Delicious Hearty Buttermilk Biscuits Equal Happiness!!

Home made biscuits  are so delicious! They are also crazy easy to make. I found this recipe in the St. Edward Catholic Church Recipe book from Cynthiana Kentucky.  I have used it several times and it is by far my favorite recipe for making biscuits.  The ingredients are below.

  • 5 Cups plain flour ( if using self rising flour, omit salt and baking powder)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup crisco
  • 1 pkg dry yeast
  • 2 tbsp warm water ( for dissolving the yeast)
  • 2 cups buttermilk

Instructions:

Pour flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, soda, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the Crisco. Dissolve the yeast in warm water and stir. Pour yeast mixture into the buttermilk and mix well. Pour this into the dry ingredients to make the dough and mix well. Roll dough out on a floured surface, and cut biscuits. I use a round cookie cutter. You will use three 9 inch cake pans for this recipe. Melt two tablespoons butter in the bottom of each cake pan and put the cut out biscuits on top. Bake at 425* till brown on top, approximately 12 minutes. We like to have biscuits with our soup. So delicious! It is especially delicious to cut open the biscuits and put butter in the middle!! Yum!!

We freeze the left over biscuits in a ziploc bag and store them in the freezer. They are good for up to three weeks. Reheat them uncovered in the microwave for 45 seconds on high. Works great!

Perfectly Delicious Cornbread Dressing

Louisianna Entertains

I love cornbread dressing! Even though it is called cornbread dressing my recipe is actually prepared with half cornbread and half regular bread.  It is also very easy to prepare. However, it tastes even better with giblet gravy poured over the top, which is also easy to prepare. These two dishes help create the fond memories we all love about the holidays. The ingredients are listed below.

Cornbread Dressing Ingredients

  • Prepare and bake cornbread: I make mine using the box of Quaker cornmeal, but Jiffy is just as flavorful and easier. Use the entire batch in your recipe.
  • 4 slices of white or wheat bread
  • 1 onion diced
  • 2 stalks of celery diced
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons of sage
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 5 Cups of chicken stock (broth). Home made broth from roasted or boiled chicken makes for a richer flavor, if you have time.

Instructions:

  • Crumble cornbread and put into 9 X 11 pan.
  • Cut bread into pieces: I use a knife and go for 1/2 inch squares then add to the pan.
  • Add onion, celery, sage, salt & pepper.
  • Mix eggs with a whisk and add to above ingredients.
  • Mix well then add broth. Mix all ingredients well.
  • Bake in 350* oven covered for 30 minutes, then remove cover and bake for an additional hour. Dressing should be brown on top.

Giblet Gravy

Giblet gravy is delicious poured over the dressing. It is called giblet gravy but that was when giblets came inside the chicken, which isn’t common any more. I no longer use them. The ingredients for this simple gravy are below.

  • 2 cups broth
  • 3 hard boiled eggs sliced
  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch stirred into 1/2 cup water
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Mix two tablespoons cornstarch with 1/2 cup water and mix well.
  • Add to hot broth.
  • Stir constantly until mixture thickens; perhaps 5 minutes or so. When gravy thickens turn burner down to simmer or low. If the gravy gets too thick just add a little more water.
  • Add the sliced boiled eggs, and salt and pepper to taste.
  • Put into a gravy bowl and pour over the dressing once it is put on the plate. Delicious!!

Savory Delicious Chicken Pot Pie

We love Chicken Pot Pie!  On chilly fall days we especially love to prepare it.  Now that we have an easy no-fail crust recipe it is even more tempting to make. Below are the ingredients, which are both healthy and simple.  I suggest making the filling first, then the pie crust.  You can also just purchase pie crust if this is a lot for you.  Either works beautifully.  Most of this recipe I got from Betty Crocker, but I changed just a few things.

  • 1/3 cup butter or margarine
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup milk
  • 2 cups of cut up up chicken
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • Pie dough from last week’s post with 2 teaspoons celery seed added.

Instructions

  • Heat margarine over low heat until melted
  • Blend in flour, onion, salt and pepper, cooking over low heat stirring constantly until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
  • Stir in broth and milk, and heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir one minute.
  • Stir in chicken and vegetables.
  • Set aside.
  • Prepare pie dough recipe from last week adding two teaspoons of celery seed (optional) to the mix.
  • Ease the pastry into a square 9x9x2 or approximate size square dish.
  • Roll the bottom dough into an 11 inch square and ease into the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle celery seeds on the crust at this time if you have not already done so.
  • Pour chicken pie filling into the dish.
  • Roll remaining dough into 11 inch square also, and lay on top of the filling.
  • Roll edges under and flute: I watch YouTube for this one. It is very helpful.
  • Cook uncovered in 375* F oven for 35 minutes.
  • Voila!! Delicious!

Delicious, Easy, No-Fail Pie Dough

We love this recipe! It has been in my family for generations. It is delicious and flakey, and it always works. More importantly it is crazy easy! Below is the recipe for a two crust pie:

Unsplash NIK

  • 3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 heaping cup of crisco shortening
  • Mix these three ingredients until crumbly
  • 1 1/4 cup tap water
  • Mix the water in with the flour mixture, the roll into two balls, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least three-four hours before using.
  • I always check out YouTube to flute pies. They are easy and quick.
  • Freeze what you dough you don’t use for next time.

Join me next week when I use this pie dough recipe to make my favorite Savory Chicken Pot Pie.

