Oatmeal Craisin Cookies

Upon purchasing a {rather large} bag of Craisins at Costco last month, I began looking for a few recipes to toss those delightful things into... this is the favorite one so far.

Printable Version

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups oats

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups dried cranberries

Beat butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla for 5 minutes. In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time. Mix in Craisins. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees.

One of the gifts in my stocking this Christmas was this handy little kitchen gadget...

See the blue part is squishy so you can press the cookie dough out of the scoop onto the sheet.

And, I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of the cookies after they were baked, and they are ALL gone now, so this one of the dough will have to suffice.

adapted from original recipe at allrecipes.com

linking up at Women living Well

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Of generations...

(Note: This post was originally written as an introduction for tomorrow's Thankful Thursday post, but it grew and grew as some posts are apt to do, so I am posting it separately and Iwill post the graces and pictures tomorrow.)

Just this past Sunday, we started a new parenting class at church. We will be watching the video series Getting to the Heart of Parenting by Paul Tripp. (If you are not familiar with Paul, you may have heard of his brother, Tedd, who wrote, Shepherding a Child's Heart.) My husband and I recently had the opportunity to hear Paul speak at a marriage conference (I talked about that here), so I was excited to hear what he has to say with regard to parenting. The video took up about half of the Sunday School hour, and then we followed up with discussion and answering some thought-provoking (translated: convicting) questions.

The interesting (to me...) part of this week's study came at the absolute VERY beginning...in fact, even before we watched the video, as the leader had us look at the passage that Paul would read to begin. You might be thinking to yourself (like I was), "Okay...parenting series...it's probably (insert verse of choice here)..."

Judges 2: 6-15

Yep...Judges. NOT the first place I would turn to in my quest for parenting. But...check out verse 10...

...And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

You'll notice it doesn't say, who did not follow the Lord, the God of their Fathers...it says who. did. not. know.

The leaders...heads of families, and priests and judges failed to follow God's commands in teaching the next generation of the works of the Lord, as he had commanded them (as found in Deuteronomy).

Only take care, keep your soul diligently lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children, how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, "Gather the people to me that I may let them hear my words so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth and that they may teach their children so. (Deuteronomy 4:9-10)

The emphasis is mine... Notice that the first command is to the fathers (parents) to keep their own soul diligently. We cannot tend to others, if our own is a disaster. Paul (Tripp) said, "You cannot give away that which you do not have."

Hear O, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. (Deuteronomy 6:4-6)

This language of all your might is expressed totally in Hebrew, so the New Testament states it as mind and strength. This is the language of devotion. God does not demand mere outward obedience to a law, but the heartfelt love and commitment of the whole person. (notes from here)

When I think about devotion, I can't help but think of Olivia Newton-John singing Hopelessly Devoted to You in Grease. I know, I know...REALLY, did she just go down that road?!? Comparing Sandy's adolescent infatuation with Danny to how we are commanded to love the Lord? Yes, I'm afraid I did...but, all joking put aside, we really are to be consumed with God and a good picture of that is how a young lover is utterly consumed with this new emotion.

My notes from Sunday's class...God is the ultimate fact that defines and gives reason to every other fact. Nothing can be properly understood without knowing the character and existence of God. He has created us in such a way that His world reveals Him. Because of this, it is un-natural for us NOT to be talking about Him ALL. THE. TIME. Your job as a parent is to give your child awe of something other than himself. A human being who does not live in awe of God is a profoundly disadvantaged human. Our lifestyle has to be in a place where we're slowing down to discover, notice, and talk about the awe of God with your children. Busy schedules do not allow for this recognition. Children will acquire a sense of awe (of something) from somewhere, if not from us. This sense of awe should be something that naturally flows from us so that our children are immersed in it, from the time they are born.

And then, back to the Bible...I bet this might have been one of those verses where you expected him to start...

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Not only are we as parents to be consumed with awe of God, so that our children see it in us, but God clearly wants the children involved and taught of this awe. And, this is not a teaching "from an arm's length" kind of thing. It seems so often parents feel like they have to "hold back" or "hold out" on their kids until they've made some sort of decision to follow Christ, or worse, until the parents see evidence of a decision. But really, let's be honest here, don't we all make that decision EVERY. SINGLE. DAY? With the presence of sin in our lives, we are all battling this every minute of every day, and those are the moments when we need this awe of God the most.

