On a roll...........

I'm "on a roll" as the saying goes. Really enjoying the whole blogging thing as it is helping me get my thoughts organized. Plus, there's been just a hint of fall in the air and that is my favorite season and always gets me energized. So, last night I made a triple batch of homemade baking powder biscuits (a favorite of my husband's) and while I was rolling out the dough, I started thinking about all sorts of things. Mostly I was thinking how many years I've rolled out dough and all the cooking I've done. Don't get me wrong, though. I like to cook. Inside my recipe box there is a label that my son made when he was a little boy (he loved to punch out labels on the Dymo label maker). It says "Mom is the best cook". I'm glad he thought that because while I am a good cook I am not the best. You see , I'm not very good at following recipes. I'm sort of a "little bit of this and a little bit of that cook". Then when someone asks for the recipe, it's hard to tell them what was in the item. Sometimes I do write my recipes down but even then, I leave room for changes. It's the same way with quilting. I don't make many things from patterns as I like to start from scratch and just see what develops. When I finally started putting patterns together for some of my quilting, embroidery and penny rug projects, and then teaching the same, I always encourage students to use their own creativity and vary from the design they see on the pattern. Let your creative spirit soar. As my blog rolls along, I'll be offering a variety of free patterns, and at some point I'll add a link to my list of patterns for sale. But in the meantime, I am taking things one day at a time. So, with my planner in front of me, I was determined to lay out a plan to get myself organized. And to help my thought processes along, I sat down for breakfast this morning and enjoyed this..........

........... homemade baking powder biscuits! (The felt cupcake substitute didn't last long.) I added a dollop of vanilla yogurt in the middle and when you combined it all it was as close to clotted cream and scones as I could get here in Minnesota. I had never heard of clotted cream until I went along with my husband on a business trip to England in the 1990's. We had stopped at quaint little place in the country for tea and scones and then they brought out the clotted cream. It's loaded with all things that are bad for you, I'm sure, but oh, the taste is so good. And the taste of my biscuits with butter, strawberry jam and vanilla yogurt was a close second to the real thing. It put me in a good mood up until midday. That was when the cable guy had to come by because we're having problems with our phone and internet service. Then after he left, I realized our dog is sicker than I thought he was. He's been having what we thought we're allergy issues but then his breathing was labored and so I called the vet. Tomorrow we'll go off for a check-up and see if he needs an antibiotic for whatever it is that ails him. And I am thinking, didn't I already raise my children? And so there was no quilting or stitching of any kind going on today but after the dog gets home from the vet, it's my turn. I have an idea for a Redwork pincushion that is rolling around in my head and I've got to get it on paper and then I'm going to stitch it up tomorrow afternoon. We'll see what tomorrow holds and whether I can post about it or not. :-)

P.S. Here's the recipe for my biscuits. Makes one dozen really great biscuits.
Southern Roots Biscuits (so called because my mother is from Missouri and her sister-in-law Muriel made the best biscuits I have ever eaten!)
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (the baking soda adds to the golden color when biscuits are baked)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening (recommend that you use Butter Flavor Crisco)
3/4 cup whole milk
Stir together the dry ingredients, then cut in shortening with a pastry blender (this works best but you could use a knife) until crumbly.
Next, make a well in center of this mixture and pour in milk. Mix just until ingredients are blended and dough almost forms a ball.
Place dough on a floured surface (I use waxed paper or parchment paper with flour sprinkled on it). Flatten just a bit, then fold dough in half and then fold dough in half again. Place on floured surface and sprinkle lightly with flour and roll to approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness. Using donut cutter, you should be able to cut at least nine biscuits. Place on cookie sheet. Gather up leftover dough bits and roll and cut to get the remaining three biscuits. Or you can use these leftover bits and just bake the odd-shaped pieces to use in chicken noodle soup where they will taste just like dumplings!
Bake at 425 to 450 degrees for 8-9 minutes or until golden. Every oven is different so judge accordingly.
Hope this works well for you!