Until then

Delicious Soothing Honey Lemon Tea

Fall has arrived, and it brings with it allergies, colds, and coughs.  Even I am struggling with a cough.  My favorite remedy is honey lemon tea. It is simple, healthy, and oh so soothing. All we need to do is find our favorite cup.
Then add to the bottom of the cup:
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon lemon
water
Microwave  on high for one minute.
Voila!!
Sip slowly and feel the goodness go down your throat and sooth your symptoms. Honey soothes the throat, while lemon cuts through phlegm.  I use it as a form of meditation, sipping slowly, and let the tea do it’s work.  At night I add a shot of bourbon and make it into a hot toddy.   It relieves my symptoms and helps me sleep like a baby.  There are many wonderful medicines for colds and coughs on the market.  However nothing  beats  a cup of warm honey lemon tea on a chilly fall afternoon.

Delicious Apple Crisp with Crust.

apple crumble with vanilla ice cream Pexel Photos

We love Apple Crisp!! We especially love it in the fall. We have a family tradition of driving to the Apple orchards in Illinois to pick apples right off the trees. The kids love it and, the crisp made from fresh apples is delicious. I love crust on the bottom. It is so gooey and delicious. This recipe is simple, easy, and wonderful.

Use an 8x 8×2 casserole dish, or something similar in size.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sized apples thinly sliced + 1/4 cup sugar
  • One pie crust for the bottom.
  • Topping:
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
  • 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/3 cup margarine
  • Mix and pat over apples

Instructions:

  • Pie Crust/ Store bought pie crust is also acceptable.
  • 3 Cups flour
  • 1 heaping cup shortening
  • 1 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • Instructions for crust:
  • put flour in a large bowl
  • Add salt
  • Add shortening and mix into a crumble like mixture
  • Add water and mix all together
  • Roll into two balls and refrigerate for three hours. Just half of the dough is all that is needed. Pat into the bottom of an 8x8x2 dish.
  • Stir the apple mixture into the dish
  • Mix the topping ingredients in a large bowl, and pat down over the apples.
  • Bake at 350 for 30 minutes
  • Voila! Don’t forget the ice cream!!

Fresh Salmon with Blackberry Glaze

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Unsplash.com

I love Salmon! This recipe was created a few years ago when blackberries were on sale at the market , and I had planned on having fresh salmon for dinner. I decided to try a blackberry glaze with our salmon. My husband loved it! It is very easy to prepare and not to mention healthy! Directions are below:

This recipe calls for two salmon steaks. Pat the salmon with a paper towel, season with salt, pepper, and dill (optional) to taste. Broil in a preheated oven for 8 minutes.

  • Glaze:
  • Dissolve 1 tbsp of Argo Cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water. That dissolves the bumps and makes for a smoother glaze. Put that mixture into a small sauce pan.
  • Add 1/2 cup of Blackberry preserves.
  • 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1/2 tsp salt, continuously stirring.
  • Turn burner to medium high and bring to a boil stirring continuously. Boil one minute and remove from heat.
  • Pour over the cooked salmon.
  • Voila! Delicious!

This dish goes well with steamed asparagus and or boiled carrots with honey sauce.

Enjoy!!

Delicious Hearty Three Bean Soup

This is a great soup! It lends itself to vegan or meat lovers. We love to prepare soups, they are so healthy and they help get more vegetables into our diet. Our favorite soup is one created together. We call it Three Bean Soup. It’s hearty, healthy, and delicious…not to mention affordable. The ingredients are simple:

  • 1/3 cup Navy beans
  • 1/3 cup Black beans
  • 1/3 cup Pinto beans
  • 1/2 chopped onion
  • 2 medium sliced carrots
  • 6 cups chicken broth, (water for vegans).
  • 1 cup cooked diced chicken or ham, (cooked rice for vegans). Adding rice to the beans makes a complete protein.
  • Put the above ingredients into a crock pot on high for 6 hours.

Enjoy!!

Family

I spent my weekend with family. Summer is coming to a close, school will be starting soon, and we will all be busy again. I had forgotten how much fun being with family can be. We met our granddaughter’s future family, had a great meal, (I made my famous Blackberry Cobler)drank good wine, enjoyed good company, and renewed our appreciation for fun family times. Families are our “people”. There is a lot to be said for that. We can let our hair down, hang out, laugh, and not worry about being judged. I can’t help it, I just love it.

Yep, I know, families also have family feuds, disfunction, and trauma. But we have great times too, and great memories. And this past weekend was a great time for us. We talked, we laughed, my husband let his “comedic” silly side out. It was all good, not only for us but for the kids, and grandkids. One thing I have for sure noticed: the older I get, the more I appreciate family.

Have a blessed week.

Potluck Worthy Broccoli Cole Slaw Salad with Almonds and Sunflower Seeds

This recipe calls for toasted almonds, and sunflower seeds, which make it amazingly crunchy and delicious. And it’s healthy! It is always a hit where ever I take it. Below are the ingredients:

  • 1 bag (1lb.) shredded broccoli slaw mix
  • 4-6 green onions with tops sliced.
  • 1 pkg Ramen Chicken noodle soup (dry crumbled)
  • 1 Cup sliced roasted almonds Toasted in 350 oven 7 – 10 minutes or medium heat in skillet. No oil.
  • 1 cup salted roasted sunflower seeds
  • Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • Flavoring packet from ramen noodle soup mix

Make dressing the night before serving and store in the refrigerator. Before serving mix together slaw, onions, broken noodles, almonds and sunflower seeds. It’s that easy! Shake dressing and poor over salad. Enjoy!!