Country Store Biscuits

My family loves biscuits, especially the ones from Cracker Barrel because they are so light and fluffy.  Though you use Bisquick, they don't taste like it.  After searching and different trials and error with recipes, this is the closest that I've come from Recipezaar

It makes about 10 biscuits
15 minutes prep time


2 1/4 C. Bisquick - (I use Heart Smart Bisquick)
2/3 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. sugar
1 Tbsp butter, melted
also, melted butter for brushing on the biscuits

Preheat oven to 450.

Mix the Bisquick, buttermilk and sugar together in a bowl.

Add the melted butter into the batter.

Stir until a soft dough forms.

Turn out onto a well floured work surface.

Knead 20 times (this is a very forgiving dough), and don't be afraid to get additional flour into the dough.

Roll 1/2 thick, or thicker if you prefer towering biscuits.

Place close together on an ungreased baking sheet.

Brush tops with melted butter.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes; I usually find 8 minutes is enough.

When you remove the biscuits from the oven, brush the tops with melted butter again.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 45 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 113 Calories from Fat 27

% Daily Value*

Total Fat            3.0g          5%

Saturated Fat     0.8g         4%

Cholesterol         4mg         1%

Sodium           316mg        13%

Total Carbohydrates                         19.4g          6%

Dietary Fiber     0.7g          3%

Sugars             3.2g        Protein             2.6g

Vitamin A 1% • Vitamin C 0% Calcium 12% • Iron 5%

Nutrition Grade B-

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Marilyn's Carrots

One late afternoon, I was helping a Marilyn (who is an awesome cook)  prepare a meal at church.  The thought of fixing carrots for 400+ people was daunting - especially since I held the peeler in my hand.  I should have signed up for something different, but what I learned was a fantastically easy way to fix delicious carrots for either a large or small group.  Here is her recipe:

1. Peeled and sliced carrots, cook them until tender. To make this really easy, I love to use baby carrots.  They are just the right size and already peeled.
2. Put the carrots in a baking dish
3. Sprinkle with brown sugar
4. Melt butter, mix with a little ginger and honey to taste.  The butter should come up 1/4 of the way on the bottom of the dish.
5. Pour over carrots.  I like to sprinkle a little chopped parsley - makes it look pretty.
6. Cover with foil and bake.  Since the carrots are already tender, you don't have to bake this very long at all. 

  

Martha's Fudge Sauce

  Years ago, when I was growing up, my mom used to love watching Martha Stewart.  She saw her make some delicious fudge sauce one day and decided it had to be good. Martha has changed her original recipe since then, and I didn't find the original recipe on her website, It is so awesome on ice cream, that I wanted to share it with you.






Martha Stewart Fudge Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup light cream 

1/8 teaspoon salt 
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
            (I leave out the above salt if I only have regular butter)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or Kahlua
           (I like to use Kahlua because it enhances the chocolate flavor)

Method

1. Combine all ingredients in saucepan except for vanilla.  
2. Cook over med. heat.
3. Stir until mixture boils.
4. Set timer and boil for 2 minutes, I stir mine constantly so it does not stick
5. (Don't boil for more than 3 minutes or it will become like fudge).
6. Turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
7. Store in refrigerator up to a week.
8. Can reheat in microwave for a few seconds at a time or place in pan of hot water until sauce warms and thins.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

I'm sure they had ulterior motives, but I'm not sure I cared.  Honey and the kids gave me a 6 qt. ice cream maker for Mother's Day this year.  I was very anxious to try it out and since we consume an embarrassing amount of Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, I decided to try that first.  We make a huge amount of ice cream each year, but most of it is Frosty Ice Cream (like a Wendy's Frosty) and we have actually burned a motor out on a ice cream maker in one summer before.  Ice cream is really the only sweet that we keep in the house - dangerous isn't it?  Here is the recipe I used and got rave reviews.  I have included measurements for a 4 qt. and 6 qt recipe.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

                                   4 qt.                6 qt. 

Milk                               2  2/3 C           4 C

sugar                            2 C                 3 C

salt                               pinch               1/4 tsp

Half and half                   2 2/3 C           4 C.

Vanilla extract                4 tsp.            2 Tbsp

Whipping Cream             5 1/3 C            8 C

Mint extract                   1 1/3 tsp         2 tsp

Green food coloring        1/2 tsp         2/3 tsp

Chocolate chips              10 2/3 oz        16 oz
                                     or                 or
                                    1 1/2 C        2 1/3 C

Scald milk until it bubbles from around the edge of the pan.  Remove from heat.  Add sugar and salt.  Stir until dissolved.  Stir in Half and Half, vanilla and whipping cream.  Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

While it is cooling, take the chocolate chips (I used 1/2 semi-sweet and 1/2 dark chocolate) and chop them into finer bits.  A food processor is an awesome tool here.  Make sure they are just smaller bit, not pulverized!  If your local store carries Nestle Toll House or other brand of Mini chocolate chips, they are perfect.  My friend Amy used 1/2 C. Andes Thin Mints Baking Chips and 1 cup Semi sweet chocolate chips and her family loved it.


