The chicks are here!

Every few years I do an embryology project with my kids. This year, I really only had one child to do the project with -- Joshua -- and I wasn't sure he was really on board with me. I actually cancelled my 'reservation' for the incubator, and when he found out, he practically begged me to reconsider. So, being a softie, I went to the 4H office and picked up our supplies, including 30 eggs.

For the past three weeks, Joshua and I have faithfully recorded the temperature and turned the eggs two or three times a day. We built a brooder box from a cardboard moving box with a window cut out, covered in Saran Wrap. A desk lamp keeps the box warm with the spot under the lamp a cozy 95 degrees. On Monday, we heard the first 'peeps' coming from one of the eggs, and a few hours later, the first little chick hatched. He (or she -- who knows!) spent the rest of the day peeping and hatching, and finally 48 hours later, we had a total of 26 little chicks.

Later today or tomorrow, they will all go to their new home...a nearby farm where they can be chickens and lay eggs......

Dog Lives In Empty Nest

Authorities discovered Penny, a loyal golden retriever, living in an empty nest last week. Although a bit gloomy, she was still hungry and bored.

"I know it's my job," Penny explained, "to get the little people pups raised and out of the house, but things have been pretty lonely since they've started leaving."

Penny is nanny to four people pups, Mish, Nickster, Johnnyboy, and the Little Guy. Last year Penny successfully weaned the household's first people pup and sent her off to college.

"It was quite lonely, " Penny sighed, "and we spent most of our days moping around the house, eating the crumbs, and sleeping in front of the fire place."

What does Penny plan to do as the rest of the people pups leave?

"I think I need to find some new hobbies. Perhaps chasing butterflies, or rabbits in the backyard. That way I could get some exercise too, since there are fewer and fewer people pups to romp with in the backyard anymore....."

We'll keep an eye on Penny over the next few months and see how she fares. In the meantime, if any of our readers have suggestions for helping Penny deal with the empty nest, please send them on!

Worldview Missionaries

What an impressive group of young people. This is the 2006/2007 Winston-Salem Worldview Missionaries club.

They are impressive first, because they are countercultural christians. Instead of following the crowd of their peers and watching TV, playing video games, and otherwise wasting their teen years, they are sold out for Jesus.

They are impressive because as I watched them rise to the challenge of being a member of the WS Worldview Missionary club, they accomplished the goal set before them: fifteen six-minute speeches written and presented on various topics having to do with spiritual disciplines, seeking God, and articulating a Christian worldview in a post-modern world.

It was a lot of hard work. It took a lot of perseverance and a few late nights. I'm sure there were a few tears shed. A few hours or more of practicing their speeches, and then traveling and competing with other Worldview Missionaries from across the state.

I am so proud of them. I have high hopes for them. I expect them to go on into the future and make an impact in their world.

Bold thoughts on Homeschooling

Went to an informal homeschool meeting yesterday. I met some very lovely ladies who are considering homeschooling their little ones next year. They had all very good reasons: It's so much better academically; It's a much more efficient way of teaching/learning than the public school; there's so much bad stuff that happens in PS anymore; I don't like the public school schedule, it would run our lives!

I thought to myself, yes these are great reasons! All of them true. Reason enough to home school.

But I was disappointed that I didn't hear anything about the big picture. Maybe no one has ever said anything to this new generation about the big picture.

You see, I really believe you can get a quality education just about anywhere.....if your parents are involved. So why not just send them to public school and work with them when they get home.....be there for them like any decent parent would be. Why make all that effort and sacrifice to homeschool, if you don't have a VISION!!

Homeschooling is a privilege, a big God-given privilege. And it works best (ie you stay motivated and inspired -- most of the time) if you remember who has called you and equipped you. I like to work with the end in mind.

I don't want to homeschool my kids because they will get a better education -- even though they will....

I don't want to homeschool my kids so their schedule will run more efficiently and they can have opportunities that only flexibility can provide -- even though they do.....

I want to homeschool because I don't like the traditional school system. I think it is bankrupt. I don't just want to get my kids through the system so they can get a good job, support a family, and live a comfortable American life -- although i won't be surprised if they do those things either.....

