Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Decluttering.......Yet again

It seems crazy that after all of the decluttering that I have done over
the past few years, I still am finding excess. Life is funny that way.
You get accustomed to the level of possession that you have. Things
seem important or have a purpose that you are sure will make itself
known the moment you part with that item. It is silly. We get this
idea in our heads that we must have all this stuff. The attitude is all
around us. Society tells us that you need to have certain "things" in
order to be acceptable. It is considered bizarre to not have a TV or
worse yet cable/satellite systems to give you the essential 150 channels
(or more) to choose from. I had someone tell me once that because we
don't have a TV that we are depriving the children of something they
need. Really??? TV is an essential need for proper childhood
development? WOW! I had no idea that TV was so critical. (Please
insert the intended sarcasm in that comment.)

We have begun the process of remodeling the house. The plans to build a
home fell through and so we are going to just remodel and update the
homestead. In the process, there is going to be a bedroom shuffle going
on. Currently, the study is being used by my eldest daughter & her
husband as a bedroom. They are fixing up the storage room (an
unfinished bedroom) to become their room. Once they move in, I will
move our bedroom into the study. Our bedroom, which is the largest,
will be fixed up for the kids' bedroom. It is large enough that we
could split it into 2 smaller rooms if we chose to. Once that room is
done, the kids' current bedroom, which is the smallest in the house,
will be fixed up for Beloved and I. Once our bedroom is finished and we
are in there, the study will once again be made into a homeschool
room/study.

With all the shifting around and remodeling ahead, I am decluttering yet
again. There is always more that can be purged, sadly enough. It is
liberating however. I am getting a strong sense of what is truly
important. Beloved and I believe that a home should reflect what the
family finds most important. When someone walks into your home, what
does it tell them about your family?

Decluttering your home and life of worldly excess is a process. You
didn't collect the excess overnight and unless a natural disaster took
place, you don't lose it overnight either. Living in a small home,
storage space is a premium. This means that you have to take a critical
look at what you are needing to store. Everything needs a purpose. It
goes back to that museum rebuilt home that I have spoken of before. As
was typical of the time, the home displayed only the barest necessities
that were used on a daily basis by the family. There was no clutter of
excess. It may be another person's nightmare to have a nearly empty
looking home but it is paradise to me.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sabbath

There are days when I just have more questions than not. The subject of
the Sabbath is one of "those" topics that always has my head ready to
explode. Here is why.

Under the Law, the Jews were given the Law of obeying the Sabbath Day.
They were given very strict rules of conduct that had to be observed.
Later on, in the New Testament, the establishment of the New Covenant
through Christ changed the way the Sabbath was observed. And this is
what confuses me. In some Christian faiths, the observance of the
Sabbath is still a very important part of their religious practices.
For some, they are adamant the Sabbath is on Saturday while others
observe a Sunday Sabbath. Okay, I realize that it is like splitting
hairs to figure out what is right and wrong in that particular topic.

The real question for me is the faiths that believe that in the New
Covenant Christ became our Sabbath. That looking to a particular day of
the week as a Sabbath is not as critical as it once was to worship.
So, does this mean that the Sabbath is no longer necessary since Christ
made His sacrifice for our sins?

I get mixed emotions about this. I honestly do not know where I stand
in it. While I am gradually coming to understand (in extreme baby
steps) the New Covenant that Christ established, I still have more
questions than answers. This is a part doctrine that eludes me. I
readily admit that if I am not in the habit of attending church services
on a regular basis, I fall into the habit of treating the Sabbath like
it was any other day of the week. It has no meaning to me.

Back in my days as a pagan, I had very set routines that I followed in
my beliefs. I felt so much more comfortable in the absolute structure
and ritual of my beliefs. There were clear defining practices that I
followed. Some of them that I used daily were the prayer alter,
candles, meditations, and readings.

I find myself at loose ends at times now. Ever since giving up a method
of worship involving the observance of rituals, I find myself constantly
feeling adrift. Yes, I can read the Bible and pray. It isn't the
same. I don't feel that rhythm to my worship that I seem to crave and
need. Add into the mix that I have been unable to attend church on a
regular basis due to not having a vehicle and I feel very adrift.

