Easy Buttermilk Buscuits

Here they are! I finally found an (easy) and doable recipe for biscuits, the American kind. You know, the ones you get for breakfast in the States, the ones our mothers or grandmothers made at the crack of dawn every morning.

I gathered up the gumption to make them while reading a John Grisham novel, A Painted House. It's a fabulous read and nothing to do at all with law and wire transfers. Grisham works his magic by taking you back to rural Arkansas in the early 1950's. I highly recommend the read. This was my second read through it, soaking up the homemade cooking going on throughout the novel.

I'm not much of a bread-maker. I love bread, a carbaholic if you like but living in France has transformed my desire to rise (full pun intended) early in the morning to have fresh bread baking with my first cup of coffee. (The coffee's important, along with freshly baked anything in the morning to accompany it!).
I also thought that biscuit-making would be difficult, laboring over dough, getting the hands really sticky and flour all over the kitchen. Not so! In fact, this recipe calls only for three ingredients: self-rising flour, butter and buttermilk. (Hold your tongues you ex-pats living abroad, buttermilk can be made with 1 tablespoon lemon juice in 8 oz/250 ml of milk.) And the French do have self-rising flour, farine pour gateaux, though the word gateau is very vague meaning anything from crackers (gateaux aperitifs) to cookies to big, fluffy (North) American wonders.

I decided that if women were making these babies daily back 50 or 60 years ago (and counting) and doing so for breakfast, a time of the day that the least amount of cooking time is desired and every day or so that they couldn't take that long to prepare. Very true. Mix the flour with the buttermilk until you can form sticky balls, roll in butter and snuggly assemble in baking dish. If you have an iron skillet, even better. I don't and used as you can see a simple pie dish. Not problem.

Baking time requires 15-20 minutes but in a really, really hot oven. I was advised to bake at 450°F, that's pizza oven hot. I worked it out to a nice 230°C. I must try again with a more generous rolling in the butter bit.

Serve hot, straight from the oven. You will be greatly rewarded with the smiles and excitement the smell of these baking mamas will have on family and guests. The children and French husband knew exactly what to do when I pulled them out of the oven and called them in for a late breakfast: butter, maple syrup and bacon strips, fried to a crisp. With a fresh pot of coffee it was the best breakfast we had had since our last trip to the States.

Easy Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups (300 g) self-rising flour
1-2 cups (250 ml - 500ml) buttermilk
pinch of salt
butter

Preheat oven to 230°C / 450°F. Place flour in large mixing bowl, begin adding milk in increments until dough is soft and elastic but not sticky (you may add a bit more flour if needed). Work the dough for several minutes right in the bowl (this will help in the rising of the biscuits during baking time). Place metal baking dish or iron skillet in oven to warm it up. When dish is hot, remove from oven, butter and pinch off tennis ball-size balls of dough, roll in butter and place in buttered baking dish or iron skillet.

Woodworking Projects Need Wood Biscuits

Wood biscuits - you might not find them on your dinner table, but for a woodworker, they can be almost as important as the food. In a nutshell, wood biscuits are oval shaped discs that woodworkers insert using a special tool called a biscuit joiner. The biscuits are designed to take the place of old fashioned wooden pegs, and they are more durable and easier to use.

Using Wood Biscuits in Woodworking Projects

Sometimes, in woodworking, two pieces of wood are simply joined together using a coating of wood glue. This is fine and dandy, but in some cases, it is not enough. Wood glue won't work if the two pieces of wood need to bend on an angle, and the wood glue won't stand the test of time on a piece that is going to get heavy use. So while wood glue is perfect for woodworking projects that are decorative, when undertaking a functional wooded project, like the building of furniture, wood glue alone is not good enough to get the job done.

For sturdier work, you need wood biscuits. Wooden pegs were used in early woodworking to join two pieces of wood, but these could be difficult to work with. The pegs and the holes were cut at different times, meaning that they often didn't fit quite right. Further, unless you had a lot of time on your hands to cut pegs for every project, you have to buy them pre-cut, which means you had to waste valuable time trying to cut holes to match the pegs - holes that might have to be made bigger that you had envisioned them because you could only find large pegs. Last but not least, while wood pegs were stronger than plain old wood glue, they still could give up under every day wear and tear, which is a big problem for functional woodworking projects.

