♥ OLD FASHIONED BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Biscuits just like your Mom or Grand mom used to make! Some recipes should never change!

Butter Milk Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, very cold
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 450. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, or in the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into chunks and cut into the flour until it resembles course meal. Add the buttermilk and mix just until combined. At this point if it appears on the dry side, add a bit more buttermilk. It should be very wet.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Gently, gently PAT (do NOT roll with a rolling pin) the dough out until it's about 1/2" thick. Fold the dough about 5 times, gently press the dough down to a 1 inch thick. Use a round cutter to cut into rounds.

Place the biscuits on a cookie sheet touching each other. Bake for about 10-12 minutes or until they are a beautiful light golden brown on top and bottom. Do not over bake.

Hints: Your dough must be handled as little as possible or you will have tough biscuits. So work quickly. If you use a food processor the ingredients stay colder and there's less chance of over mixing. You also must pat the dough out with your hands, lightly. Don't roll these with a rolling pin or you will have tough biscuits.

You can also make them up and freeze them on a cookie sheet. Once they are frozen, drop them into a ziploc bag or container for up to one month. Then just bake frozen biscuits as you need them in the oven at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.

Photography ©Welcome Home

♥ Chicken and Dumplings

Of all the recipes my Mom taught me to make when I was young, my favorite is Chicken and Dumplings. It is the ultimate comfort food with the tender, moist chicken and fluffly biscuit-like drop dumplings that melt in your mouth. Of course my... Mom make her own handmade dough for the dumplings and I take a short cut and use Bisquick to get the same exact flavors in less time.  

Chicken and Dumplings

1 boiler chicken cut up
2 cups Bisquick baking mix (or make your own...see below)
2/3 cup whole milk
salt and pepper to taste

In Dutch oven or large wide pot, over medium heat, add chicken and cover with water. Heat to boiling and then reduce heat and cook for about 90 minutes until chicken is fork tender. Remove chicken from broth and set aside to cool.

Mix 1/4 cup milk and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, to broth bring to slow boil. Meanwhile remove skin and bones from chicken and shred or cut into bite sized pieces. Add to soup mixture. Stir to combine and cover.

Mix the 2 cups of Bisquick and 2/3 cups of milk together to form a soft dough. Then drop spoonfuls of dough into the broth and bring it down to a simmer. Reduce heat to simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes and then cover and steam for 10-15 minutes or until dumplings are done in the middle. Season with salt and lots of pepper and sprinkle with a little parsley.

HOME MADE BISQUICK

5 Cups All Purpose Flour (I used unbleached)
3 Tablespoons Baking Powder
2 Teaspoons Salt
1 Cup Shortening (or cold butter cut into pieces)

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Cut in the shortening. You can use a pastry blender, however, I find it easier to just use my hands to get it mixed in really well.
Store in an airtight container. Use the same as you would use Bisquick in a recipe. If you use cold butter in the recipe, you will need to keep this in the refrigerator. If you use shortening you can store it in your pantry.

Photo and recipe ©Welcome Home

♥ Strawberry Short Cake Croissants

I whipped up this easy dessert at the last minute and wanted to share it with you. It is heavenly. I buy my croissants at Costco because they are so rich and buttery and they made this even better than I imagined. 

 Strawberry Short Cake Croissants

4 large croissants
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons honey

Fresh strawberry Syrup

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and let stand 30 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until warm.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix together honey and butter and brush on tops of croissants. Warm croissants in oven for 5 minutes or until warm. Remove from oven and set aside.

Sweetened Whipped Cream

1/2 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Beat cream at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.

Split warm Croissants in half lengthwise. Spread strawberry syrup on each half. Arrange strawberries on bottom half of croissant. Top with fresh whipped cream (I filled a plastic storage bag with whipped cream and snipped off the corner and piped mine in for a prettier presentation). Cover with top half of croissant. You can top with more whipped cream and fresh strawberry syrup if desired. Enjoy!

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MY MOTHER' GARDEN

"MY MOTHER'S GARDEN"

Her heart is like her garden,
Old fashioned, quaint and sweet,
A wealth of beautiful blossoms,
And there a quiet retreat.

Sweet violets are in hiding,
We know as we pass by,
And lilies, pure as angel thoughts,
Are opening somewhere nigh.

Forget-me-nots there linger,
To full perfection brought,
And a bloom of purple pansies
In many a tender thought.

And in that quiet garden -
The garden of her heart -
Songbirds are always singing
Their songs of cheer apart.

And from it floats forever,
overcoming grief and strife,
Sweet as the breath of roses blown,
the fragrance of her life.