Looks like another long conversation with my very long-suffering husband
is on the horizon. He is so awesome about explaining things.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Canning: Potatoes

Today, I noticed that my large bag of potatoes were just starting to
grow the tiny eyes/buds on them. They were very tiny, just barely
noticeable. The weather is warming up, so I knew that the potatoes were
going to quickly grow the sprouts. I got out the canner and got busy.
In canning white potatoes, the process is very easy. I place cold water
with a bit of salt into a bowl. This keeps the peeled potatoes from
browning. Wash the potatoes and peel them, removing any discolored or
bruised areas. I diced the potatoes into chunks about 1 inch in size.
The diced potatoes soak in the salted water until I have a bowl full. I
fill the canning jars leaving 1 inch of headspace. Add 1/2 tsp. salt to
pint jars and 1 tsp. salt to a quart size jar. Fill with cold water
leaving 1 inch headspace. Adjust the lid assembly. The potatoes are
processed in a pressure canner.

By canning the chunks of potatoes, I am able to quickly use the fresh
potatoes before they sprout too much or go bad in warm weather. I am
able to take advantage of sales at the store. Some stores will have a
special on the 50# size bags of potatoes. This helps to quickly build
the pantry stores as well.

The canned potatoes are great for adding to a quick stew. If you drain
& pat the diced potatoes dry, you can fry them as you would southern
style fried potatoes. If in a hurry, you can heat the potatoes up,
drain them and mash the potatoes for a quick meal addition. Beloved
takes pint jars of diced potatoes on the truck. One quick meal that he
is able to make is to drain the potatoes and place them into a foil loaf
pan. Pour over the potatoes a jar of BBQ roast beef and cook in his
"lunchbox cooker" that he uses to cook his meals on the road. If he
happens to have a bit of shredded cheese in the cooler, this is a great
topping to add.

One of my favorite ways to use canned potatoes is for mashed potatoes.
They cook up just as fast as the instant varieties but are more hearty.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Things About A Mom of an Autistic Child That You Didn't Know

There was a very well written blog/article written on the Huffington Post, "Maria Lin: 7 Things You Don't Know About a Special Needs Parent."  In the article, she wrote from the heart about her list of things that people don't generally know about her life as a parent to a special needs child.  It was a very inspiring and insightful view of what life can be like.  Her article inspired me to write my own list.

There are always assumed ideas that people have of what it is like to raise an autistic child.  I don't speak for ALL parents of autistic children.  I can only write from my own experiences.  As the saying goes, if you have met 1 person with autism then you have met only 1 autistic person.  The same can be said of the family members who care for and live with that autistic person.  We are all individuals and have varied perspectives on what this journey called autism is like.  It affects each person and family differently.  This is my perspective.

1.  I am a Momma.  I am not just the caretaker of the special needs child.  He is my son.  He is a child that I love deeply.  I feel all of the typical emotions that a mother has for her child.  I have hopes and dreams for him just as any mother has for her children.  When you make comments about the lack of future my son may have, it hurts me deeply. 

2. Don't assume he is undisciplined.  If Pookie is in a situation that causes him extreme stress, he reacts to it.  This may or may not include: stimming (repetitive movements that are a self-calming action that helps him cope), screaming/crying, biting himself, hitting himself in the head, or showing signs of absolute terror.  This is NOT a child having a tantrum but a child having a very frightening overload of stimuli.  Each and every time he goes to a new place or is forced into places that have stimuli overload "triggers" he will react to it.  Some of Pookie's triggers are: an echo, blinking fluorescent lights, crowds, PA systems in a building, and loud noises.  There are many triggers, but those are the ones that nearly always cause a reaction.  One note about fluorescent lights: some children with autism or other neurological problems can even have a severe seizure just from being in that type of lighting.   Autism is a neurological disorder within the brain.  It is not something that a parent can make go away through discipline.

3. My son has emotions.  He is filled with joy.  Little Man, who I call "Pookie", laughs often.  He loves to play and giggle.  Just because he has the more severe form of autism called Autism Disorder (aka Classic Autism or Kanner's Syndrome) doesn't mean that he doesn't feel or show emotions.  He is not a robot without feelings.  He often will react to the stimuli of the emotions around him.  In example, he laughs when others laugh or will get weepy if someone else is upset.  He is very empathic in that sense.

