Settling In

There are a lot of things to do in a new house. Not to mention all of the cleaning, but there are just things that have to be done. Furniture has to be arranged. Curtains have to be hung. Drawers have to be organized, as do cabinets. Windows may have to be fixed - we had 4 (storm windows)!

Then, when all the flurry is over, you can pause - Ahhhh! that is more like it! Got a nice, comfy home. Very quiet (except for the muffled "Poom, Poom" of the hunter's guns in the wetland). The cat has finally settled and decided he LIKES being the only cat in the house (he can have his pick of the laps now). The kitchen is finally organized so you feel like cooking something other than frozen pizza and fish sticks. It has been nippy, so the furnace is on, making the house nice and warm.

A routine has been established - I get up first and put coffee on, make Honey's lunch and fix him breakfast. He gets up a little later, but he makes the bed. Then I do my Bible reading while he eats and we discuss it afterwards and pray for our day. Our weekends have been busy, so we have yet to have a good Saturday breakfast, but that is coming, too.

We have things I would like - a dishwasher for one - but that can wait. For now, we are settled in!

I did manage to make these muffins one Saturday. Ummy, ummy good.

Cranberry Sour Cream Muffins

Makes 12

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, Slightly Beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk (I had to add at least another 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups raw cranberries, Chopped
1/2 cup sugar

Sift together flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking soda and salt into bowl. Combine egg, sour cream, milk and oil in small bowl; blend well. Add all at once to dry ingredients, stirring just enough to moisten. Combine cranberries and 1/2 cup sugar; stir into batter. Spoon batter into greased muffin cups, filling equally. Bake in 375°F oven 20 minutes or until golden brown.




These reheat well in the microwave. These were perfect with scrambled eggs and bacon, served with coffee and orange juice!

Saturday Morning Breakfast

We usually have a big breakfast once a week. During the week, it is usually oatmeal or toast and a glass of juice or cup of coffee. But on Saturday mornings . . .



We might have biscuits and gravy. Or pancakes. Or waffles. Or French toast. Hashbrowns. Omelettes. Eggs. Sausage. Bacon. Cinnamon Rolls. Homemade donuts. Sauteed mushrooms. Ham. Fruit compote. Fritatta.



You name it, we might cook it on Saturdays for breakfast. We mix and match and fix whatever sounds good. Or whatever we feel like. Breakfast is usually served by 8:30-9:00. We take our time eating, enjoying one another's company and visiting. It is peaceful. We might invite company, or just have family.

Last week DS was ill, so we did not fix a big breakfast. This week, he is feeling much better, so we got in gear and fixed pancakes. Dad had been shopping and went to Burger's Smokehouse in California, MO, which is about a 50-mile drive or so for us. We don't go a lot but we do love their products. He got some rope sausage, which is what you see in the picture above. I highly recommend it!

DS asked that I fix pancakes, so I did. I had some weeding to do before breakfast, so I fixed:

Shortcut "Sourdough" Flapjacks

1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water

2 cups biscuit mix
2 cups milk
1 egg

Mix your yeast and water into a slurry. Meanwhile, stir the egg into the milk with a whisk. Mix egg mixture into biscuit mix and mix well with whisk. Stir in yeast mixture. Let sit on the counter (I cover with a clean towel) for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Cook over medium-low heat on a flat griddle until bubbly, flip and cook other side.



This dough is a little thin, but very good. Pancakes turn out very tender.

Serve warm with butter and syrup.



Y'all come on back now!

Different

I like different things. I used to think that perhaps I was adopted when I was little, because I like so many different things. In a family of country music fans, I like classical and celtic. In a family of meat and potatoes eaters, I like a wide variety of things. In a family of women who can sew beautifully, I like calligraphy instead. These are just a few examples of being unique.

I have always instilled into my son the importance of being unique, not necessarily going along with the crowd, but to find your own interests and your own likes. And I have instilled the practice of embracing different cultures, different ideas. We live in the Midwest, which is very culture-bound. Perhaps in the big cities they are not so much anymore, but in the small towns, it is not what you know, it is who you know - or better yet, who you are related to.

I especially like to learn about different cultures - what do they do for fun, what do they wear, what are there ideas on life, and of course, most importantly - what do they eat on a daily basis!! I have some friends from a recipe site who are from Great Britian. Now, in GB, a biscuit is a cookie. A scone to them would be like a biscuit to us. I happened to mention biscuits and gravy the other day and one of them asked for clarification.

Biscuits and gravy is a Southern food. Up north in the US, you won't find it much. The gravy is basically a white sauce with meat mixed in. You can use ham or sausage. The biscuits are a big issue also. We like ours made with buttermilk. It gives them a tang and the we think the texture is better. Biscuits and gravy are not just for breakfast, either.

Now, I am not a huge fan of biscuits and gravy, I like ham gravy over grits better. I will post that another day.

So Julie, this one is for you!

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Makes 1 dozen biscuits, with enough gravy to cover them

Gravy
To me, gravy is more of a technique, a feely thing. You can tell when you are stirring when it is thick enough, and watch out, because it thickens on standing.



1 pound bulk pork sausage
1 can evaporated milk
about 1/4 cup flour, more or less depending on how thick you like your gravy
Regular milk or 1/2 and 1/2 if you are feeling decadent
Fresh ground pepper

Fry the pork sausage, making sure you crumble it finely. Do not drain the grease off. Let the sausage get done, but not overly brown. Sprinkle over the flour and brown it for a minute or two. Then pour in your evaporated milk. Stir and scrape up all the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour in some regular milk, probably around a cup or so. Then sprinkle over the pepper. Let it get good and bubbling, stirring the whole time. This does not take long. Then take off the burner and let it set for a bit before serving and stir before serving, as it may form a skin, but it will dissolve if you stir it back in. Gravy is best made in a fairly shallow skillet, that way it cooks evenly and quickly.


Biscuits
Makes about a dozen, of course depends on how big you cut them



3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup shortening
1-1/3 cup buttermilk

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until it is about pea-sized lumps. Add buttermilk and stir to a soft dough consistency. Knead lightly on a flour-covered board - pat out and cut with biscuit cutter or cut into squares.

On cutting dough: Stamp it, do not twist the cutter. Twisting the cutter seals the edges of the dough down and your biscuits will not rise as high.

Bake them on an ungreased sheet at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes.



What are some of your regional favorites??