Something is going to influence our children, and if we're waiting around for them to be old enough to understand, or waiting for this magical moment when they decide to follow, we've wasted some of the most valuable time God has given us in teaching them... by example.

Yeah... by example.

Now, I'm not discrediting time of instruction, family worship, etc. But, if we only invite God at our times when we sit still and quiet and listen (NOT FUN for little kids, HELLO!), or when we are disciplining, God doesn't really seem like someone to be in awe of. He doesn't dwell only on His judgement and curses in the Bible. The main thread of the Bible focuses on His mercy in sending His Son. Now, my 2 year old can't fully grasp that concept yet. But she can understand when I tell her that the moth she is fascinated by and consumed with watching was created by God...that He designed their wings so that they could fly and gave them their colors so that could hide to stay safe and isn't He just magnificent to have designed all of this?

And no, she won't grasp all of that (although I'm constantly amazed!), but in that moment, what has taken place is that she now associates God as being Creator of moths (along with all the other cool bugs), and that is pretty awesome to her. Not only that, but Mom was pretty excited about God and how He designed this... So next time we talk about God, she remembers the moth and Mom's awe and she's receptive. Now she might also remember Mom saying, "You disobeyed and God says when you disobey, Mommy has to discipline you." But, there has to be both...and as her mind matures she will understand more and more this wonder of mercy and forgiveness...or she will tune it out because...there goes Mom preaching about God again.

So...what does all of this have to do with a list of a thousand gifts on Thankful Thursday?

EVERYTHING.

These gifts that I am noticing, experiencing, anticipating... this sense of awe... can be lived out and shared with my daughter, though she is not yet 3 years old. Not just CAN they, but God has commanded it.

This is one of my absolute favorite hymns.

Let children hear the mighty deeds

which God performed of old;

Which in our younger years we saw,

And which our fathers told.

He bids us make his glories known,

His works of power and grace;

And we'll convey His wonders down

Through every rising race.

Our lips shall tell them to our sons,

And they again to theirs;

That generations yet unborn

May teach them to their heirs.

Thus shall they learn in God alone

Their hope securely stands

That they may ne'er forget His works,

But practice His commands.

linked with Women Living Well and Good Morning Girls



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Tuesday Tips: To wholesale or not...

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A big thank you to those that responded to my questions in this post about whether or not you think your Costco membership is worth it. I really appreciated your feedback and found it quite helpful. I ended up going to Costco with my husband (who kept my daughter entertained and fed with samples!!) and wrote down just about everything that I thought we might buy there, along with the price of each item. After some food and playtime at Chick-Fil-A, we headed to Aldi where I did the same thing (you'd think I'd have these prices memorized since I go there at least once a week, but they fluctuate and I wanted to be certain). So, for the past week, in all my spare time (which I've actually had more of since I'm still supposed to be resting...ahem), I've been plugging all these numbers into a chart to figure out what was cheapest and where. What a project, let me tell you! I ended up with 4 pages, single spaced, with 1 line for each item. The findings were surprising, because Costco is cheaper on things that I didn't expect them to be and visa versa with Aldi.

One of the main things I have realized is that grocery prices really differ all over the country, so this list is probably not going to be helpful to someone living in a different location. We all have different stores available to us and other variables that cause our prices to fluctuate. So -- my list may not be accurate for your area, just as I discovered that some of the things you all said in your comments were not true for me here. Also, a lot of pricing has to do with what items you are "brand loyal" to -- I am brand loyal on very few items, and our family has been satisfied with the Aldi brand of most things. I realize this is a personal choice for everyone, so again, something that we have to figure out for ourselves and our individual budgets. I will put an asterisk(*) beside the items that I AM brand loyal to. :-)

Some of the big ticket items that are by far cheaper at Costco:

vitamins

ink cartridges*

dog food*

Of course, these items come in a larger quantity, thus making them MORE expensive, but the outcome is actually much cheaper. So...we just have to figure out how to fit a big chunk into the budget and enjoy the wiggle room later...or save up...