4. My son has intelligence.  Just because he is non-verbal does not mean that he is lacking intelligence.  When he finds ways to communicate, he shows the level of his intelligence.  Being non-verbal and not having a broad vocabulary in the use of sign language or PECS communication system yet (he is 4 yrs old), he often is viewed as being of low intelligence.  Don't call him "retarded".  Even a genius like Albert Einstein would have looked less than intelligent if he had to speak to people who did not understand the language he spoke.  Pookie has ways of communicating, but his ways are not ones that are generally understood by those who are not around him often.  He is learning to communicate, but it takes time.  Picture this - you speak can only English and are trying to speak to someone who only speaks Italian without the benefit of an interpreter.  In a effort to communicate, you try to speak through sign language which the other person is trying to teach to you without the benefit of a common base for understanding.  Get the idea?  How intelligent would YOU appear in that situation?

5.  I'm exhausted.  I am a SAHM with 2 young children.  We homeschool and live in a rural area.  I also am working with Pookie on occupational therapy and teaching him to communicate in addition to preschooling him.  I am not complaining.  I love our lifestyle and being with the kids.  The tired feeling comes from the emotional ups and downs that is common in families of special needs children.  Pookie can be feeling fine and suddenly a stimuli will set off a meltdown.  You simply learn to adjust to it and ease him through the situation in an effort to teach him self-calming skills.

6.  He has a sister.  Pookie is not the only young child in the home.  While I welcome questions about Pookie, I often wonder if Little Miss sometimes feels ignored or left out by others' attention.  She needs attention also.  At 6 yrs old, she doesn't have the full understanding to know why people ask about her little brother but not her.  We have our special times just her and I.  We make a point of it.  Whether it is working on her Little Keepers program, sharing an Afternoon Tea, or just having some girlie time painting her nails for her, I try to have time that is just for her alone.  When others do talk to me about Pookie, I am always thrilled when Little Miss is brought into the discussion and made to feel special also.  Not just for being a good big sister to her brother, but for her own individual personality & interests that have nothing to do with being a big sister to an autistic brother.

7.  I get lonely.  Having a special needs child can be one of the most isolating things a person can experience.  It is isolating enough just living in a rural area.  When you have a child with special needs, play dates at a park where Moms get together while their kids play just doesn't happen very often.  I have never gone out for a cup of coffee with a friend.  To do so requires a babysitter.  The times that I do have someone watching the younger kids, I am out having to run errands.  My husband is a truck driver and away from home most of the time.  We talk often but it isn't the same as having time to sit, relax, and talk with someone.  My eldest daughter's family lives here, but it isn't the same as having friends to talk to.  Sometimes, you wish for a phone call.  One of the things that helps is that I have a couple of people who I write letters back and forth with.  All the same, there are times that I really wish I had a friend that I could talk to who really understood what autism is about and could relate to what it is like to have a child with autism.

8. I get discouraged at times.  I am not always strong.  I become very discouraged at the total lack of understanding even within the autism community.  Nearly every time I hear people on autism support websites or in groups talk about their autistic kids, they are talking about Aspergers or PDD-NOS which are on the autism spectrum, but are NOT the same thing as the more severe Autism Disorder that Pookie has.  I get sick and tired of having people tell me that change of diet or using supplements will cure him.  While a good diet benefits anyone, it cannot change a neurological disorder in the brain. To say that changing his diet will make him become "less autistic" is not a truth.  Some people would argue the point, but everyone is entitled to their opinion.  I know my son.  I know what we have tried.  I know what works for him.  If a change in diet makes a miraculous change in your child - God bless ya!  But don't get on a rant and tell me that I am a bad mother for not "curing" my son's autism through diet & supplements.

9. I am a woman.  I am more than a mother to an autistic child.  I can talk about subjects other than just the autism.  I homeschool Little Miss, I am a voracious reader when given a chance, I enjoy gardening, quilting, crocheting, and scrapbooking.  I love doing photography.  I have been known to play a guitar, organ, and drums as well as have written songs and poetry.  I spent 26 years researching genealogies, teaching others how as well as researching others' genealogies as an income resource.  I love the outdoors and being around water but the thought of being in a boat terrifies me.  I was a truck driver.  When my husband and I first got together, we drove as a team for a trucking company up until I was about 6 months pregnant with Little Miss.  I grew up a trucker's kid and went to it as a job after my 1st marriage ended.  I loved the job and having that time with my husband.  I miss it still at times, but am happy to be home with the kids now.

