Buttermilk Biscuits

Where I grew up, biscuits came out of a can or from bisquick...so I never learned a very important lesson...there is an art to making biscuits...and I have been searching high and low for THE PERFECT biscuit recipe...I know you all have your faves...for me the BEST biscuit is high and light and soft...Well, I think I have THE recipe now...
I think the most important factors to a good biscuit are: Don't handle the dough too much and don't add too much flour...So if you did not learn the ART of biscuit making, there is the condensed version of it...
So without more commentary...THE recipe:

Buttermilk Biscuits

1/2 cup cold butter, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2-1/4 cups self rising flour
2-1/2 cups buttermilk

If you do not have self rising flour, for each cup of all purpose flour, add 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt.

Cut butter into flour until crumbly. Cover and chill 10 minutes. Add buttermilk, stirring only until just moistened. Turn out dough onto floured surface and knead 3-4 times, adding additional flour as needed. Press to a 3/4 inch thick rectangle and sprinkle lightly with flour. Fold dough over on itself in 3 sections like you would fold a letter to put into an envelope. Repeat this process 2 more times.
Press to 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. Cut into 2-1/2 inch circles and place close together on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet- if they are close together- so they touch- they will rise higher.
Bake at 450 degrees for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter.

I hope this is THE recipe for you too!
C~

Cookie Dough Truffles

Okay, So I am not a real big into eating raw cookie dough...to me, it is just really not that good...but I know people...and I know MANY of them really like to eat it...a few in particular that live in my house! So when I saw THIS Recipe over at the Idea Room, I knew I had to try it out...These were SO easy to whip up and leave as a treat for my family after they got home from Bible Study...and to those of you who are concerned about the dangers of eating raw cookie dough...let me put your mind at ease...these do not contain any eggs! So go ahead, eat your cookie dough! Even though I am not a cookie dough lover, these were tasty...only one truffle tasty for me, but that, also has it's blessings! Maybe I should make these moer often!
Let me know what you think...

Oh, and I made the pork stew and served it over the apple mashed potatoes...and I have to tell you...I really hope that photographer or food stylist..or whoever make it look that good wins an award....cause...it wasn't as good as it looked. Still waiting to try some Pumpkin Challah though....and REALLY loving my new biscuit recipe...I'll post that tomorrow.
C~

Dinnertime: Potato Pierogies

I really love making something special from time to time...something you really don't make very often, so when I made mashed potatoes for dinner the other night and their were leftovers...I decided to make Shepherd's Pie...that is ALWAYS a really great way to use up leftovers. After making a really large pan of the Shepherd'e Pie, there were still quite a few mashed potatoes left over...and I KNEW EXACTLY what I was going to make...Pierogies...they are SUPER easy to make...just take a little bit of time, but for every once in a while, it is just the thing to make us smile. The recipe I like is nothing very special...Martha Stewart's recipe, but boy are they yummy. Tonight, we will be having them with a German style chicken...I still need to figure that out...but here is the recipe for the Pierogies...Thanks Martha!

AHHHH...

A REALLY BIG Thank you to Alicia for telling me WHY that photobucket box was on my blog...that was making me SO crazy...AND I was wondering WHY my background wasn't showing up...I just thought that it was because of Bessie (my dinosaur computer), to my friend Lanita, for telling me how to fix it...and my techy guy...for doing it! You guys have really blessed me today!
C~

ARGH....

Ok, So, I have been trying to figure this out, but I cannot...so I am asking all of you with blogs who know much more about all of this than I do for some help...you know that Photobucket box that has been on my page for QUITE SOME TIME NOW????? Well, I would like to know how to get rid of it...I tried right clicking on it, I tried looking for whatever was deleted, but couldn't find it (maybe I should look again)...anyone have any thoughts that I haven't thought of yet? I would be SO appreciative if someone could figure it out for me!
Thanks!
C~

Homemade chalkboard paint

Surfing around reading blogs, I came across this on Amy's blog and I am DEFINITELY going to try it...Chalkboard paint is SO expensive and this looks very economical and easy...and FUN...I LOVE what she did with these cups...I may be trying this SOON!
Love,
C~

Happy, Busy Days

So, I have been a bad blogger, but time just goes by so fast. I thought I would update everyone on what all I have done recently...
Canning- well, not much got done in this category...I will try again next year with our garden, but start MUCH earlier. Our bumper crops...Carrots and GREEN TOMATOES...we are actually going to pick ALL of the tomatoes today and see if we have enough to can anything when they ripen.
Crafting: Well, I haven't done too much here...we already have 2 Christmas Projects done, and three in the works...at some point of being done. Having some trouble with one, need an item for another and we had supplier issues for the third. I will try to post pictures when Christmas is over...I don't know if my family reads this or not, but I'd rather not take chances.
Sewing: While technically a crafting item, I have a few sewing projects I need to work on...Grace and I need to finish 2 skirts, I would like to make aprons for us...I am such a sloppy person in the kitchen... and I still have a quiet book in the works...
Cooking: Menu planning fell by the wayside this month when my hubby said, "I would like __________________ for dinner tonight." So, now I am trying to get back on the plan...I LOVE menu planning, because when I have a plan, dinner is much easier...when I fail to plan...I plan to fail...I found a recipe for Pork and Mushroom stew that was served over apple mashed potatoes that looks SO incredible. I hope to try it soon and report on that. A friend gave me a recipe for gingerbread scones that I hope to try soon. Today, nothing says fall like gingerbread scones...I hope they taste as good as they sound. I am also hoping to try my hand at making buttermilk bisuits again...either I have not made these correctly OR I do not have a good recipe yet, but I LOVE biscuits and am going to try a new recipe soon. I have learned a couple things about biscuit making that I did not know before...I did not know there was an ART to making biscuits. On a similar note, I have told many people that I cannot make banana bread...I think I know what my trouble is and I also think I have confirmed it...GLASS PANS...I use Glass pans to make it in...and I think it bakes better in metal pans. It is ALWAYS either overcooked or undercooked...NO MATTER WHAT I DO...so I am on the lookout for 2 or 3 metal pans at a REALLY GOOD PRICE!
I went to a baby shower at church yesterday...there is NOTHING more beautiful that a pregnant woman...(well, unless it's me...I do not feel beautiful when I am pregnant)...she was blessed with a wonderful devotion, gifts, gift cards and sweet friends. A friend of mine made her this quilt...they are so adorable...she has made these quilts for most of the babies in the church (some of whom are in their mid-twenties now!) and I almost cried when she held it up...these quilts truly are special...a beautiful tradition in our church...
We have had a couple of deaths too in our church family...always sad on our end...one was a founding father almost of our church...a pillar for sure, the other was a new little lamb and so sad. We are trying to come alongside and support these families right now.
Our family has just started attending Bible Study Fellowship...we are studying Isaiah this year. I am so excited that all of us are in this study. I love BSF and I am so happy to be back...when I last went, my oldest was 5...so it's been awhile. I am already learning so much about this book, about myself, about history and about God...and we are only on lesson 2.
Well, I keep hearing some harsh words...time to redirect everyone.
Love you!
C~