What a day! Perhaps we’re a bit odd, but we measure our days in mochas. When it’s been a particularly harrowing day, IZ and I tend to look at each other and say, “It’s a two mocha day!” We start our morning together with one of his great Mexican Mochas and if the day spirals into chaos, we reconnoiter in the afternoon in an attempt to slow our day down just a bit. It doesn’t always work, but the effort is valiant. Besides, we enjoy the company. Reason enough, in my world!
Our scale could be worse, I suppose. I’m Southern, and I’m pretty sure most of my ancestors measured their days in moonshine and cigarettes. I’m not far behind though, because on a day like today, the mocha number might easily reach double digits. It’s just been that kind of day.
My mind feels a little like what our dinner table looks like! I’m scattered and jumpy and yes, that’s probably the caffeine talking. I’m just not a fan of pressing deadlines, either. We are at the end of the school year with Boy Wonder and of course cramming is in order. Must. Finish. Now. It wouldn’t be school without a cram session at year end. Would it?
This would be the scene of our crime, one last push to finish the State Report. Boy Wonder works much like his mother, in the midst of chaos. The paper on the ground is our research, dropped on the floor during our last minute fact checking spree. Don’t worry, it will all be recycled as packing material for Thrifty Goodness. I suspect that some other 5th grader is doing a report on Washington, since our library was picked clean for references. The lack of printed material meant we were compelled to use mostly web sources. While most of it we were able to read through and incorporate without printing, there were a few subjects that needed a print job to absorb! Anyhow, the pile looks far worse than it is.
As I released the boy out to play at 2:30, IZ thumbed through the masterpiece and then said those magic words, “This is a two mocha day, isn’t it?” This is the upside of working at home; you get to take breaks with your sweetie at will. And then the phone rang. Which would be the downside of working from home. Sometimes the phone preempts the best of plans.
Listening to him field phone calls it was clear that I’m not the only person juggling disasters in the making. Every phone call he fielded ended with his assuring the person on the other line that he would call someone else and straighten up the mess. Our two mocha day was quickly becoming a three mocha day—and we hadn’t even sat down to drink a second.
You will note that my coffee cup is missing something. I have a tiny collection of red transfer ware cups but they are missing saucers. I do know better, I honestly do, but I just adore drinking coffee out of these cups. I swear to you, coffee tastes better out of this cup! Any regular reader of this blog will also note that the beverage in my cup is not one of IZ’s famous mochas. Sadly, the stream of phone calls never let him go, so I did what any compassionate spouse would do: I baked!
Scones, I tell you, they’re the answer to all that ails you. Especially if they’re paired with piping hot coffee. I don’t make mochas anymore, having passed off that job to IZ years ago (he’s particular about measurements and I’m, uh, not so particular). But I do make coffee. Mercifully, the phone stopped ringing long enough for us to sit down and measure our day. It could be worse, this life we live. Even if it is a two mocha day.
Recipe on the flip.
Cherry Scones
Dry:
2 Cups Unbleached Flour
1/3 + 2T Sugar
1T Baking Powder
1t Cinnamon
4 T Butter
Wet:
1/4 Cup Half and Half
1/2 Cup Milk
1T Vanilla (Almond Extract also works well!)
1/2 Cup Dried Cherries
Preheat oven at 425.
Mix the dry ingredients, using only 1/3 cup of the sugar. Then cut butter into the dry with a pastry cutter until butter resembles peas. (There will be mostly powdery flour, and then chunks of butter.)
Combine milks and vanilla. Then add cherries into liquid. Forming a bowl in the flour mix, pour the wet into the dry. Use a wooden spatula to combine. Do not over work the ingredients or your Scones will become Stones. Not good!
Cut the dough into two rounds and place on a greased cookie sheet. Brush each round with a tablespoon of sugar. Then, cut each round into the size scones you’d like. I cut each into 8ths, making 16. However, my rounds are never equal so my scones are never perfect. Perfection is overrated.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Eat warm. Eat cool. Keep eating until the phone rings.
(This is my recipe. Feel free to take and use. If you post it, just link back! Enjoy!!)
Damn, I could have used a couple of mochas today. What does IZ do that allows him to be at home all the time? Or is it top secret?
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Ok, every time I try to answer this, I bumble it up and he rolls his eyes. So, uh, IZ, if you’re reading could you take this one?? ~W
Ooh, the recipe looks yummy. I might have to try that. (I don’t drink coffee, so I’ll have to substitute it with hot cocoa.)
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Ooh, hot cocoa would be even better! Yum. ~W
Lately, I’ve been measuring my days by chocolate and coffee…I think it’s too perfect! Some days you need a little extra something don’t you?