10.  I am a woman of faith.  I converted and was baptized into a Christian faith 5 years ago after a time as a pagan.  Even before the baptism, I always had faith in a Higher Power.  I knew that there was more to life than what we see on the surface.  I saw the majesty of the Lord's creation and His hand in what goes on around us long before my conversion.  Now, I find peace in my faith.  I see Pookie's autism as a perceived weakness (in the world's view) that can be turned into a strength that the Lord can use to show His grace and blessing.  I know that the Lord has a purpose for Pookie as he is.  The Lord may not of caused Pookie's autism, but the Lord is powerful enough to use it as a testimony of what a person can do in spite of being autistic with the Lord's blessing.  The Lord can use any negative and turn in into a positive.  I already am seeing in through Pookie.  I see glimpses of the Lord's blessing in his life.  Those precious moments when Pookie suddenly makes progress in his development.  Yes, we go through the 3 steps forward, 1 step back routine in his development.  Each time however, the progress made is more than before.  Slow and steady, he is progressing.  This doesn't mean that I am always strong and never have times of discouragement.  I believe there is a reason why people have always attended their church.  It is to fellowship and uplift each other.  Unfortunately, I haven't found a church locally where I can take Pookie.  Either the acoustics cause meltdowns or they don't know how to manage an autistic child.  The church we attend when we are able to is a 90-mile drive (one way) from our home.  With fuel costs, that is not something we can do very much. 

Much of the above are things I would not normally blog about.  That article inspired me however.  It made me stop and think about the many misconceptions that people can have about the parent of a special needs child.  We are more than the caretaker.  We are individuals with hopes and dreams.  We have many facets to our lives.  Sadly, many only see the caretaker.  We are so much more than that. 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Activity Bag Swapping

It has sure been a fun time here.  I signed up for a long distance Activity Bag swap for preschool age kids.  The swap is being coordinated by another Momma on the message board for the Activity Bags website.  The one that I was assigned to make was a dry-erase activity to teach the writing of letters and numbers.  I made 10 of the activity bags and once they coordinator swaps them all out and mails them back, I will have 10 different preschool level activities.  On a facebook group, I am signed up to participate in a one-to-one swap for something similar.  Activity bags are based on the e-books that the website sells.  They are also known as "Busy Bags" which is a generic term for the same thing, but made using any activity that would teach or reinforce a skill.

These bags are a great way to reinforce skills.  Some of them are just plain fun too!  One that I am looking forward to making is the "Find & Seek" bottle.  You add to a clean, dry 20 ounce bottle about 20-30 small objects such as decorative beads, buttons, charms, decorative erasers, or any tiny toy like you may find at a dollar store.  Then fill the bottle 3/4 full with colored tiny beads, multi colored fish tank gravel, rice, or other small filler.  Shake the bottle well to distribute the objects into the filler.  The child then gets to turn the bottle and try to find each of the items you put in.  A really fun bottle project would be to make themed ones such as alphabets, animals, shapes, buttons, etc.  If you child loves dinosaurs, find small dinosaurs to add to a bottle.  The idea is to make it something that your child would enjoy going to again and again.  You can use any type of clear plastic bottle.  Some single serving juice bottles have a wider opening at the kid and can handle larger objects being added.  Use a good adhesive to glue the lid on so that a curious child cannot twist off the lid, spilling out the contents. 

With summer vacation approaching in a few months, it may be fun to put together some busy bags for car trips.  Though in thinking about it, these would be fun for any trip away from home with little ones who need to be entertained.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Canning BBQ Beef

I had a brainstorm while at the grocery store last week. I bought some
roast beef at the deli counter and had it very thinly sliced. I brought
it home and added BBQ sauce to it and canned it in pint size jars for
beloved to take on the truck with him next trip out. After seeing how
fast and easy it was to do, I am now looking at other ideas. BBQ sliced
turkey or shredded chicken are a couple of options. Another that I am
considering is sweet & sour chicken or beef for him to have over rice.

