When that happens, I head to bakeries or farmers’ markets. At both, there are people displaying their wares and their creativity. I need both, believe me!

At the market a few weeks ago, a woman was selling turtle scones. The second I saw them, I knew I had to bake my own. Here they are. Could anyone not want these for breakfast? Nope, didn’t think so!

I’ve had a soft spot for Turtles (the candy, not the animal) since I was a kid. My dad would bring my mom a box every Valentine’s Day, and she would always share with me. How great is that? A mom sharing her special candy with her kids is true love. I’ve loved Turtles ever since.

The animal I’m less certain about. Turtles live for a looooong time. Sea turtles live to be at least 100, and those little ones you buy in the pet store live to about 30. I’m not sure I could ever make that long a commitment. Imagine how attached I’d get to my turtle, and how I’d feel when he passed. If he passed before me, that is. They can really hold on.

Still, turtles are cute. I remember this one from my zoology class in high school that somehow got into a duct and crawled all  the way through and into our vice principal’s office. Oh, the screams. That was such a good day.

These turtle scones will only cause screams of joy, I guarantee you. I promise!

The base of these scones is cream, which makes them light and crumbly in the best way. Chopped caramels, pecans (or walnuts) and chocolate chips get right in there for a true breakfast pastry party. No better way to start your day that I’ve ever seen!

No matter what kind of turtle makes your day, these scones are definitely the way to go on this particular day. Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Perhaps my British friends don’t do triple chocolate scones often, if ever. But there’s a first time for everything, and these deserve a lot of attention.

The base for these scones is cream, which works with butter to make these light as a feather while still full of rich chocolate flavor. Maybe people are out barbecuing this Labor Day weekend, but we’re having tea and scones instead!

Since I always approach my blog with pure honesty, it’s time to get real here: I’ve been struggling ever since I started my new job back in July.

As I watch my blog numbers and stats drop, I know exactly what’s going on. I just don’t have time anymore for a lot of the social networking and publicity piece that JAB needs to get more readers. It’s been hard enough to keep the posts going in the face of running a department, and I’m just trying to keep my head above water while being pulled in a million different directions every day. During my work day, I can’t work on the blog, and my hours are now a lot longer. So the blog has to be done either early in the morning or late at night.

For now, I’m holding onto JAB because I love it. And while I feel bad that my Facebook and Twitter shares are pretty paltry, and that I’m commenting less on my friends’ blogs, I don’t really see another way. Unless I want to work around the clock and ignore my children, my husband and my sleep, this is where we’re at right now. It’s not ideal, but I’m learning to live with less than perfect. It’s hard, because I’m a perfectionist. But I figure that holding onto JAB any way I can is better than giving it up entirely.

How could I give up the motivating force for baking scones, after all? These are super special.

The base has unsweetened cocoa, and the mini chocolate chips sprinkle more bursts of chocolate flavor throughout. And of course, these have to be topped with chocolate drizzle. The best baked goods have drizzle!

While many baking bloggers are die-hard frozen shaved butter fans when it comes to scones, I really dislike working with frozen butter. Cold butter does the trick just as nicely, and takes all the hard work out of making these. Scones are a one-bowl, mix with your hands kind of dessert. Anyone can do this!

As I navigate a life that is way too hectic and leaves no room for anything but work and family time, I will try to bring you the best I can. I’m sorry if it’s not perfect, or even close to perfect. But for now, it’s all I can do!

Nothing sparks my carb cravings like being snowbound, so being trapped in the house means I had to make scones. And not just any scones, either. This recipe is a version of the great Dorie Greenspan’s cream scones, which come together quickly, easily, and perfectly.

I only made one change: I added mini chocolate chips and drizzled chocolate on top. I mean, how could I not? But if you’re a purist, by all means leave them out.

People all over America (especially those who live in Boston or Buffalo) have been mocking D.C. for our wimpy reaction to snow and our subsequently slow cleanup. And believe me, as a Midwestern import to these here parts, I totally get it. We look really lame to anyone who is accustomed to a two-foot dumping of snow.