Wood biscuits address this problem. First of all, they make putting the two pieces of wood together much easier. The so called biscuit joiner cuts the hole in your board exactly to match the biscuit is it is going to join, so there is no more fiddling trying to get things to match up just right. All you have to do then in push the two pieces of wood together so that the biscuit joins them both and you are all set.

The additional bonus of going with biscuits is that they are significantly stronger than both glue and pegs. If you are building furniture in particular, wood biscuits are must have woodworking tools. Your woodworking projects will be easier to build and will last longer with wood biscuits.

Kid-Friendly Bird Feeders

Birdhouses can attract birds to your yard. As long as you do not have any fruit trees that you want left alone, attracting birds can be a great activity and even an educational opportunity for your children. Kids love to watch how birds get their food, interact with each other, and of course fly. With a few simple materials (including things that you may have just thrown away) you can make a birdhouse that is irresistible to the neighborhood birds.

Milk Jug Birdhouses

Milk containers and milk gallon jugs make for excellent birdhouses because the manufacturers of these containers have already done most of the work for you. You can choose whether you want to make a birdhouse out of a paper container or a plastic container. Using a gallon jug is practical because a plastic jug stands up better to the elements than does a paper container. To make a gallon jug bird house all that you need to do is to cut a slit around one third of the bottle and then make another slit about 5-6 inches above. Cut out the portion of the container between these two marks. The gallon should look like a big bite was taken out of it. With the lid on the gallon container facing downward, fill the jug with birdseed just below the cut mark. You can set the gallon jug bird feeder on branches towards the inside part of the tree, or drill holes to attach a string from which the bird feeder can be hung.

Homemade Birdseed Biscuits

For those who love baking, this craft is a must. You can make a special treat for all of your new bird friends by making them birdseed biscuits. To make birdseed biscuits, you will need 2 cups biscuit baking mix, 1/2 cup cold water, 2 tablespoons margarine, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, and 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds. Start by preheating the oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Form a soft dough with baking mix and water. Roll out dough to 3/4 inch thick and cut it into shapes with cookie cutters. Punch a hole in the top of each cookie using a straw. Melt the margarine and brush over dough. The melted margarine will serve as a type of paste for the seeds and nuts. Sprinkle the seeds and nuts onto the dough and press them in firmly with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until light brown. Allow the birdseed biscuits to cool and then thread brightly colored ribbon through the holes. Hang your birdseed biscuits in a tree for the birds to enjoy. This craft is also a great one to use around Christmas time (in warmer climates where the birds have not flown south) as the biscuits look very much like Christmas tree ornaments.

Pinecone Bird Feeder

To make a pinecone bird feeder, you will need a pinecone, some string, peanut butter and birdseed. After looking through your yard or a local park for the perfect pinecone, take it home and begin coating it with peanut butter. Creamy peanut butter is generally easier to work with but crunchy peanut butter will also work. Once you have coated the pinecone with the peanut butter, roll the pinecone into the birdseed or place the pinecone in a re-sealable bag with birdseed and coat it well. Tie the string around the top portion of the pinecone and then use the remaining length of the string to tie the pinecone bird feeder to a tree. There is no need to clean up the pinecone after the birds have eaten the seed, but you may want to make sure that the string finds its way out of your tree. Clean-up couldn't be easier!

Maltese Recipes

Malta is a Mediterranean island that lies between Italy and North Africa. The country is home to a Mediterranean cuisine which is influenced by the cuisine of Italy as well as that of other countries.

Some of the most popular Maltese recipes include:

* Minestra - A vegetable soup that is usually eaten during the Winter months, and is frequently eaten with crusty Maltese bread ("hobza").