Costco sends out store coupons each month that are good for most of the month and you can buy multiple items (there is a limit) with each coupon. These are the ONLY coupons they accept. Just looking at this month's coupons, it seems that there would be significant savings on:

cereal bars

spaghetti sauce

cereal

Craisins

some cleaning supplies

I was surprised at how long the list of items that I regularly purchase that would be cheaper at Costco actually was. My budget is not such that I will be able to purchase all of these at Costco each time we run out, but hopefully I can buy a few things each shopping trip. I make most of our bread (rolls, bagels, french bread included), and I was surprised to find that some of my baking ingredients are about 1/2 the price at Costco!!

ground beef (if not on sale somewhere else)
ground turkey (here's hoping the salmonella outbreak is over...)

fresh spinach

celery

dishwashing detergent* (Finish is the only brand that gets my dishes clean.)

trash bags

raisins

juice

eggs

coffee

butter

cheese

oatmeal

yeast (less than 1/2 of what I've been paying!!!)

vanilla (1/2 of what I've been paying)

cooking spray

lemon juice

honey

bread flour

vinegar

rice

peanut butter

parmesan cheese

Some of the things that I was expecting Costco to be cheaper on and they were not were:

milk (Aldi still wins)
bread/tortillas (brand names compared with Aldi brands)
produce

paper towels and toilet paper (comparing Kirkland brand with Aldi brands)
tea bags (comparing brand names with Aldi brands)
Frozen Chicken Breasts
condiments (comparing brand names with Aldi brands)

crackers/snacks (comparing brand names with Aldi brands)
diapers (comparing Kirkland brand with Aldi brand)

SO...that is the overview of my (rather extensive) list and discovery. I'm looking forward to shopping at Costco and hopefully splurging to try some of the fun stuff when I'm able to do so. We are also planning to purchase gas there, as they seem to be about $0.05/gal cheaper on a regular basis.

I still plan to coupon on a smaller scale, as I still think I can do better than Costco on some of the cleaning supplies and Health/Beauty products. Many items I get for free or very cheap with coupons, so that will be better than Costco pricing...assuming I can still put in the time required.

For any of you locals, if you want to see the whole list, let me know and I'll e-mail it to you (if you can make sense of my system).

linking up at Women Living Well


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Monday Musings: They who matter most...

"Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also and he praises her."

Proverbs 31:28

Last week, I finished reading an eBook about Proverbs 31. You can get a copy of the book for free here. The book is good, but I was particularly struck by the meditations on the last few verses.

This verse (28) in particular..."who is praising her? it's not the people in the PTA, her church Bible study group, local newspaper, co-workers, or neighborhood association. It is her children... Arising and blessing their mother is not just about the 'thank you' but about them arising and living honorable, noble, God-fearing lives. This fruit is evidence of a mother's hard work. This is a mother's true reward."

Too often, we get distracted from what is our primary calling as wives/mothers, because there are so many {good} opportunities in our daily lives. But, when it gets right down to it, if our husbands and children are not first and foremost {after God, of course}, then we are not fulfilling our Biblical calling.

In Sally Clarkson's post here, she says,

"One of the great accomplishments and most fulfilling purposes and work of a godly woman is to become a conductor of all that is good, true, and beautiful in the minds, souls, and lives of her children... It is not about curriculum, it is about life and investment, and mentoring, and joy. We dance to His truth and leading in front of our children and they become familiar with the ways and values of the Master Artist as we celebrate Him in our homes, and they in turn dance the steps in their own lives."

And, then also, verse 30 of Proverbs 31:

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

This was the verse of the week for the card that we keep on the windowsill above the kitchen sink, so I read it a LOT last week, and then I read Courtney's thoughts about it in the eBook...

"The woman who fears the Lord will have a God consciousness. She will be aware of God's presence in her home at all times. She will work tirelessly and sacrificially to create a home that is filled with peace, joy, and comfort. This woman loves the Lord and desires to please him. She serves her husband and children because of her higher desire to please the Lord."

If that's not inspiration, I don't know what is. But, in case you're still lacking, here's a tribute to a godly woman who truly loved her husband and family. She is a stranger to me, but after reading her daughter's tribute to her, I aspire to be like her.

