No More Boring Drive Thru or Diner Biscuits and Gravy

I almost cruised through the drive thru at McDonalds this morning, but the line was a little TOO long for my liking. Then realized I had all the ingredients to make Biscuits & Gravy at home. Back in the old days I baked biscuits at Hardee's and learned the secret to good biscuit making. Although we used real buttermilk, I can make an awesome baking powder biscuit that is just as good and fluffy. Ditch those Grands biscuits, you know those flaky ones you pay out the ear for... you now have an awesome and quick recipe to make your own right here.

Take those and add some sausage gravy

And then get this lovely little concoction..

Gravy from McDs is frozen in sausage like packaging and warmed up and also their biscuits are frozen and nuked in a microwave. Do yourself a favor and make your own. No preservatives and you know exactly what is in your food. If you want that little McD's taste, add a little bit of sugar to your gravy. 

And now for your recipes:

Baking Powder Biscuits - 

2 C flour

1 T baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 to 1/3 C shortening (more makes the flakier biscuits)

3/4 C milk

1. Mix the dry ingredients together then add shortening. 

2. Use a pastry blender, a couple of knives, or just your clean hands to mix the shortening into the flour mixture until it is spread throughout.

3. Make a hole in the center of the bowl by moving the ingredients to the sides.

4. Add milk

5. Stir with a fork until all ingredients are mixed thoroughly, but do NOT overmix it.

6. Roll out on a floured board to 1/2" in thickness and cut out the biscuits with a cutter or a drinking glass.

7. Put on an ungreased baking sheet/pan and bake at 425F for 12-14 minutes or until light golden brown on the edges of the top of the biscuits

8. Remove from oven, then pan and put on a wire rack to cool. You can brush with butter on the tops if you want, but it isn't necessary.

9. Serve.

You can easily double this recipe if you have a hungry group to feed. I also use this recipe with the lesser amount of shortening to make dumplings for my chicken soup or beef stew.

Sausage Gravy

This is on you to suit your tastes, but this is the method to make this.

Brown 1/2 pound of sausage and reserve about 1/4 cup of drippings, add 1/2 to 1 cup flour, 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp sugar (optional) to the drippings and add a little more flour if needed if it doesn't 'sop' up the grease in the pan. Add 1 C milk and cook on medium heat until it begins to thicken. If it is too thick, add more milk until you get the right consistency a little at a time... maybe about 1/4 c at a time. Season to your preferences or dietary restrictions.

Just a good old comfort food that can be made for a few dollars and made up in advance to eat the next morning before work or school.

Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

My first ever meringue pie was a lemon meringue that had a recipe posted on the crisco website. My feelings are that if I can do it, so can you. So basic and easy to make even with the few steps it takes to get it done. Maybe one day I'll get better at the crust, but you can cheat and use a store bought one instead if your crust shrinks too much from not putting the fork to it properly on the sides of the pan.

Classic Lemon Meringue Pie

I've included the link above to the recipe. You can use any citrus you want for this recipe if you want. :-) Just give it a try and make something that will NOT last long. Do not be intimidated by the meringue making. It is actually easy to do if you follow the directions.

How to beat the Cake Mix Companies at their own game!

It is frustrating to buy a cake mix at the store and pay some really HIGH prices for them to only make a 1" thick cake when it is all said and done. I can't afford name brand so knowing that they also come in generic kind of helps but they are also too expensive for what they give you. So for this blog posting today I will help you get the cake back to the original box size they used to give us and your cake WILL be a little bit taller.

Boxed Cake Mix Stretcher

1 egg
2 Tbsp oil
1/3 C Water
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 C flour (all-purpose is perfectly fine)
1/2 C granulated sugar

Prepare your cake with the ingredients stated on your package. Then add the above ingredients to the recipe. Mix according to the package instructions. Baking time and temperature will be the same as what the box says.

So when you make this in a 9x13 cake pan.... it will turn out nice and thick and YUMMY!

Sorry we got into it already, but it was GOOD! Here's my funky artwork using the left over colored sugar from my cookies I baked yesterday and used the melon baller to make the swirlies. The recipe for the frosting follows!

Buttercream Wedding Cake Icing: 
2 C Powdered Sugar
3/4 C shortening
2 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and beat for 8-10 minutes. Recipe taken from: Family Favorites - From the Kitchen of the Brenneman Family Mennonite cookbook. Page 148

Vinegar Sugar Cookies for Easter or Spring

This is my favorite SOFT sugar cookie recipe. It might sound gross, but they are VERY tasty. You will need to follow this recipe in the steps given for them to work the best for you. I also made my own colored sugar from some dye I had hanging around in the spice cabinet.