* Soppa ta' l-armla - A thinner version of minestra, but with the addition of small balls of sheep-milk cheese ("gbejniet") and raw eggs. The name of the dish means "widows's soup", and derives from that fact that it was traditionally donated to poor widows living in Maltese communities.

* Kusksu - Another Maltese soup. Kusku is made from chicken stock, and contains pasta beads, broad beans, onions and tomatoes.

* Brodu - A beef or chicken broth, also containing some vegetables, usually served with pasta.

* Qargha Baghli - Marrows stuffed with ground beef and parsley. They can be baked or put into soup.

* Aljotta - This is a Maltese fish and tomato soup, flavored with garlic and herbs, which is frequently served with rice.

* Bragjoli - A mixture of breadcrumbs, bacon, eggs and cheese, wrapped in a thin slice of beef.

* Fenkata - Rabbit casserole.

* Laham taz-ziemel - Stallion (horse) meat with white wine sauce.

* Kapunata - Similar to ratatouille, and eaten hot or cold, kapunata can even be used as a pizza topping.

* Bigilla - A bean dip made from mashed broad beans. It is seasoned, and may be flavored with chilli.

* Ravjul - Similar to ravioli. The pasta may be filled with ricotta and parsley or spinach, or with ground meat. It is usually served with a tomato sauce and topped with cheese.

* Mqarrun il-Forn - Bolognese sauce and egg served over macaroni, and topped with a layer of grated cheese or bescamella (white sauce). Bacon and/or peas may be added in some versions of the recipe.

* Timpana - Baked macaroni ("mqarrun il-forn"), with added ground beef and hard-boiled eggs, encased in a pastry crust.

* Ross il-Forn - A baked rice dish, similar to Mqarrun il-Forn, but with curry added.

* Lampuka - White fish, pan-fried, oven-baked with tomato and white wine, or made into pies.

* Zalzett tal-Malti - Maltese pork sausages. There are several varieties, some of which are eaten fresh, others of which are dried.

Malta is also home to a variety of interesting desserts, including several interesting pastries such as imqaret (a date-filled pastry), and pastizzi (pastry with ricotta), a variety of biscuits including figolla (almond biscuits, often made into interesting shapes), and Pudina ta' l-Hobz, which is a type of bread pudding.

The Story of Our Southern Biscuits (And The Recipe)

I was in the kitchen today with my mother-in-law (who I like very much J) and she was making homemade Southern biscuits (which I LOVE very much!!) She makes them from scratch...not out of a box....which is quite amazing me to. I am great with taking a package out of the fridge, popping it open and putting biscuits on a cookie sheet or adding some oil and water to some kind of flour mix. So, I asked her how she learned to make the biscuits that way and if they were always so good.

My mother-in-law was born in Washington State but her mother was born in Alabama. This is where their Southern Biscuit tradition was born. She said that the key to the recipe is to use only White Lily flour and to sift it. I don't even think that I own a sifter so if I am to master the biscuit making technique I will have to purchase one J Good thing that I live in Virginia because at least I can get my hands on the right flour.

When I asked her if she had always been so good at making biscuits, she had to chuckle. She said that when she was first married (35 years ago) she set out to make her husband her first batch of homemade biscuits. As they sat down to dinner, her husband said "I never knew that people actually made their own soda crackers." At least she can laugh about it now!!

I guess that every wife has a story like that to tell. What I love about all this is that I get to be a part of a tradition that is now going on 5 generations deep. It is so important to me that I have these things to pass on to my children. So, here is our family recipe. I hope that you will enjoy it and pass it on to others that you love who love biscuits. I am pretty sure that you can use whatever flour you have handy J Just remember to sift.

White Lily (Nash Family) "Light" Biscuits

Preheat oven to 500

2 cups White Lily Self Rising Flour

-sift 2 cups of flour onto a piece of wax paper.

-use a spoon to fill the measuring cup back up with the sifted flour

-resift the flour into the mixing bowl

-you will end up with extra flour after refilling the 2 cups

1/4 cup of shortening or butter - it works best if it is COLD!!