"You have received so much love - share it with others. Love others the way that God has loved you, with tenderness."
~Mother Theresa

linking up at The Better Mom and Women Living Well



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Breakfast Quiche

I've been planning to share this recipe with you for several weeks, and I'm finally getting around to posting it. Some time ago, I signed up for a special offer to receive a cookbook in the mail with recipes from Jiffy (the baking mix company). There are actually quite a few good recipes in this little booklet, and can still be used even if you make your own baking mix (or purchase a brand OTHER than Jiffy...like me).

Breakfast Quiche (printable version)

1/2 cup buttermilk biscuit or baking mix
1 cup cooked ham, diced or bacon, crumbled
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp. onion flakes
2 cups milk
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9" pie plate.
Mix together ham or bacon, cheese and onion flakes, and layer into prepared pan. Blend baking mix, milk, pepper, salt, and eggs. Pour blended mixture into pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

It's delish! I've made it with sausage, also.

So, fast forward and I have a whole bag of spinach that needs to be used ASAP due to an abundance of salad in my house over the last couple of weeks. I was looking around online today to find a crust-less quiche recipe and found this one that looked promising. As I was cooking the spinach, I decided to modify the recipe a bit and combine it with the Jiffy recipe to make this:

So, here's my recipe for this:

Spinach-Bacon Quiche

1 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 (10oz) package fresh spinach, washed
5 eggs
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup baking mix
2 cups milk
8 slices turkey bacon

In a large pan, melt butter and saute onion until translucent but not brown. Add spinach and cook over low heat until wilted. Chop bacon into small pieces and fry, or cook and then crumble. In large mixing bowl, beat eggs, baking mix, milk, salt, and pepper. In 2qt. baking dish (greased), combine spinach/onion mixture, cheese, and bacon.

Pour egg mixture over spinach mixture.

Bake at 350 for 50 minutes. Enjoy!

linking up at Women Living Well Wednesdays


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Tuesday Tips: DIY Coasters

Before I get started on this post...here's how we spent a rainy afternoon:

C was making play-doh muffins, and I was cleaning out my coupon binder for the new year.  It was a good time! :-)

One of my favorite Christmas gifts this year was probably one of the least expensive, but there was time and love put into it which makes it very special.  And, it's a super-cute gift!!

THESE are my new coasters!  Are they not adorable?  I love them and it makes me happy, every time I look at them.

It gets even better...my {new} sister-in-law MADE them!!!  She made a set for my mom too, and I have to admit I was a little hopeful after mom had opened hers and I was handed a small, square gift with some weight to it...

Aren't the colors great?  She knows I love bright colors and these look so nice in my family room with the yellow walls and denim couches.

The underside has felt and looks like this...

Okay...ready for the how-to?  This was originally found on pinterest {of course!} and it's 4x4 tiles from Home Depot ($0.16 ea), Scrapbook paper, Mod Podge for adhering, clear spray paint for sealing (she did 3 coats, I think), and felt pads glued to the bottom.

Can you imagine the possibilities for these?!?  You could make a set of coasters for every season, every holiday, and think of all the gifts!  You could have coordinating coasters for every room in your house...  I really could go on and on....

Thanks, Rachel, for a great gift and an exciting blog post! :-)

linking up at Women Living Well Wednesdays


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Homemade Applesauce (in the microwave!)

I've been making this recipe for years...like at least 15 years! As a result, it has kind of "morphed" into something that I have memorized and just toss together, so giving you an actual recipe with actual amounts is a bit challenging, but I think for something like applesauce, that's ok. :)

Start by peeling, coring, and chopping apples. For this batch, I think we used about 8.

Place apples in a microwave safe bowl and cook on HIGH for 10-15 minutes until apples are VERY tender. (You may want to place a paper towel under the bowl as the liquid bubbles and sometimes overflows.) Stir every 5 minutes while cooking...being careful as the bowl and contents will get VERY hot.

The apples will cook down considerably.

Pour apples and liquid into blender (or food processor). Add water as needed for consistency, a splash of lemon juice (optional), a smidgen of sugar if needed, and cinnamon to your liking. :-) How's that for measuring?!? Blend until it reaches a consistency that you are pleased with. Some like it chunky, some like it smooth.... ;-)

Serve warm, or chilled. Or...just get a spoon and eat it straight out of the blender.