Vinegar Sugar Cookies

1 egg
2 tsp white vinegar
2 1/2 C All-Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 C butter/margarine
1/2 C shortening
1 tsp vanilla
1 C granulated sugar

1. In a cereal bowl put the egg and vinegar together and mix until the egg yolk is fully mixed into the vinegar. Set this bowl aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl put flour, salt and baking soda and stir with fork. Set this bowl aside.
3. In a larger bowl add the remaining ingredients. Cream or mix them all together with the mixer on low.
4. Pour one half of the egg mixture into the sugar mixture and mix well on low.
5. Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well on low.
6. Pour rest of the egg mixture into the sugar mixture and mix well on low.
7. Pour rest of the flour mixture into the dough and mix well on low.
8. Roll the batter into small balls and dip in sugar. Then use a fork to press down the cookie on an ungreased cookie sheet.
9. Bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. 
10. Remove from oven and let sit for a minute or two before taking them off the cookie sheet and put them on a wire rack to cool. 

To make colored sugar you will take about 1/4 C of sugar and put in a small container that you can put a lid on to shake it with 1-3 drops of food coloring of your choice color. Half-pint sized canning jars are awesome for this task. :-)

Pizza Night!

Okay so everyone loves pizza (or you hope they do). Do you buy the pizza at the local Pizza Hut, Convenience Store, or Walmart? Or is your homemade from a chefboyardee pizza kit or pizza dough packet?

Pizza can be a really easy thing to make once you catch the hang of making your own pizza dough. My trick to a non-soggy crust is to pre-bake the crust for about 5-6 minutes before adding sauce and the toppings. This awesome little meal can be whatever you want it to be by whatever toppings you choose. Chicken, Bacon & Ranch, pepperoni, sausage, bacon cheeseburger, taco, veggie, or just cheese.

Pizza Dough Recipe

1 Tbsp dry yeast (1 pkt)
1 C warm water
3 C flour
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C salad oil

Dissolve yeast in warm water, then add sugar, salt, and oil.
Then add 1 1/2 C of the flour and beat until there are no lumps. Add the remaining flour.
Let raise in the bowl for 30 minutes and then cut in half to make two pizzas.
Put the pizza dough on a lightly greased pizza pan or cookie sheet (shape does not matter). Spread the dough to the outer edges of the pan and then poke with the fork all around the crust. Repeat with the other crust on the other pan. If your dough tears at all, just pinch it back together. It's okay, the world will not end if your pizza crust isn't perfect.
Pre-bake the crust in a 400 degree oven for 5-6 minutes. Crust will not be browned but will have the look that it isn't wet anymore. Take it out and then add your ingredients of choice and top with cheese.
Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and even crispy brown. It's your pizza, whatever way you like it, cook it!

Ideas for pairings of sauce and toppings:

• Taco
• sauce
• refried beans with taco seasoning added and hamburger (cook til warm)
• cheddar cheese 

Bake those together and then add:

• shredded lettuce
• diced tomatoes (ro-tel is good)
• chopped onion
• crushed tortilla chips
• taco sauce

As I said, make whatever you want and whatever you or your family likes best. Just don't go and spend a fortune going out to eat when you can make it at home and bake it later or right then. :-)

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies Recipe Day!

Who says a woman can't have chocolate? Seriously, don't miss out on some good comfort food every once in a while. This crazy recipe is one that many kids who had Home Ec classes would make back when we had home ec. Those of you who know what I'm talking about remember these things and can NEVER find the right recipe anymore that can make these things without oozing all over the wax paper. Grrr...

Other serving suggestions for these are to add some mini robin eggs in the center if you want to make this an Easter themed yummy to allow you an excuse to make them. Who cares if it is at least 3 weeks from now!

I'll post a pic of what the cookies look like later when I make them BEFORE everyone eats them all!

Chocolate No-Bake Cookies!

2 C Sugar
1/2 C Cocoa
1/2 C butter or margarine
1/2 C milk (or 1/4 c water + 1/4 c evaporated milk)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C peanut butter (optional)
3 C Oatmeal

Directions:

1. Put sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk into a saucepan and set the burner to medium heat. Mix until butter is melted. Keep stirring just to keep the mixture from scorching. When it comes to a rolling boil, keep stirring and let it boil for at least 3 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and then add the vanilla and stir well. Add peanut butter if you want or leave it out of the recipe.

3. Add the oatmeal and stir well.

4. Drop by spoonful onto wax paper to dry and cool.
5. Kick all people out of the kitchen and keep them out of them or they will all be gone in less than a 1/2 hour.