In a half-pint jar, there is enough BBQ meat to serve over rice or
potatoes. A pint jar is enough for a couple of nice meaty sandwiches.
I am going through my meat recipes and seeing what ones can be converted
into a canning recipe. I think my beloved is going to be getting more
variety this spring.

Monday, March 12, 2012

He Is Risen Garden

The kids and I are working on a fun project in preparation for the
Easter season. I first saw this idea on a homeschool group that I am
on. If you want to do it with your children, you need to start soon.

The garden is a large saucer such as the type you would put under a
flower pot. You fill it with soil and lay a small flower pot on it's
side in the soil. Pile more soil on top of the pot to form a hill,
keeping the open end of the pot exposed. The soil is generously
sprinkled with grass seed. A large rock is placed along side of the
open end of the flower pot. This is the stone in front of the empty
tomb. On the hill, behind the flower pot, you place 3 small twig
crosses. Spritz the seed covered soil with water from a spray bottle
several times a day to keep the soil damp. Place in a sunny window. It
takes about 2 weeks for the grass seed to grow. When finished, you have
a nice little garden scene with a grass covered hill, with 3 crosses,
and the empty tomb in the foreground.

The kids and I are doing this as a part of our devotions in preparations
of the Easter season. May the idea be one to bless your family as well.

New Homeschool Adventure

On Monday, I placed an order for a new curriculum for the kids.   Yes, I said the kids as in plural!  Little Miss has been working through the Rod & Staff materials, but I can see much problem that Little Man will have.  One big problem is that it is all workbook/text book based.  It may be years before Little Man will be ready for that.  So, what to do in the meantime?  I saw how Little Miss has learned to read, but not through phonics.  She memorizes the words (which is important) but struggles with blending letter sounds.  This is a big issue for me.  I see it as a problem caused by not having gone through a kindergarten curriculum.  Unfortunately, Rod & Staff has preschool, then jumps straight into 1st grade.  They do not offer a kindergarten level.

After much prayer, I am stepping back from the Rod & Staff curriculum and switching to My Father's World.  I will include the worksheets that are appropriate to use up what we have already purchased.  Little Miss will also be doing the Rod & Staff math that she has been doing well in.  My Father's World is a unit study curriculum.  We are beginning with the Kindergarten level.  This will given Little Miss the chance to review the phonics that she had missed and develop a stronger foundation in it.  Along with Little Miss, our 6 yr old grandson will be doing the curriculum with her.  Of course, Little Man will be taking part wherever possible. 

In the autumn, after they have finished the curriculum, Little Miss and grandson will be starting the My Father's World 1st grade curriculum together.  At that time, I will begin working on the Kindergarten program with Little Man.  Unlike the 1st time through with Little Miss, he will be exposed to more of it on a level that he can handle.  The plan is to use it as Little Man's Pre-K and Kindergarten curriculum.  This is not unusual for kids with learning delays.  By the time he has gone through it twice, he will have a good foundation being put into place.

Little Miss and grandson are very excited about the new curriculum.  It will be here in a couple of weeks.  One of the parts that they are liking the most is that they will be doing the same work together.  Both kids love to be read to and this curricula is very heavy on reading.  Yet another plus for us!  I am at peace with this decision.  My eldest daughter is happy about it also.  She is looking forward to it almost as much as her son is. 

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Little Miss Earned Her 1st Awards

Yippee!!! Daddy came home on Sunday afternoon. It is always a fun time
when Daddy gets home. My husband and I made the decision before the
school year began that on days he was home from work, the kids would
have time off from homeschooling also. It was a great decision to
make. As excited as the kids become with Daddy home from the road, they
would have a hard time focusing on their schoolwork anyways.