Ithink the traditional school system puts people in an institutional box. It's great if you want cookie cutter kids, but even my four children who come from the same two parents, and were raised in the same environment for their childhood -- ARE SO DIFFERENT -- it's not one size fits all. And I don't want to squeeze them into the mold.

They learn how to do that well enough by going to church and youth ministry.....

I want to be able to launch these young people into the world, as free as possible from the shackles of institutionalism.

It's okay, they know how to wait in line, and how to look like the crowd. Like I said, they have experience in the world. I don't think they will have any trouble conforming where conformity is necessary.

But take those blinders off a child, and watch them think outside the box.

That's one advantage I want my kids to have, and I believe by homeschooling them, I have given them every opportunity to do so.

Cinnamon Smear Scones

Well, after many requests, I've decided the best way to handle the cinnamon scone situation is to post the recipe:

This is the verson that uses a homemade cinnamon smear filling made with butterscotch chips. This is my favorite, I guess because the butterscotch chips are so sweet. I also like the egg white and cinnamon-sugar topping. Someone suggested all they needed was some powdered sugar frosting on top -- but I decided that would be too sweet!


Cinnamon Smear Scones

Cinnamon Smear
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Topping
1 egg white, beaten slightly
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dough
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup evaporated milk or half and half

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.Cinnamon Smear: Place the butterscotch chips, brown sugar, 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon cinnamon in the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is rough and pasty looking (you can also do this in a blender). Set the mixture aside.Topping: In a small bowl, whisk the egg white till it's lost its cohesion, but hasn't yet become frothy. In another bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.Dough: Wipe out the work bowl of your processor with a paper towel, then place the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl. Process to blend. Add the butter in chunks, and process to break or cut the butter in, forming a mealy, crumbly mixture. Place this mixture in a large mixing bowl. Alternatively, you can use an electric mixer (or your hands, a whisk, and pastry fork or pastry blender) to combine the dry ingredients and cut in the butter.In a small bowl or cup, blend together the egg, vanilla and evaporated milk (or half and half). Add this to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together.

Turn the crumbly mass out onto a floured work surface and knead it gently, pressing the cinnamon smear mixture into the dough. It'll look marbleized; this is fine. Roll or pat the dough into a 10 x 6-inch rectangle, about 1-inch thick, or 10-inch circle. Cut the dough into 12 to 14 squares or wedges. Place the scones on the prepared baking sheet, brush each with the egg white, then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar.Bake the scones about 12 to 15 minutes, or until their bottoms are browned and the tops are lightly golden.

Yield: 12 to 14 scones.
Nutrition information per serving (1 cinnamon smear scone, from a batch of 15, made with the extra egg yolk and evaporated milk, 81g): 279 cal, 12.1g fat, 5g protein, 20g complex carbohydrates, 17g sugar, 1g dietary fiber, 66mg cholesterol, 191mg sodium, 121mg potassium, 103RE vitamin A, 1mg vitamin C, 2mg iron, 161mg calcium, 91mg phosphorus.
©2006 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


Here is another version that was very popular with the scone testers!

This recipe uses a cinnamon filling mix which can be purchased from King Arthur, and also some cinnamon chips (they've got those for sale too!) These seem different from the cinnamon chips I've bought in the grocery store in the past; those chips were like cinnamon-flavored chocolate chips (obviously not chocolate though), and the KA cinnamon chips are much better for baking -- they 'explode' in the scone dough while they are baking, leaving a little puff of cinnamon flavor in the dough and no real trace of a 'chip'. I really like them and would recommend them for cinnamon lovers.

These tender, buttery scones feature a thick, rich swirl of cinnamon through their center. Because of their moist cinnamon filling, they remain soft and fresh longer than most scones.

Cinnamon Schmear Scones

Cinnamon Filling
3/4 cup Baker's Cinnamon Filling Mix
2 tablespoons water

Dough
3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk or half and half
1 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

Toppingwhite sparkling sugar, Demerara sugar, or cinnamon-sugar

Preheat your oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet, or line it with parchment. To make the cinnamon filling: Stir together the Baker's Cinnamon Filling Mix and the water to make a smooth paste. Set it aside. To make the dough: Combine the dry ingredients and cut in the butter, mixing to make irregular crumbs. In a small bowl or cup, blend together the egg, vanilla, and milk. Add this to the dry ingredients, along with the cinnamon chips, and stir with a fork until the dough just comes together.

