your hands to knead in the wet ingredients to dry.  Add milk in three parts, kneading with each addition.  (NOTE – do not overknead!)
3.  Add the dill, salt, and pepper and knead lightly.  Add extra flour if dough is too wet – the consistency should be sticky.
4.  Spray a scone pan with PAM and add batter to it (or separate in two parts, and pat into a circle 1/2″ thick.  Cut each circle in 6 wedges)
5. Â Bake for 15 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the sides are firm. Â Remove from oven and allow to cool (while eating a hot one straight from the pan).
Warning – these are dangerously good.  Wrap half of them up and give them away immediately, or suffer the carb coma later (it’s well worth it though)
