I lost 16 inches

This is me. In October that is. With my husband, Heath. I have very long hair.

I have had very long hair for a very long time. But I felt the need for change. And the desire to do something that was more than me. So, in honor of my cousin, Nichol, I cut my hair today. And donated it to an American Cancer Society sponsored organization. It will take my hair, and hair from others and will make a wig for some of the most beautiful people I know.

This is me. Today. 16 inches shorter. Because I love you, Nichol.

Beth

This is what works for me!

Mission: The PERFECT Biscuit

I've never been able to make the perfect biscuit. You know the one. You can get them at most fast food chains, restaurants, even the frozen section of the grocery store to bake at home. But I want to make my own. Partly to say I did it, and partly because buying enough pre-made biscuits to feed my flock would cost us a month's car payment.

So last Sunday while I was staying home from church with a sick child, I decided I really wanted biscuits and gravy. So I gritted my teeth and dug into my biscuit prowess and started fixin'.

I found a recipe that showed great southern promise. Flour, enough butter to make Paula Dean proud, baking powder, salt, and milk. Being that I was wanting perfect, I traded up to buttermilk. But the recipe only called for 2 cups of flour. That, my friend, would barely make enough biscuits for me. So I doubled the recipe and mixed it up. When it came time to put the 8 tablespoons of butter in, I doubled that up, and put in 4 sticks of butter. And started crumbling it in to my dry ingredients by hand. And it just didn't seem to be working right. Can anyone guess what I did? Here's a hint....How many TBS are in one stick of butter? ......Yeah. Eight. I quadrupled the butter. Never fear! I keep a 35 pound capacity container full of flour! After I adjusted all my other ingredients, I came up with the most beautiful biscuits ever! And we ate every last one of them. Now, unless you need four dozen biscuits, I would suggest you make the recipe as written!

Southern Biscuits

2 cups flour 8 TBS butter, cubed

1 TBS baking powder 3/4 cup milk

1 tsp salt

Combine flour, powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles cornmeal. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in your milk. Knead the dough together adding milk as needed to make a slightly sticky mixture. DO NOT OVER MIX. Roll or pat out on a floured surface and cut out biscuits with your favorite biscuit cutter (I use a glass cup). Butter the bottom of a cookie sheet and line up the biscuits next to each other. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, and then raise the temperature to 450 degrees and bake for 2-3 more minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Makes approximately 1 dozen biscuits.

Beth

The start of a new year.

It's another year. And I once again have not kept up with writing here. So, I'm going to make some realistic goals. My sweet sister Teri Lynne made some wonderful suggestions today over at Gather Inspirit, and I'm going to go with some of them.

Goal #1

Post three times a week. That should be a good start. A slow enough pace to not burden me, but motivation enough to do some writing.

Goal #2

Posts each week will need to fit into a different category. I have five different sections at the top of my blog, and its time I start filling them up with stories from our lives.

Goal #3

To get rid of the reoccurring theme of, "Oops. Haven't posted in forever..." Enough said.

That's all for now. If I get too many goals going, I'll become like a puppy in the woods bouncing between all the fluttering leaves!

Beth