Easiest fricken biscuits EVER!

Biscuits, ah I love me some biscuits. Seriously, they are great for breakfast through dinner. Smother it with sausage gravy, sandwich some meat inside it, spread some honey on it, or use it to soak up your soup. Mmmm biscuits. Now I want some damn biscuits.
ANYWAYS. These biscuits are hearty, flaky, fluffy, soft, tasty, but most importantly they are EASY. Oh so easy to make. Seriously I don't think you could mess this one up.

Things you'll need
2 cups of self rising flour
1/4th cup shortening (or 3ish large scoops)
2/3 cup of milk


NOW, Lets start cookin'!
Preheat your oven to 350*

Fold your shortening into the flour, which is a fancy way of saying squish the shortening with a fork till it is mixed well with flour.

Next, add the milk, one splash at a time, also don't mix it to much or it will make the biscuits hard.
Now you can stop here and make drop biscuits, just drop balls of dough on a cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes.
or

To make folded biscuits, drop a bit on a floured surface and press them flat with your hands well floured.
Fold then press flat, fold again then press flat, fold again and press flat, fold again and press flat. keep doing that then put them on a cookie sheet and bake for 7 min.


And there you have it, easy to make biscuits!
Enjoy!


How do you like your biscuits?

Pictures

 Just a post filled with pictures that make me happy

Note, I'm not a photographer.

Big helper

Cooling off in the sprinkler

Slide!

Spin!

Climb!

Nana Robin love

Dare devil

Wayne

I've been delaying doing this post for a while now. I'm lost in thought, I'm hurt, I'm angry, I'm still in denial.
On March 21st 2012 we lost a good friend to suicide.
Wayne. Wayne was a good friend, a great friend. Full of heart he hid it from people who didn't really know him by being a sarcastic asshole. If you could get past his walls he was one of the best friends you could ever have. He was the first of my husbands friends that I hung out with. As soon as we got introduced he looks straight at my husband and says "Good choice, A whole lot better than the last one man" And gives me an ear to ear grin.

His ear to ear grin

After hanging out with him a few times he grew on me like moss on a tree. One evening I turned to him and said "Hey Wayne, I don't have many friends...... Will you be my friend." He blinked at me like I just said the stupidest thing he's ever heard. A grin slowly spreads across his face and he laughs "I don't think I've actually had anyone ask ME to be their friend...... Yeah, yeah Lorren I'll be your friend."

Though I loved him, I was one of the many. My husband considered him his best friend, and so did countless other. He was one of the guys that even though you hadn't hung out with him in a while, he'd still be there for you if you called and needed help.

"big smiles" A toast to Wayne
(At his memorial)

I don't know why he did what he did, I don't know the back story, I don't know how he felt. We saw him the Saturday before and nothing seemed amiss. But, now he is gone, we can never ask him why. I know he will be missed. Rest in peace Wayne, your demons can no longer get you where you are.

Boy did my garden grow!

So, as we know I planted a garden in a bath tub
Well it has grown!
I get so excited when I see that my plants have gotten bigger!
I also mulched the top of it to help keep soil moist and keep down weeds and pests.

I couldn't stop there!
I found out you can buy edible plants and seed with EBT/SNAP card!
Sooooo we got more. :)

Broccoli and Strawberries

Orange peppers, Red peppers

Spicy oregano, German thyme
Yellow peppers

Romaine lettuces, and Cucumber

And down here, you can barley see Cantaloupe, Tomatoes, and Onion.
Next week I'm planting yellow and red potatoes!

The clear buckets were part of a storage drawer system, we just poked holes in the bottom.
And the colored buckets were a dollar each! They are waste baskets from the dollar tree.

Love watching my plants grow!

Chicken potpie and peach crisp

I am seriously addicted to comfort food.
There is just something to home cooked thick flavorful food that makes me think of "home"
Even if my moms idea of chicken pot pie is the kind you buy frozen and microwave.

So here is a recipe of chicken pot pie made mainly with canned food, but you can substitute fresh or frozen. It was silent in my house while we were eating this, I also got told it was the best thing I've come up with yet!

What you'll need 
filling
1 can of cut carrots (drain)
1 can of sweet peas (drain)
1 can of chicken broth
1 can of cream of celery
2 large cans of chicken breast (drain)


crust
1 and 1/2 cup of milk
1 stick of butter
1 and 1/2 cup of  self rising flour


Make it
Preheat oven to 350*F
Fold butter into flour in a mixing bowl.
Add milk mix till it has an even consistency. 
Mix all the cans into a large casserole dish 
Pour the crust dough on top.
cook for 60 min, check to make sure dough is done all the way through.

 Eat and enjoy!



And as a special bonus dessert!
Peach crisp.


What you'll need
a few peaches
2 cups of oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 stick of butter


Start cooking
Preheat oven to 350*F
Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl well.
put the butter in and smush with finger till all butter is mixed really well with dry ingredients
Slice peaches and put in a casserole dish
Top with oatmeal mixture
bake for 45min

  Very good. Crispy on top and smushy on bottom and sweet all the way through!

Are comfort foods your favorite?
How do you make crisps?
Let me know what you think!

Trip to Athens

So about two week ago me made a trip to Athens, Georgia.
They were supposedly filming a new movie with Justin Timberlake and Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams. More information on this movie.
We didn't get a chance to see them, but the whole town came out to people watch. It was interesting to just sit there and watch the people waiting to see if they could catch a glimpse of a star.

We sat around across the street from the globe, where they were filming that evening.

While waiting around I take random pictures of things. Like my boots?
My favorite Christmas present.

Along the road we saw this super cool stop sign.
"Never stop loving"
That is such an awesome thing to see.

Henry just chilling as we wait around. He looks sleepy here, but he was saying "Hi" and waving to people as they passed.

And that was the extent of the day, but it was fun walking around cute shops in down town Athens. We got out of the house and spent time as a family.

Mushroom Marsala with pork and Asparagus

Mushroom Marsala cream sauce
Seasoned and fried pork
Crisp steamed asparagus

I love pork, huge obsession with it. Anyway you can cook up pig I will eat it (including scrapple, and jowl. Though I haven't tried feet, snout, or tongue Id probably still eat it)
And mushrooms mmmm Raw or cooked I LOVE eating some fungus!

Anyways lets cook!

What you'll need
1lb of Pork tenders
1/2 cup oil
seasoning

2lbs asparagus
1 tbsp butter

1lb of mushrooms
1/4 cup of butter
1 cup Marsala wine
2/3 cup heavy cream



Fried pork.
I started by butterflying my pork tenders so they are thinner and easier to fry.
I seasoned them a little bit, some salt, pepper, and garlic
Heat up some oil in a fry pan, about 1/2 the height of your tallest piece of pork.
Let is get hot and gently drop your pork into the pan.
Let it sizzle for about 5 min, then flip and continue to cook.
When the meat has turned whitish gray all the way through its done.

Asparagus
I like my veggies steamed, it keeps all the yummy goodness in the veggie instead of it floating in the water.
So stick a pot of water under a metal colander or steamer.
Simmer it on low, to high and you'll cook all the flavor out of the asparagus
Depending on how soft you like your veggies is how long you cook them.
I like them crispy so I cooked them for about 15 min.

Next up, Mushrooms in a Marsala cream sauce

Saute your mushrooms in butter until they are good and soft.

Next add your Marsala wine
Let it simmer until about half is cooked out
add about 2/3 a cup of heavy cream stir and let simmer for about 2 min.

cup of wine for the mushrooms, sip of wine for the cook.

 Combine it all together over rice and you have a really tasty creamy, meal with a little bite from the wine!

Enjoy and let me know what you think!