2/3 to 3/4 milk or buttermilk (more southern)

Spray: Backing sheet or cake pan lightly with cooking spray

Measure: flour into bowl (spoon into measuring cup)

Cut in: shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbles

Blend: in enough milk until dough leaves the sides of the bowl

Knead: gently 2 or 3 times on lightly floured surface

Roll: dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut without twisting cutter

Place: on pan (1 inch apart for crisp sides or almost touching for soft sides)

Bake: for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush top with melted butter if desired.

Makes: 12 - 2 inch biscuits

Enjoy!

Really Inexpensive and Easy Recipes - Biscuit Hamburger Bake, Spoon Bread, and Pink Flannel Hash

With so many people out-of-work and almost all of us watching our finances, inexpensive family meals are becoming more and more important. Here are some old-fashion recipes that offer you meals that are easy, inexpensive yet tasty. These recipes should be a hit with the whole family while saving you money on your food budget. Biscuit Hamburger Bake is quick, easy, inexpensive, and has meat, vegetables, bread, and dairy all in one dish. Spoon Bread is an old recipe from Tennessee for a cornbread type bread baked in a casserole dish. Pink Flannel Hash uses tuna, potatoes, eggs, etc for a quick, inexpensive meal. So take heart, and give these recipes a try to help you save money on your trips to the grocery store.

BISCUIT HAMBURGER BAKE

This recipe is from an old community cookbook in Southern Indiana where I was born and raised.

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 can condensed Vegetable Soup
1/2 tbsp oregano
dash of pepper
1 can refrigerated biscuits
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook ground beef with onion until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain well to remove fat. Stir in the can of soup, oregano, and pepper; heat to bubbling. Pour mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish that has been buttered. Top with the biscuits. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. Spread the sour cream over the biscuits then top with the cheese. Return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes.

SPOON BREAD

This is an old Tennessee hills recipe.

2 cups white corn meal
2 1/2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 egg whites, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Add corn meal slowly to boiling water. Let stand for 3 minutes. Add butter to the corn meal mixture. Stir in salt, egg yolks, baking soda, and buttermilk. Fold in the egg whites and turn into a greased baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes.

PINK FLANNEL HASH

This old recipe was a clipping I found in a box of my late mother's recipes. I have no idea where this clipping originated.

1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
2 cups Idaho frozen southern style hash brown potatoes
1 can (6 1/2-7 oz) tuna, drained and flaked
4 eggs

In a large skillet melt butter; saute the onions and peppers until crisp tender. Stir in Tabasco sauce and potatoes. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until potatoes are tender and golden (about 15 minutes). Stir in tuna. Make four wells in potato mixture; break one egg into each well. Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until eggs are set. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

How to Create Healthy Dog Biscuit Recipes

If you're looking to have more control of your canine's diet, a good place to start is with a few solid dog biscuit recipes. Dog biscuits found in commercial stores are notoriously full of fillers and unnatural materials that may harm your dogs long term health. But making them at home can be just as bad if you're not familiar with proper dog nutrition.

Making homemade dog biscuits is a lot like making homemade granola bars. The only problem is that dogs aren't animals raised to eat grains. The roughage they're used to getting is in the form of grass. We need to utilize this natural diet if we're going to form proper dog biscuit recipes.

Instead of using something like oatmeal to bind your dog biscuit together, try natural wheat germ flour or rice flour. Along with a beaten egg for protein, these natural flours will keep the biscuits together in a solid cookie shape.

But what do you put in your biscuits for flavor?

Well, meat is always a good option. Left over gravy and table scraps put through the blender can make excellent flavoring and give your dog some much needed calcium.

And it might sound gross to us, but a really good homemade dog biscuit recipe will include some fresh bone marrow. Marrow is soft and an excellent source of protein for animals. Best of all they absolutely love the taste which is perfect for even the pickiest of animals.

Remember as well to steer clear of veggies for the most part. While they are good for humans, puppies need them only in moderation. Remember that your puppies natural diet wouldn't have potatoes or broccoli.