Scones!! (have no fear)

I've never had a good scone. 

Dry and crumbly; they make me think the bakery scraped their board off into

triangle portions to trick us into paying $3.25 for it's equivalent of spam.   

Until this week.

I had clipped a recipe from Southern Living from December 2010 promising

"Easy and Irrestible Scones".

The recipe had a basic recipe with 4 sweet variations.  The subtext said that

"a buttery-rich scone is nothing more than a glorified biscuit". 

What?  Well, what were those things in the lit cabinets then? 

I guess they are doorstops, b/c I haven't found a better use for them.

So, my friends, let me heartily recommend this recipe to you, as foolproof.  Proven by a fool.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/ 2 cup cold butter, cut into small cubes

1 cup whipping cream

(this variation includes dried cherries and dark chocolate- meticulously measured)

(um... grabbed by the handful)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt in a large bowl.  Cut butter into mixture with a pastry blender until crumbly and resembles small peas.  Freeze bowl and contents for 5 minutes.  Add most of cream and stir just until the mixture is completely moistened.

Note:  I added a little extra cream to make sure it was cohesive

 and easy to work with- I don't like "shaggy" dough. 

Turn dough out on a non-stick surface (wax paper, cutting board, countertop...whatever)

Pat into a smallish circle, about the size of a pie pan, and cut into 8 wedges. 

Place them a little apart on a cookie sheet, and brush with any remaining cream.

Add a little turbinado sugar if you like the bling. 

Bake for 13-15 minutes at 450 until golden. 

Convice your husband not to leave well enough alone. 

 He will whip out the immersion blender and take cream, powdered sugar, vanilla,

 and beat into a frothy frenzy.

Congratulate him on his initiative.  Offer to be a taster.

PS.  The other 3 variations? 

• Dried apricot and crystallized ginger (yes, it is awesome),
• cranberry and pistachio, 
• brown sugar and pecan

Meticulously measured of course. 

End of School

Today was Madeline's last day of school as a young 4, and as I thought back over the year, one conversation with our director keeps coming back to me. 

(Keep in mind our director looks like one of the good fairies from Sleeping Beauty)

Director:  "She (Madeline) has such a sweet, soft voice and and such an angelic look to her."

Me: "Oh! Yes, well, ...thank you." (mind you, I know the truth)

Director:  "It totally belies the fact that she is stubborn."

(Me to myself:  Oh, She KNOWS)

Director: "If she doesn't want to do something, she simply is not going to do it.

She's just stubborn."

Me:  "Absolutely, no argument here.  She will put her foot down in cement

 and dare you to move it."

Mind you, I LOVE that the director of our school knows my daughter.  It means that she is involved and aware and not afraid to speak her mind.  I couldn't be happier with our little preschool. 

But, as a case in point, I thought I'd give you this illustration.  This is Madeline's chef cover photo for the annual cookbook; a tradition for these teachers. 

This is the photo that the teacher snapped after the chef gear was removed. 

 "I didn't want to wear that, Mommy. I wasn't happy." 

Girls!  On and off like a light switch.  Can't wait for adolescence. 

Here's Madeline's rendition of a recipe from my kitchen:

Translation:

Go to Kroger (free cookies in the bakery)

Weirdness:

• we make our dough at home
• we buy pepperoni approximatelly .2% of the time when Jeff begs
• I don't think she has ever had a bagel. 

Recipe from her favorite classmate; note the time and temp.

Ms. Melissa and Ms. Jody;

the face in the middle you already know

What I've been reading...

The Hunger Games Trilogy - a crazy intriguing read; reminscent in my mind of Vonnegut, it  follows how a society can find itself completely depraved and self -seeking (Yipes!), hard to put down.

Give them Grace- by Elyse Fitzpatrick  - a book study I read along with some friends.  I can tell you it's the most thought provoking, feather-ruffling parenting book that I have read to date.  For me, the most challenging part was realizing that I have to learn to give grace (to my children.. well, heck!... my husband, and all those unfortunate to come in contact with me) where I don't accept grace myself.  I can't say that I am in wholehearted agreement with everything said, but it gave me so much to think and consider that I have to recommend it. 

Honey for a Child's Heart- by Gladys Hunt - I spent all of last year reading a HEAVY theological book a month from my extensive "I cannot resist a cheap book sale at a conference" collection.  I was worn out and sprained several muscles in my brain.  This year I wanted to lighten up a bit and explore some books for the munchkins. Madeline is reading and promises to be as voracious a reader as her mother, so I wanted to be slightly ahead of the game and a little more intentional at our weekly library trip.  Or maybe directional is a better word; I look like a border collie herding kittens in the stacks. 

This book was written in 1969 and has had four updated versions since that time.  I read the 1989 version and quickly found myself with mental "Amens!" and a giant scribble, scrabble list of must reads and (must sees- for the illustrator).  I'm going to create a children's book pinboard if you are interested.  The book is divided into two sections; the first emphasizes the various genres of literature and the second provides a wonderful book list arranged by age. 

What's on my nightstand now?  Think - by John Piper.  A gift from my English teachin' sistah.  Come on brain!!