Is This The End, Feeding Little Foodies? And, Orange + Currant Oat Scones.

Is this the end of an era--well a two year stint, that is, of what was Feeding Little Foodies? Many of you know that I created and ran the web domain www.feedinglittlefoodies.com. It began two years ago shortly after Noah began solids as a place to share all of the yummy homemade baby grub that I was whipping up in the kitchen for him. As his palate expanded, so did the popularity of the site as it grew to include cooking tips and family-friendly dishes and a little homespun business formed--one that offered inspiration and workshops for families who wanted to learn how to feed their own little foodies. While in Southern California, business was booming but our move to Canada and the subsequent birth of Fern last May put a freeze on the site and workshops--and it never regained its once-bustling momentum.

With no time to take the photography I liked to pair with each recipe (most "share-worthy" dishes were prepared after sunset and I insist on natural lighting in lieu of the dreaded flash), there had not been a new post for many months. So when my domain was up for renewal this past January, I was torn with deciding its fate and figured I had time to hash it all out. Upon realizing that though there was no new blog content, visitors from around the world continued to maintain traffic flows by frequenting old posts in the archives. And as I was still receiving comments, messages, and e-mails regarding those, I decided that it was still valuable as a resource while I remained in decision limbo.

So when I logged on last night to pay the renewal fee, my stomach flipped, turned and then ached as I learned that my domain had been purchased by a blogger in Granada, Spain. Not only had my renewal lapsed, but it had become available for purchase by others. It's no doubt my fault. My indecision and lack of urgency resulted in the inevitable. It never dawned on me that the traffic I had spent two years building would be of interest to someone else--effortless and free advertising for them, score zero for me.

While I was unsure about the energy and interest I had in maintaining Feeding Little Foodies, I certainly wasn't ready to let it go--yet--especially so abruptly and involuntarily. It had become an inadvertent chronicle of my adventures in the kitchen from a novice to a rather competent and sometimes adept whipper-upper of fine fare. Over the years, I had invested much time and love into its creation and maintenance and it made me so very happy to know that it was continuing to inform and inspire hungry families.

Now its fate is in the hands of another. I wrote a heart-wrenching e-mail pleading the new owner to release the domain back into longing hands of its creator and choosing another of their own. The content of Feeding Little Foodies still exists. I can always purchase another domain ending in .net, for example, and release the site once again on the world wide web--but then it begs the question...is this a sign? Is it time to let go?

In the meantime, let's hope I am not forced into a decision. Perhaps my pleading will strike the heart strings of compassion and they will take pity and relinquish. While I wait, I'll bide my time with this gastronomical ode to my lost love with a fresh new recipe to fill the tummies of you and your family.

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These are some pretty scrumptious little scones that Noah and whipped up for an afternoon treat while Fernie siesta'ed yesterday. They are an adaptation from a recipe from one of my favorite food bloggers: 101 Cookbooks. They turned out deliciously and harbor the possibilities for so many variations. Try them smothered in butter, dipped in honey (our preference), or with jam. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

Orange & Currant Oat Scones

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup cold butter
• 2 cups rolled oats
• zest of one orange
• 1 cup milk or buttermilk
• 2/3 cup *fresh or dried currants

Directions:

1. Combine and mix flour, sugars, baking powder and baking soda
2. Add butter using a pastry cutter or food processor to create a coarse meal
3. Stir in zest and oats
4. Add milk and currants and stir until the dough just begins to hold together
5. Remove dough bowl and transfer to a large floured surface
6. Knead the dough several times (avoid over-working) and gently pat into a large round (if too crumbly, add more milk tsp by tsp--if too wet, add flour tbs by tbs)
7. Shape into triangles and place on a baking sheet
8. Bake @ 350 for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown

*Note:  I used fresh currants instead of dried as the recipe called for so there was a bit of moisture in my dough requiring me to add a bit of extra flour during the last steps. Because of this additional moisture, I also had to bake them several minutes longer.