And, any flat surface in my home get stuff piled on it…same with chair arms, it’s a bit much sometimes (but I always feel like I’m really doing something when I finally clean it off)
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Some days you do! Our space is always a disaster at the end of term. But, as I have another contractor walking through our house tomorrow afternoon, guess I’ll be cleaning all my grime and clearing all my piles. :DÂ
I am President of a boutique web development firm that specializes in solutions for financial services (and more). All of our employees work from home. We kind of were a pioneer in work from home – been doing it since 2001. Oh, and we are hiring more web consultants… (That concludes this shameless plug, now back to our regularly scheduled programming…)
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Why can’t I ever remember how to say that? Sheesh. ~W
BTW, great pics! That mess on the table almost looks staged. Could be a feature photo in Real Simple… Messes. Anyway – I also love the shot of the cup in the background with the scone in the foreground. And thanks for coming to the rescue with coffee and scones…
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Thank you! And if Real Simple did an article on messes, surely we’d be featured! Oof. Oh, and FYI: the couch gets de-dogged tomorrow. Seriously. ~W
Hhahahaha! I loved this post. And that pink and white cup is just beautiful!!!
Cherry xx
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Thank you. Those cups look nothing like any of our other china… but I’m smitten. ~W
Those scones look absolutely fabulous!! I had a three coke night at work last night….I can totally empathize.
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Oh, indeed you can. Typically, we drink de-caf everything. However, I accidentally grabbed the “guest stash” of coffee in the cupboard to make the coffee and it had uber caffeine. I said I can make coffee, that doesn’t mean I do all that often. Thanks for the comment! Glad to have you here. 😀 ~W
my husband and I both work from home. His office is in the front of the house, I am in the back of the house. We meet up in the kitchen for our latte breaks 🙂 Good luck with the final projects etc. for your boy wonder! I’m sure he’ll do well.
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One last project and a few quiz type things and we’re done! Of course, that sounds easier than it really is. Thank you for the encouragement… I need it and another mocha. 😀 ~W
Those scones look delectable.
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They were! ~W
That was a lovely example of meticulous grammar from the English teacher, no?
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Uh, no. I don’t see any grammar errors (or typos!) 😉 ~W
I love how you measure your days! Most cozy and inspiring!!
President IZ: Does our Vicki know about this job opening? She comes highly recommended.
In my experience, the Real Simple look can actually be Real Complicated, Real Expensive, and Real Wrong, grammatically speaking.
I measure my days by how many camels (Ustrasana) I can hold.
May I borrow your “scene of the crime” description for the homeschooling wrap-up? Multiply by 4 and pass the scones and mochas please!
Thank you for the recipe! Might one feed two birds with one of these? Washington cherries, I presume?
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Yes, yes, REAL WRONG. Can’t stand that, REALLY. 😀 Heh. There was a car commercial a few years back that told people to “drive safe” and then there was the Apple tag line that said, “think different”. Apparently, adverbs are superfluous.
And take the scene of the crime reference. I stole it from Law and Order. ha! I’m glad you clarified the camels reference, because I can’t see you smoking. Blessings on your end of year. ~W
I love the cup and am a big fan of scones(a specialty at my local fair). I adore Washington too, of course! We have until June 25th, but many of the kids have “mentally” checked out already.
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I think I’ve been mentally checked out for some time now. I’m certainly ready for the break. Hang in there, Margaret! ~W
Girl, at least you can know you’re not alone! We all get those 1500bazillion mocha days (wow, could you imagine how jittery THAT would make you! tee hee), but we get through them usually with good company and good food. I love food! 🙂 That scone looks incredible! I think I might have to try the recipe with Dork Ounty Cherries this year! 🙂
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Lol, I’m sure they would be fabulous scones made with Dork County Cherries. 😀 ~W
Wow, those scones look awesome! And I don’t drink coffee, so I have to measure my day in brownies and chocolate milk. But I get what you’re saying. Meanwhile, IZ, I’m a freelance web consultant…. what are you looking for? (Wende knows how to get me via e-mail). Best! ~A 🙂
Moonshine and ciggarrettes… too funny!
I hope all of the chaos is winding down now, a vacation sounds like the perfect way to celebrate the end of the school year! 🙂
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It is 3 pm on Monday, and I’m officially DONE. IZ has a few things to cover tomorrow, but I’ve completed everything with BW that is mine to teach and woohoo! Of course, the house looks like a tornado hit it, so I’ve just traded a school list for a cleaning list. 😀 ~W