“Sir” Robert Plant

 

Robert Plant.

I always knew that Robert Plant was an aristocrat among rock stars.  Now, it’s official.  Plant was honored today as a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II, according to Reuters News. I thought he’d been knighted, but not so.  See third comment below.  He can’t be called “Sir,” either, but if Elton John can be called “Sir,” certainly Robert can!

The Queen also granted awards to British fantasy writer Terry Pratchett and members of Britain‘s Beijing Olympics team, including a knighthood for triple cycling gold medallist Chris Hoy, Britain’s most successful Olympian at a single game in a century.

Plant, 60, is most famous for being the lead singer of rock band Led Zeppelin in the 1970s. I was lucky enough to see Led Zeppelin in 1970.

Plant has forged a successful career since Led Zeppelin‘s disbanded in 1980.  He reunited with surviving band members a couple of times for fund-raisers, including once in 2007.  Plant recently collaborated with singer Alison Krauss on the celebrated album “Raising Sand.”  I saw Plant and Krauss when they toured this year.  They were fantastic!  To find links to my posts about Plant, Krauss and Led Zeppelin, see below.  Click on the post headlines to see the photos, if they don’t appear at first.

Led Zeppelin in 1969 at the beginning of the band's career.

The CBE honors are bestowed in the name of Queen Elizabeth II and are recommended by a panel that considers suggestions from British government departments and political parties as well as from members of the public, according to Reuters.

 

Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin

Alison Krauss and Robert Plant

Robert Plant’s official webpage.

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is explained here.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Scone Recipe

In 1960, Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain sent President Dwight D. Eisenhower her recipe for “Drop Scones,” which she had promised to give to him when he’d visited her at Balmoral Castle. Eisenhower was an avid cook.

Elizabeth II doesn’t seem like a likely cook, but she was an auto mechanic during World War II.  She could probably stir up a batch of scones, if called upon in the line of duty.

A photograph of the recipe she sent him is in a book about Eisenhower entitled, The Ike Files: Mementoes of the Man and His Era from the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, which was published by Kansas City Star Books and the Dwight D. Eisenhower Foundation.

The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum is in Abilene, Kansas, which is where Eisenhower grew up.  It was the first presidential library I ever visited, which makes sense since I lived in Kansas.  (Although many people never visit the sites in their own states.)

We already had a “history” with Eisenhower, though. My parents had taken me as a baby to Eisenhower’s presidential inaugural parade in 1953, when we lived in Alexandria, Virginia.

Here’s Queen Elizabeth’s scone recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 teacups flour
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 2 teacups milk
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 teaspoons bi-carbonate soda
• 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Beat eggs, sugar and about half the milk together, add flour, and mix well together adding remainder of milk as required, also bi-carbonate and cream of tartar, fold in the melted butter.

The recipe was typed, but at the bottom, written in ink and underlined, was the line: Enough for 16 people.

I don’t have the Queen’s instructions for what to do with the dough. Here’s a scone recipe from Epicurious.com that describes how to work, shape, cut and bake the dough.

Hearty Scottish Scones

Blogging friend Paula’s photos of scones and jam inspired me on this topic.  Here’s a link to Paula’s “Jamming” post.  She also included a recipe for scones and more information in her comment below.  Check it out.

To learn more about the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, which sells the book, go to www.eisenhower.archives.gov  I don’t get any royalties. In fact, don’t tell them I sent you.