Take the chilled mixture from the fridge, add the mint extract and green food coloring to it.  Pour the mixture into the ice cream canister and follow the ice cream maker's directions and freeze.  I found that allowing the ice cream to freeze and then adding the chocolate chips works great - after about 25-30 minutes or whenever it stops!

We'll just see how long the 1 1/2 gallons of this yummy concoction lasts.  It is definitely cheaper than the $6 a gal (or $3.98 if I really watch for a sale)!  I'd love to hear if you try this how it turned out for you and how you like it! 

Blueberry Muffins

Blueberry Muffins
from the Muffin Lady

Our family loves when I make fresh blueberry muffins

 

2 rounded C. flour

1 C. sugar

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt 

2 eggs

1/4 C. oil (I use olive oil, but you can use what you have on hand)

4 tbsp. butter, melted

3/4  C. milk

1 tsp. vanilla

8 oz of frozen blueberries or 1/2 pint fresh berries.  

 

Preheat oven to 350º. Sift all dry ingredients together.  make a well in the center.  Add the eggs, oil, butter, milk, and vanilla.  Gently hand-mix until all the liquid is absorbed.  Fold in the blueberries. I use 1/3 cup of batter in each parchment paper** lined 12-muffin unit. Bake  for 30-40 minutes, depending on the doneness of the muffins in the center of the tin.  When you press against the tops of the muffins, they should be firm to the touch. 

** Handy Hint: I use parchment paper cut up into squares  about 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 is a good size.  The muffins don't stick to the paper and allows you to fill a tad bit more than regular muffin/cupcake paper liners.  Pretty cheap as well.  Just form the paper in the muffin hole space and add about 1/3 C. of the muffin batter.

 

 Enjoy!!! 

Blueberry Syrup

Every June

Skaggs Berry Farm

  beckons  us

luscious plump berries

eager fingers search

buckets fill

victory is sweet

 

Mother Earth News

Picking with the Princess

Blueberry Syrup

4 cups Blueberries
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 cup water
1-1/4 cups sugar

In a 3 qt saucepan, cook berries, water, and lemon juice on high heat to boiling.  Boil for 2 minutes, mashing berries with a  large spoon**.  Add the sugar and cook over high heat to rolling boil for 30 seconds.   Cool.  Will keep in refrigerator up to 2 months.  Makes 3 1/2 cups of syrup. 


We love this on waffles, pancakes, french toast with some whipped topping or just take a spoon and enjoy before anyone wakes up. 



**I have found that if I don't want a really lumpy syrup, I put mine in the food processor or blender for a few seconds.  If the syrup mixture is really hot, you need to let it cool before putting it in the blender or the heat may build up and you'll have a mess.

Banana Nut Muffins

A few years ago I saw a lady in the early 1990's on Good Morning America, who worked out of a NY firehouse making these incredible muffins. So I made used that one recipe, copied down on a ratty piece of notebook paper for a few years, until I found that she published a cookbook with so many delicious recipes.  I've been hooked ever since! Many friends who have tasted my muffins think I'm a baking whiz, but I always have to tell them about a lady who turned to baking to keep off welfare. Her recipes are easy and delicious, but her story inspiring. When I get her cookbook out, the kids start gravitating my direction, just itching to get their hands on a fresh blueberry or banana nut muffin. 

Linda's Banana Nut Muffins

2-3 ripe bananas

1 C. oil (I use olive oil, but you can use what you have on hand)

2 eggs

1 C. sugar

2 C. flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp mace (this is a stronger than mace).  If you don't have mace, use twice the amount of nutmeg - 1/2 tsp in this case.

1 tsp vanilla 

1/2 C. chopped nuts (I like pecans)  (optional, but makes it more yummy)

Preheat oven to 350º.  Place bananas in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pureed or mashed.  Add the oil and sugar, blend.  Add the eggs one at a time.  Fold the dry ingredients together before gradually adding them to the wet mixture.  Add the vanilla or whatever you wish.  Fold in the nuts. Bake in a wax paper-lined muffin pans for 30-35 minutes.

Handy Hint: I use parchment paper cut up into squares  about 5 1/2 x 5 1/2 is a good size.  The muffins don't stick to the paper and allows you to fill a tad bit more than regular muffin/cupcake paper liners.  Pretty cheap as well.  Just form the paper in the muffin hole space and add about 1/3 C. of the muffin batter.