Back in Indiana where I grew up, snow days were rare. I have very clear memories of struggling to get to my high school and walking in several hours late to French class after a dicey, two-hour drive on the road that involved being towed by someone who had chains. That’s just how we did it. The expectation was that sooner or later, everyone would show up to work.

But see, I kind of like the wimpy ways of the D.C. area better. It’s so much nicer to be home with hot chocolate and scones than to be struggling out there in crappy weather hoping that nobody rear ends you. Why do we have to be at the rat race all the time? My students will be fine. I’ll just cut out a book or something that we were supposed to read. I kid, I kid.

Thanks to our Puritan roots, Americans are pretty obsessed with working. We equate hard work and productivity with virtue, and I’m sorry, but no. There’s also something to be said for knowing when to kick back and just chill out. I realize that our economy might tank if we all did the whole midday siesta thing, but I love the fact that certain countries take a midday break to go home for lunch and a nap. We might be poorer if we did that , but we’d be a lot happier.

Plus, if we had siesta every day, snow days wouldn’t feel like such a break from the norm. We’d be far more used to chilling with our families in the middle of the day. Anyone up for creating a movement with me?

While you ponder that, have a scone. Or three. These are the best scones ever, and I don’t care about modesty because I didn’t invent this recipe. So there. It’s so easy, too!

A lot of scone makers will hold that to get the best scone, you need to work with frozen butter. Honestly, that’s an extra step I don’t have time to make, and I don’t think it makes much of a difference. I’ve tried it both ways. All you need is cold butter and your fingers (pastry blender not needed) and you’ve got a scone dough that comes together in five minutes and produces the flakiest scones. And they’re not dry at all. Nope. They’re really the epitome of what a scone should be.

While you’re busy running around every day, remember being trapped in the snow, or that time you got a really great midday nap. It might make you wish a blizzard would come and give you an excuse to have more scones for breakfast!

Okay, I’m kidding. About the exclamation points, not the scones. I’ll try and control myself, but it can be hard sometimes.

When you’re a parent, weekends are often more tiring and hectic than the weekdays. Most people head home Friday afternoon with happy plans to sleep and kick back. Or at least, that’s the perception I get. But our weekends are quite different.

This past Saturday, I got hit with a migraine. My whole life, migraines have hit after periods of stress. So after each baby was born, bam! Migraine. After I finish a stressful project? Bam again. And after a long work week with lots of conflict and worry, along comes another. I’m used to them by now. They’re just kind of hard to recover from when you’re home with three noisy kids. Screaming, screeching kids.

By Saturday night, I knew I had to bake. I was listlessly paging through cookbooks, looking for inspiration, trying to avoid the dessert I’d promised myself I would bake. That happens sometimes. I get excited about baking, but then there are 20 steps involved and I just. Can. Not.

Suddenly, I remembered my baking cabinet. It’s a candy lover’s dream. Kenny has strict instructions not to raid my baking cabinet, and he doesn’t really follow the rules. I often find him with his hand inside, pulling out handfuls of mini M & Ms or peanut butter chips. And he wonders why our grocery lists always include more of that stuff.

Sitting in that cabinet was an acquisition I had yet to try: the cherry-flavored Nestle brand of filled chocolate chips. My mind combined those chips with almond meal, and it all came together. After all, the next day was Mother’s Day, and my mother loves almond. Cherry almond scones would be perfect.

Scones are not difficult to make, despite daunting pictures everywhere of shaved frozen butter. You can definitely use frozen butter, but if you work quickly, cold butter works. I would recommend a pastry blender if you have one, but if not, life goes on.

As for the base, I substituted some of the regular flour for almond meal. That, along with almond extract, provides a perfect pairing with those cherry-filled chocolate chips. And it’s a very springtime-esque scone to present to anyone!

Weekends are crazy, and sometimes I can’t decide what to bake until the last minute. But somehow, everything turns out okay, migraine or not. And when the headache fades and the work week starts, I can relax with a bunch of baked goods. It is what it is, friends!