Buttermilk Biscuits

Oh, how I love the smell of bread baking in the oven!

It speaks to my soul and tells me good things are to come.

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Years ago (seems like a lot of my posts start with this), I clipped a Basic Buttermilk Biscuit recipe from my Mom-in-love's Southern Living magazine.

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This is my go-to, tried and true, never-fail biscuit recipe that I use when I'm not low carbing or I just wanna make biscuits for the family on Saturday morning.

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I use my medium size biscuit cutter so my biscuits are smaller than usual.  I tend to like'm small, tall, and fluffy...almost bite-size, well at least a few bites worth.   I do love things in miniature.

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 Begin by cutting the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

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Add buttermilk and stir just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.

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Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and gently knead or fold over itself 4-5 times.    Folding creates multiple layers of dough and fat, giving rise to a tender, fluffy biscuit.  Pat or roll to ¾” thick; cut with a round biscuit cutter.

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Place into a greased pan with side touching.  This helps with the rise.  I used my round Wilton silicone cake pan and it worked great!  There was even a slight crust on the bottom of some of the biscuits.

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Remove from the oven and brush with melted butter. 

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Serve with honey, jam, sorghum, meat, or how about some Chocolate Gravy?   The freedom of  choice is yours!

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Basic Buttermilk Biscuits

1/3 cup butter, cut up

2 cups self rising flour (White Lily is good)

3/4 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted butter

 

Preheat oven to 425ºF.  Cut butter in flour w/ pastry cutter.  Add buttermilk and stir just until all dry ingredients are incorporated.   Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and gently knead or fold over itself 4-5 times.    Folding creates multiple layers of dough and fat, giving rise to a tender, fluffy biscuit. 

Pat or roll to ¾” thick; cut with a round biscuit cutter.  Pat or roll to ¾” thick; cut with a round biscuit cutter.   Bake for 12-14 minutes. Brush with melted butter fresh from the oven.  Serve warm.

Yield:  12-14 (1½”) biscuits or 7 (2½”) biscuits

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Recipe courtesy of Southern Living Magazine

Chocolate Gravy, Southern Style

Gravy, gravy, gravy!

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Here in the South, Chocolate Gravy is served at breakfast over "cat-head" biscuits, as my dear Dad calls them.   My own daughters used to gag at the idea of gravy being sweet, until they grew up a little and learned just how delicious chocolage gravy poured over a warm biscuit and topped with a pat of butter can be.

It's not something I make on a regular basis, but for a special breakfast treat.

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Speaking of Dad, his specialty was always Tomato Gravy, a savory gravy made with bacon drippings and flour, with chopped fresh tomato pieces added.  Yum, yum!  I must make some soon.

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My friend Jada shares her family's secret recipe for Chocolate Gravy.

Chocolate Gravy

2cups sugar

3TBS cocoa

3 heaping TBS flour

add 3-4cups HOT water

Mix sugar, flour, and cocoa with whisk first, then add your water.  Mix well.  Cook on med heat until it boils. 

Add more water if it gets too thick. Some like it thick, some dont. I let mine set and cool about 5 min before serving so its not like lava--lol--ENJOY! I've just let y'all in on a BIG family recipe  :)

Puffy eyes and feet means back to Low Carb!

I regret to say that I don't work Weight Watchers very well. 

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I was doing good at first, then Thanksgiving happened and a few days later I quit counting my points.

Weight Watchers is hard to do if you don't count your points, or at least it is for me.

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So I'm back to what I know will get rid of those puffy eyes, hands, and feet.  Low Carb it is!

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While trying to decide what to have for lunch today, I came across some great low carb articles/sites.

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I've decided to list a few here.   Enjoy...  and happy Low Carbing!

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Low Carb Diet Recipes

Low Carb Lunches

Low Carb Office Lunch Tips

Low Carb Brown Bag Lunches

Low Carb Low Cal Lunches

Rachel Ray Low Carb Lunch

Low Carb Guy Lunches

More Low Carb Lunch Ideas

AC Low Carb

Simply Recipes Low Carb

Kalyn's SB Low Carb

Low Carb Friends Soup Recipes

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I will still be making and posting recipes for holiday goodies and treats, so if you're not a Low Carber don't write me off.   

Be sure and check back here for great recipes of all kinds over the next few weeks.

 

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Vanilla Yogurt Dressing

A few nights ago, my girls wanted to to make an easy treat for our dessert.  

We were out of a few ingredients, but managed to put together this tasty fruit salad bowl.   This fruit salad is a great choice for dessert or even breakfast. (oops, pic is before the dressing)

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By Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa.



 

Fresh Fruit Salad with Honey Vanilla Yogurt Dressing

2 cups plain yogurt

2 tablespoons good honey

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean, optional

1/2 orange, juiced

1 banana, sliced

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/2 pint fresh raspberries

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1 bunch seedless green grapes, halved

Combine the yogurt, honey, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds in a bowl and set aside. Combine the orange juice and banana slices in a separate bowl. Add the berries and grapes and gently mix the fruit mixture together. Spoon the fruit into serving bowls and top with the yogurt.

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Cheesy Potato Pie

This pie is a result of a "clean out the fridge" night.

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Cheesy Potato Pie

3 lb.  potatoes, peeled & sliced
3/4 stick butter
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 c. cream
2 eggs
1/2 sm. onion, chopped
Salt & pepper
1 c. Cheddar cheese (1/4 of a pound), grated
1/2cup mozzerella, grated

2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

2  tbsp. bread crumbs
2 tbsp. butter, cut in pieces

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Butter a glass pie dish. Put potatoes in water and bring to a boil, until potatoes are tender. Drain. Place in buttered pie dish. Dot with butter.  Top with diced tomatoes.  Mix cream, eggs, salt, and pepper.  Add onions. Spoon mixture over potato slices.  Spread evenly. Cover with cheeses and crumb mixture and dot with butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Cheesy Sausage Egg Muffins (Low Carb)

There are several versions of the Low Carb Sausage Egg Muffin out there.  I came across this recipe a few years ago and have continued to use it when I have a desire for an easy take-along breakfast.

Cheesy Sausage Egg Muffins (Low Carb)

6 Tbs crushed pork skins
1/2 cup chopped veggies of your choice
sausage or bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 eggs, beaten and seasoned with salt and pepper
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

Using a 6 cup muffin pan, place about 1 tablespoon of crushed pork skins in the bottom of each muffin cup.  Next, place meat and veggies on top of the pork skins.  Pour the beaten eggs over the pork skins, meat, and veggies layers, enough to fill the cup.  Top with shredded cheese.  Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes or until the muffins have puffed up and look set (done).

Sorry there's no specific measurements.  I usually just guesstimate on the amounts.  That means the muffins are usually different, but always good.  There's so many possibilities. 

One of my favorites combinations is pizza toppings where I use pepperoni, mushrooms, peppers and onions.   Another possibility is a savory cheesy chicken and broccoli muffin.

After baking, I let them cool, then bag them up by twos.  That gives me three days of a ready-made low carb breakfast that I can take along to work with me to have with my coffee.

Happy Low Carbing!

For more low carb recipes, go here.