A Case of Pumpkin(itis)

I get a little crazy in the Fall and then for the holidays.  It's my absolute favorite time of year from about October through the end of the year.  I love so many things about the season, but of course being a "foodie" I especially get into the seasonal foods.  Pumpkin was my thing this Fall...  {does anyone else always type pumpking?  I do.  Everytime.  My backspace key is going to looooove this post.}  Anyway -- so, very early in the season, I found Pumpkin {backspace} at Aldi for $0.99 a can.  I did a little happy dance right there in the middle of the store, and put a CASE in my cart.  {do you say cart or buggy or basket??}  So I decided to share the recipes that resulted from that case.  It is all gone now.  And the store is out of it.  Until next year, dear pumpkin {backspace}.  Sniff, sniff. 

Pumpkin Pie (of course) 

I used the recipe from the side of the can.

Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

Pumpkin Chip Muffins 

(and some Pumpkin Bread hiding there in the background) 

 Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Roll

And then the recipes that I don't actually have pictures for:

• Pumpkin Butter 
• Pumpkin Cake with Crumble Topping (my MIL's recipe)

We made multiple batches of several of these, and gave away a lot of muffins, bread, and pumpkin butter.  We are still enjoying the last of the muffins and pumpkin butter.  

What's your favorite recipe using pumpkin?

Tuesday Tips: Decorating with what you have... (and a link-up!)

The Christmas decorating has commenced around here, and I'm mostly done, save for a few finishing touches here and there. I've spent a lot of time looking around on Pinterest for decorating ideas, and knew that I had to do this one, especially since I have the exact plate that is used (a silver charger, or any other plate would work also!).

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I was going from memory, and so mine is a bit different. Like I said, I have this plate, and then I used the scrabble pieces, and put the extras beneath, a few branches from the Christmas tree, and a couple of ornaments (and a few small pine cones that I will pick up next time I am out shopping) and tada!

I loved that I was able to create this with things that I already had in my home...and things that I would not think of using in my Christmas decorating!!! Here's a few of our other decorations...

(our main table, with Jesse Tree in the background)

(This photo album holds all of our Christmas Card pictures from friends since the first year we were married. It's so fun to look back through it each year.)

(Dining Room table...the bowls have since been filled with a white pillar candle in the center and red berries surrounding the candle inside the bowl.

Recognize those napkins from my yard sale post???)

(Dining Room Buffet)

(Living room coffee table...

with the decor that C is allowed to play with.)

(The piano)

Please share your Christmas decorations with us using the link-up below!! I don't have a button (yet), but if you would be so kind as to link back to my blog, I'd appreciate it. And, if you visit other bloggers, I'm sure they'd like to know you were there and how you found them. :-) Let the Christmas-ing begin! :-)


linking up with Teach Me Tuesdays, and Women Living Well Wednesdays

Tuesday Tips (on Wednesday): Reuse!

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You know...it is amazing how a search for "butter" on Pinterest provides SO many jokes about Paula Deen....Wow.  

But, on to the topic at hand...  What do you do with these?

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I typically throw mine away...but not anymore!  Thanks to my friend, Grete, who suggested saving them to use for greasing baking pans, mine will be neatly folded (messy side in) and placed in a ziploc bag in my refrigerator.  A quick google search suggested other ideas such as using them to push rice krispie treats into a pan (mess-free!), or separating ground meat patties for freezing...

So...do you save your butter wrappers, and if so, what do you use them for?!?

Priorities...and what I'm learning...

Last week, my reading of Lies Women Believe led me to Proverbs 31 again...which came at a much needed time.  Only this time, I noticed 2 verses that I've read before, but never realized what they mean together.

"She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household and portions for her maidens..." (vs 15)

"She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.  Her lamp does not go out at night." (vs 18)

The woman doesn't spend a whole lot of time sleeping.  Eh.  BUT...sleep is important for good health and mental stability, so getting a decent amount of sleep at night IS a good thing to do.  But still...I was convicted and have been pondering what this actually means, and what an appropriate balance looks like in MY life.

And then, my friend, Rachel, pointed out this verse...

"She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong..." (vs 17)

So...exercise was important to her too...  well that one's been at the bottom of the list for awhile now.

