New Year thoughts

I am so thankful for this time of year.  It is a time of new beginnings and renewal.  We have had coughs and other little illnesses and It has been a time to relax and get better.  We have enjoyed football, movies, and just spending time together.  I am thankful for opportunities to not feel pressure and just enjoy doing quiet things.  I am also spending time preparing for the progression into the New Year.  I hope to better organize our home--maybe we will downgrade to an apartment or condo???  I also am going to try to improve our diet by adding more vegetables and fruits.  Onward 2016!

Drop Biscuits and Gravy

These are one of my new favorite foods to eat. Fairly simple to make, low cost, comfort food. What could possibly be better?

Drop Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon butter or margarine, melted
• GRAVY:
• 1/2 pound bulk pork sausage
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Combine milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients just until blended. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, cook the sausage over medium heat until no longer pink. Stir in butter until melted. Sprinkle with flour. Gradually stir in milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over biscuits.

Devil's Food Cake

This is a rich, moist, chocolaty cake!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1 cup sour milk ( 1 cup milk + 2 tsp white vinegar or lemon juice OR 1 cup buttermilk)
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup boiling water
1 tsp baking soda

Prepare sour milk and let sit for 5 minutes. I used buttermilk.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the water and baking soda. Mix until better is smooth. Add the soda to the boiling water. (kids love this part because it bubbles)
Add soda/water mix to the batter. Mix well--batter will be thin.
Pour the batter into a greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake for 35-45 minutes or until done. Cool and then frost with your favorite frosting. Serves 12

Christmas Cupcakes

A friend brought these over! Thought I would share! Aren't they cute?

Monkey Bread

Monkey Bread

Ingredients

• 1 (3.5 ounce) package cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 (10 ounce) cans refrigerated biscuits

Directions

1. In a plastic bowl with tight-fitting lid, combine pudding mix, sugar, cinnamon and pecans if desired. Pour the butter into a shallow bowl. Cut the biscuits into quarters. Dip several pieces into the butter, then place in bowl; cover and shake. Remove to a greased 10-in. fluted tube pan. Continue until all the biscuit pieces are coated. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-35 minutes. Cool in pan for 30 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

My mom used to make this for Christmas morning. We called it pull aparts. No we do cinnamon rolls because kyle's family did cinnamon twists. Compromise. I think I need to make this.

Oops didn't realize I had already added a pull apart recipe... this one is slightly different so I will leave it..

Cristmas Recipes

What are your favorite Christmas foods??
Anyone want to share a recipe?

Pie Crust Recipe

Basic Flaky Pie Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup shortening, chilled
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Directions

1. Whisk the flour and salt together in a medium size bowl. With a pastry blender, cut in the cold shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water over flour. Toss mixture with a fork to moisten, adding more water a few drops at a time until the dough comes together.
2. Gently gather dough particles together into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
3. Roll out dough, and put in a pie plate. Fill with desired filling and bake.

If you use ice water and chilled shortening you can skip #2.


LOVE this pie crust recipe!!