After dinner, I brought out the 4 awards that Little Miss had earned in
the Little Keepers at Home program. Over the past couple of months, she
has been working on the phonics portion of the ABC's academic skill.
She had already learned to say and write her ABC's but I wanted to be
sure she understood their sounds. The second skill she worked on was
Decoupage. She used the decoupage technique to make holiday gifts last
December. That was one of her most fun projects. She really enjoyed
making them. The third skill was Cookie Baking. At the holidays and
since then, Little Miss has been helping me to make cookies. At her
age, I have to do the actual baking to prevent her getting a burn. She
is able to do the mixing of the ingredients and putting the dough onto
the baking sheets. We did take a minor shortcut in the baking part. I
always try to have parchment paper on hand to line the baking sheet
with. I am then able to simply slide the parchment paper full of baked
cookies off the sheet and onto a cooling rack. This helps also to
prevent her from getting burned due to a hot pan. The last area that
she worked on was a health unit on Keeping Clean. We talked about good
personal hygiene and why it is important. Having learned it during a
time of year when colds are going around was especially timely. She was
able to manage going through the season without getting sick, even
though exposed to others with colds.

Daddy was really pleased with her efforts. He made quite a production
out of awarding her the pins. I haven't made her banner yet to display
them on, which is a good thing. We decided to make her a vest with her
helping to sew it. This will give her another skill area to work on.
She has been wanting to learn to sew something. Letting her help sew
her vest will make a nice project. I already have a pattern. It is
very simple and does not require button holes. I have a couple of ideas
for closures, but will wait and let her help choose them.

I am finding that Little Miss, while very much an outdoors type of girl,
is also a very dainty girlie-girl. She is so cute to watch. One day
she is wearing bib overalls, playing in the mud with her brother and
nephew. The next day she can be found wanting to wear a dress and do
the more dainty things. I love it! I hope that she always knows that
being a lady doesn't have to mean always being "girlie" but means far
more. I believe it to be an attitude more than anything. Of course,
this is coming from a Mom who used to drive trucks for a living.

Afternoon Tea

Little Miss and I are greatly enjoying our tea times. typically, we
will have tea in the afternoon while Little Man in resting or taking his
nap. This has led us to talking about the tradition of having tea in
England. I have tried looking up information about it in library books,
but have been disappointed to find that the interpretations of
"Afternoon Tea & High Tea" in America differ from one author to
another. Unfortunately, many of these same authors say that they
learned about the English tea customs when living in England.

This has led me to questions about the custom of the more British style
of tea. What is the true difference between the afternoon tea and high
tea? One resource said that scones, light tea sandwiches, and pastries
are served at a High Tea, while another said that these were served at
an Afternoon Tea. I am sure that to some, it may not matter. I am
wanting to teach my daughter the custom however. In her Keepers at Home
program there is an optional award for hosting a tea party. Since we
are not doing the Keepers program as a group, but as a family, I am
wanting to alter the suggested activities a bit. I want to teach my
daughter the difference between an Afternoon Tea and a High Tea. With
the amount of enjoyment that she gets from our tea times, I know that
she would enjoy helping put together both types of tea for our family.
Who knows? We may even begin adopting the custom in our own family.

I would love to hear about the Afternoon and High tea from anyone who
has a knowledge of them. Maybe even share a recipe? Here is a recipe
that we use for scones. We love them and the recipe is easy enough that
Little Miss is able to do much of the putting it together.

Banana-Chocolate Buttermilk Scones

2.5 cups of all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1.5 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp.baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
3/4 cup chopped bananas
1/2 cup chocolate chunks

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat oven to
400*F.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt. With a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until
mixture is very crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk
and egg. Pour into flour mixture. Stir with a fork until the mixture
is completely moistened and you have a soft slightly lumpy dough.
Gently fold in the chopped banana and chocolate.

Lightly flour your hands and press dough into a ball. On a floured
surface gently knead the dough about 10 times. Do not be tempted to
knead more than this. If you overly knead the dough and the bits of
butter melt, the scones will not be light and flaky.

Pat the dough into a circle about 8 inches diameter. Using a sharp
knife, cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place the wedges onto the
parchment paper. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

*** I have made these without the bananas and chocolate. You can make
them plain or substitute your own favorite fruits and nuts. Just keep
the ratio to about the same as those given. Dried apple pieces with a
bit of cinnamon is good. You can take the dried apple pieces and toss
them in a little bowl of cinnamon - brown sugar before stirring them
into the dough.

This recipe doesn't make a lot of scones, but that is what we like.
Scones always taste best to us if they are fresh from the oven.