(And yes, obviously Rachel & I have been talking about and pondering the same things lately...she just got her blog post up before me! :-))

SO...  I've been taking a good look at what things are priorities and what things are not as important.  I'm still trying to figure out how to fit it all in the hours that I am given and also sleep enough to stay healthy.

What verses have you been reading for the first time again lately?

http://www.goodmorninggirls.org/

Special Carrots (and Tear-free Onions...)

It seems like kind of a funny title, but they really are special carrots and we only had them on special occasions growing up, so the name stuck.  I love these (because I'm a huge dill fan) and they are SO easy to make that I just had to share.

Begin by peeling carrots (I was cooking for 20 people, so I did 4 pounds.)

(the sun was so pretty streaming through my kitchen window.)

Discard ends and thinly slice carrots.  (I have a slicer attachment for my mixer and had these done in less than 5 minutes!)

Finely chop onion and celery.

Mix carrots, celery, onion, white wine, sugar, margarine, and dill weed in saucepan.

Special Carrots (printable version)

1 pd. carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup celery, chopped fine

1/4 cup onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tbsp. margarine

1/8 tsp. dried dill weed

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan.  Cover and cook over medium heat 15-20 minutes or until tender.  Yield: 6 servings. (recipe maybe doubled, or more)

Bonus -- how I chop onions without crying!

I begin by slicing off each end almost but not completely.  I pull off the skin, and then rinse under cold running water, rubbing my thumb in a circular motion around both of the cut ends.

I then, slice the onion in half, and cut slices all in the same direction:

Then turn the onion and cut slices perpendicular to those just cut:

This is the fastest way to chop onions and I rarely have tears while cutting as this is a quick and effective method.  

STAY TUNED FOR TOMORROW'S POST -- my 100th post, and a GIVEAWAY!!! :-)

Tuesday Tips (on Wednesday): Saving money on dinner!

Before I begin today's post, I have to share with you that a dear friend of mine (who assisted in the birth of my daughter -- the woman held my leg for 2 hours while I pushed!) is currently in ICU and may not make it through the day.  She suffered some sort of severe heart condition yesterday (attack or failure) and is bleeding internally from her liver.  Surgery this morning was unsuccessful to stop the bleeding.  She is on medication to try to stop it, and her blood pressure seemed to be stabilizing earlier.  Another surgery today would compromise her vitals, so if she makes it through the day, they will try again tomorrow.  Please pray for her, her husband, and for her family.  She is 35 and has 5 daughters (ages 3-15).

Today's tip is about saving money on your grocery budget by serving breakfast for dinner.  We usually have some sort of breakfast food once a week or once every other week for dinner.  Another great way to save is to serve a non-meat meal...if I do this, I usually try to serve some sort of beans or something with protein.  Last night we had Chip Beef Gravy over Buttermilk Biscuits, Scrambled Eggs, and Fruit.

Buttermilk Biscuits (printable recipe HERE)

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup buttermilk

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl:

Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly.

Add buttermilk (or in this case, milk with a splash of lemon juice):

Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened:

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 or 5 times.  Roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness; cut with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter.

Place on a lightly greased baking sheet.  

Bake at 425* for 13 to 14 minutes or until biscuits are lightly browned.

This recipe comes from the following book that I received as a wedding gift.  It is a go-to book for many recipes!

this is what my kitchen sink looks like after I make biscuits:

Chip Beef Gravy (printable version HERE)

4 tbsp. margarine

4 tbsp. flour

2 pkgs. smoked beef slices, chopped into pieces

3-4 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

Just a note -- the smoked beef is CHEAP (like less than $1 per pack):

Melt the margarine in frying pan.  Add the chopped beef and fry for about 1 minute:

(LOOK at all that butter!  Paula Dean would be proud!)

Sprinkle the flour over this mix:

Stir until evenly distributed:

Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly.

Season with salt and pepper.  Let mixture thicken over medium heat.  Serve over toast or biscuits.

This recipe comes courtesy of my mom, who received it from a friend from church.  It can be found in the following cookbook, of which I am privileged to own the ONLY copy. :-)

Today I'm linking up over at Courtney's blog...check it out!