Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge!

I was in England when Prince Charles and Diana got married, and although I was young, I can still remember the energy in England for the event. My grandparents threw a party and decorated the house with streamers, Union Jacks, and pictures of Charles and Diana. Although I couldn't be in England for today's Royal Wedding, I knew I wanted to get up and watch it live. My Mom is visiting, and she and I were up bright and early this morning (2:30am PT for me) to watch the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. It was a beautiful ceremony which lasted an hour, yet seemed short and sweet. Although there were 100's in attendance, it was still intimate and struck the perfect balance between formal in some areas and informal in others. Kate's dress was surprising to me, as I expected something a little more fashion forward, but after watching her throughout the morning I realized how it was a classic and timeless beauty. England's people definitely showed up in the streets for a glimpse of the royal couple, but I was more amazed at the organization of the whole event, and how calm and peaceful the crowds were. I wish I could have been there, although I think I probably had a better view from my couch, but I'm very happy and lucky to have had the opportunity to watch it with my "Mum", as it will be an event that I will never forget.

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, I wish you nothing but happiness in your lives together, and of course, God Save the Queen.

In preparation, I made some of my favorite Lemon Blueberry scones which hit the spot as an early morning snack.

Meyer Lemon and Dried Blueberry Scones

Specialty foods stores, Trader Joe's, and some supermarkets carry dried blueberries.

Yield: Makes 12 servings
Recipe from Epicurious

Ingredients

3 cups of self-rising flour

1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/2 cups dried wild blueberries (about 10 ounces)

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon buttermilk

1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon peel or regular lemon peel

Preparation

1) Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

2) Line large baking skeet with parchment paper.

3) Whisk self-rising flour and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl.

4) Using fingertips, rub in chilled butter until pieces are size of small peas.

5) Add dried wild blueberries and toss to coat.

6) Mix 1 cup buttermilk and finely grated lemon peel in glass measuring cup.

7) Pour buttermilk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until dough beings to form (some of flour will not be incorporated).

8) Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and gather together. Knead dough briefly, about 5 turns.

9) Divide dough in half. Form each dough half into ball and flatten into 1-inch-thick disk. Cut each disk into 6 wedges.

Notes: For step 9, I instead separated dough into small individual sized round scones

10) Transfer scones to prepared baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Brush tops with remaining 1 tablespoon buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar.

11) Bake until scones are golden brown on top and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 - 25 minutes