~ Alice E. Allen

♥ Baked Lemon Chicken

Baked Lemon Chicken

4 large bone-in, skin on chicken breasts, about 3 pounds
2 large lemons, zested, plus the juice of 2 whole lemons (or use 1 whole orange for zest and juice)
2 limes, 1 zested, both juiced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
Freshly cracked black pepper

Put the chicken in a large non-metalic bowl. Put the lemon (or orange) and lime zests in a small bowl and add the juices. Whisk in the olive oil, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and a generous grind of black pepper. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until well coated. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes but no longer than 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put a rack on a rimmed baking sheet. With tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and arrange them on the rack leaving space between each piece. Drizzle a small spoonful of the marinade over the top of each chicken piece; season well with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when meat is pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Cool slightly before serving or let stand until room temperature before refrigerating for later use.

Photo and recipe ©Welcome Home
Photography by Ramela Jimenez

STORY OF TWO DOGS

There is a story they tell of two dogs. Both dogs, at separate times, walk into the same room. One dog comes out wagging his tail while the other comes out growling.

A woman watching this goes into the room to see what could possibly ma...ke one dog so happy and the other dog so mad. To her surprise she finds a room full of mirrors. The happy dog found a thousand happy dogs looking back at him. The angry dog saw only angry growling dogs looking back at him. Meaning: What you see in the world around you is a reflection of who you are.

My Mom used to tell me, "Always show the world your happiness and not your pain... because people gather in sunshine and hide from the rain." 

  "People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway." ~Mother Teresa

For as far back as I can remember, my Mom taught me to "Live in such a way that those who know you but don't know God, will come to know God because they know you." I intend to do just that.

♥ Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

9 inches pie shells, baked
3 cups whole milk
3/4 cupwhite sugar
1/3 cupall-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoonsalt
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoonsbutter
1 teaspoonvanilla
3 bananas

Have baked 9-inch pie shell ready. In a large saucepan, scald the milk. In another saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually stir in the scalded milk. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened. Cover and, stirring occasionally, cook for two minutes longer.

In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready; stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks; when thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture. Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla. Let sit until lukewarm. When ready to pour, slice bananas and scatter in pie shell; pour warm mixture over bananas.

If desired, make a meringue (you'll have 3 leftover egg whites) to top the pie, or just let the pie cool until serving.

http://www.food.com/recipe/old-fashioned-banana-cream-pie-14979

♥ Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I love this recipe and have been making it for years. I experiment with all kinds of cheeses depending on what I'm in the mood for. I like this combo best....

Easy Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

4 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8... inch
1/2 lb Bacon, cooked and crumbled
2 tablespoons butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
3 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the potatoes, cream, milk, thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover and keep simmering for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are almost tender.

Remove and discard bay leaves. Transfer 1/3 of potato mixture to 3-quart gratin dish and sprinkle with 1/3 of all three cheeses and the bacon. Add another 1/3 layer of both and then the rest. End up sprinkling the top with a light layer of parmesan cheese.

Bake until the cream has thickened and is bubbling around the sides and the top is golden brown, about 20 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
 

Recipe and Photo ©Welcome Home
Photography Ramela Jimenez
 

♥ TERIYAKI CHICKEN KABOBS

 

TERIYAKI CHICKEN KABOBS

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

3 tablespoon Soy Sauce (I used Kikoman)

2 tablespoon Brown Sugar

1 T Canola oil

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Few drops of hot sauce, optional (I used Tabasco)
Red and green bell peppers, sliced
Onion, sliced
Sweet Baby Ray’s Hickory and Brown Sugar Barbecue Sauce

Soak 4 barbecue sticks in water for about 1 hour. Line baking pan with aluminum foil, pour 1 cup of water over on top and put a cooling rack over it. Cut chicken breasts into about 2 x 2 inch pieces and marinate in soy sauce, brown sugar, oil, powdered ginger, garlic powder, ground black pepper, liquid smoke and sesame oil, hot sauce for at least 2 hrs. Cut bell peppers and onion the same size as chicken. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Thread chicken in between with peppers and onion on barbecue sticks.

Bake chicken for 15 minutes, brush with barbecue sauce and turn and bake for another 15 minutes. Put oven to broil and cook chicken 3-5 minutes longer. Brush chicken with more barbecue sauce as soon as it comes out of the oven.

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♥ ORANGE BROWNIES

Here's a wonderful treat for you! A big glass of cold milk and a couple of these will bring sweet dreams! Yum!

ORANGE BROWNIES

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
... 1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 eggs, room temperature
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons pure orange extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 inch pan.
Stir together flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add butter, eggs, vanilla, orange extract and orange zest. Using a handheld electric mixer, beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown and set. Remove from oven. Spread the Orange Cream Cheese Frosting over completely cooled brownies. Cut into squares

Creamsicle Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons softened butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons orange zest
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
½ tsp. orange extract

In a large bowl, blend cream cheese with butter until smooth with a hand-held electric mixer. Add in 3 cups confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, orange zest, orange juice and orange extract whip until well blended.

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