Cranberry Orange Scones

I've never made scones before. It was a fun adventure because the recipe was simple so Rose 1.10 was able to add all the ingredients except the eggs (I just am not quite that brave!). They turned out yummy. And the girls didn't care all that much for them so there were more for me!

I like them enough that I am going to make them for Thanksgiving Day breakfast while we are at my mom's and give her a break from cooking that morning. Well, a break from breakfast anyway. (-:

Cranberry Orange Scones

2 c flour
10 t. sugar (divided)
1 T grated orange peel
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda
1/3 c cold butter
1 c dried cranberries
1/4 c orange juice
1/4 c half-and-half cream
1 egg
1 T milk

Glaze: 1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1 T orange juice


Combine flour, 7 t. sugar, orange peel, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until resembles coarse crumbs.
In another bowl, combine cranberries, orange juice, cream and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until soft dough forms.
On floured surface, gently knead 6-8 times. Pat into an 8-in circle. Cut into 10 wedges. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Brush with milk. Sprinkle with remaining sugar.
Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Drizzle with glaze.


Oh, and I'm taking pity on the girls who didn't like them and will also be making cinnamon muffins that morning, too.

Family Manager

That's the perfect description! I've been struggling forever with using the description Stay-at-home-mom because it's just not accurate. I have had a part time job for years, albeit a volunteer one. But if you aren't paid for a job, it feels wrong to claim it. So, I wasn't a SahM, but I wasn't really employed either.

And now I'm definitely employed at Spitz' office (they give me paychecks!), but the hours are so sporadic, it still feels odd to say I'm an employee there. But I can't really claim SahM status anymore for sure. So, I'm in limbo.

But then, came across the label Family Manager. That is my primary purpose in life. Doesn't matter that I also put in some hours here and there at partial employment/volunteerism. Family Manager is a very appropriate title.

Dermatomyositis

Not eczema.

What I have is an auto-immune disease called Dermatomyositis. I can't even swear that I spelled that right, but I can show you all over my hands what it looks like. So far, I only have the skin problems -- my immune system is trying to destroy my skin. It's mostly inconvenient, sore, ugly. But if I start to get the other symptoms, it can be bad.

Like... my immune system might start going after my muscles. That's pretty much not good since your heart and diaphragm are muscles, too. And the muscle enzymes that then enter your blood mess with other organs. Possibly, it might start on my lungs. Seriously bad - transplant bad. Oh, and 25%-40% of the time, this disease is found in someone with cancer or who develops cancer soon after. Graaaaayytt.

I've had a lot of medical tests (it's a toss up whether the 75 minute MRI or the colonoscopy was the worst) and will continue to have a lot of medical tests. So far, no cancer. So far, the lung test is clear. And my last tests had fewer muscle enzymes than the early tests. But my muscles ache nonstop (no one knows why, but assumes it's all part of the lovely dermatomyositis package). And I can never go out in the sun again. Nope, no picnics, no car washes, no fairs, no days at the beach. *sigh*

But, for now, it's mostly a major inconvenience and other than being too sore to operate clothing latches behind me or being able to stand floss wrapping around my fingers while I clean my teeth, life can go on as normal. At least, indoors.