Turn the sticky mass out onto a floured work surface and knead it gently into a rough 10-inch square or circle. Here comes the mud-pie part. Spread the cinnamon filling over the dough, covering as much of the surface as possible without being too persnickety about it. Now, fold the dough over on itself a few times to make a big mound, and to enclose the filling. Gently pat the mound into a 9" to 10" square. Cut the square into 16 squares, or 18 triangles (nine squares, each cut in half diagonally). Place them on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Brush with milk (or spray with Quick Shine) and sprinkle with sugar. Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the scones from the oven and gently transfer them to a rack to cool. Serve warm, or at room temperature. Yield: 16 to 18 scones.

©2006 The King Arthur Flour Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Okay -- y'all tell me how they turn out!!!

Off to San Antonio!

I am off to San Antonio bright and early tomorrow. Never been to Texas before except to go to a convention in Ft. Worth, and then I only saw the hotel and convention center.

So this time I am headed there to hang out while my husband goes to a meeting. It's basically a day and a half of free time for me to relax and spend time with him strolling around in the evening. I hear the Riverwalk is really delightful. Found this picture of it and it looks like a lot of fun. Hope to write more when I get back.

Cinnamon Smear Scones

Here is a picture of my latest scone endeavor....after spending the winter baking season experimenting with pumpkin scones, cranberry-orange scones and other variations, my dear sons said, "what about my favorite -- cinnamon scones??"

So being a sympathetic mom I found a great looking recipe and made a great looking and tasting cinnamon scone. I got the recipe from the King Arthur Flour website, and these are actually called Cinnamon Smear Scones. The "smear" part is homemade from brown sugar, butter, butterscotch chips and cinnamon. King Arthur also has a recipe for Cinnamon Schmear Scones, using cinnamon chips and their KA label cinnamon filling mix. I've got that on order so hopefully next week I can try that recipe version and get some feedback on that.

By the way, the lovely plate the scone sits on is a piece of my Czech china. This is the most common pattern in the Czech Republic used for many years, and now I have started my own set. Makes a perfect compliment for the scone, doesn't it!

The Great Global Warming Swindle

This is an interesting account of the global warming discussion. It seems there are a few skeptics who are brave enough to come out publicly and say that climate change is real, but it's not mankind's fault!

Here is a current link (4/16/07) to the video:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid275898292/bctid626993303

Daylight Savings Time

This happens every year -- we push the clocks forward in an effort to capture a little more sunlight in the afternoon, and what happens?

Nobody can get up in the morning!! All of a sudden, everyone is exhausted!! The kids are zombies for the first four hours of the morning....I hear complaints of all sorts!

I don't get it. I went to bed at 10 p.m. (body time: 9 p.m.) and didn't wake up (in spite of my alarm clock doing its job) until 7:30 a.m. (body time: 6:30 a.m. and the usual wake-up time).

Why do we torture ourselves so??

It'll be six months before we adjust and then it will be almost time to fall back.

Thanks to my friend who inspired me

Sometimes inspiration comes at the most random times. Like at a chess tournament. Sitting with a friend I see only once a year at the big tourney. Thanks Anita. You have inspired me to blog. I hope it gets better and better as you can see I'm a little rusty in the writing arena.

But I always have a lot to say and now we'll see if I have a lot to write about too.

I've dabbled in writing for years, now that the kids are older and so self-sufficient (ie they don't need me very much any more) I have a lot more time, and still lots on my mind. Only a few less brain cells to work with but I think I can still do it.

Hopefully I can post some pictures later and really get things going.

:-)

Jumping in

Standing at the top of the 10 foot diving board, looking down at the clear blue water. Kind of like making your first blog post. Can I really do this? Take a deep breath. Someone count to three. Not me. Someone else. go ahead. Jump.

My first post. Not much here but at least it is now on the blog. How many blogs until I'm a blogger?