Winter Storm Warning!

I can't believe it. While we're sweltering here in Texas and the calendar still said September, the northern Rockies were hit with a major winter storm. What I wouldn't give for a little taste of that. So I decided to go back into the Yankee-Belle archives again and take us on a trip down memory lane, back to the ice storm that shut down a good bit of north Texas in December of 2013.

You ever have one of those weeks? Well, that was me this past week. First, I was trying to catch up after Thanksgiving, then BAM! North Texas is hit with a major ice storm. Stuff like that just totally messes with my head. Not in a bad way, mind you, just has me shifting gears.

So this was the scene when we awoke Friday morning. Nothing compared to Jan's blizzard, I know. Looks kind of peaceful, doesn't it? Like a nice dusting of snow. Except this is layers and layers of sleet and freezing rain. It wasn't fluffy. It was crunchy. And the driveway (note that it's sloped)? Two-three inches of solid ice. Nobody was going anywhere.

Now you folks who live up north may think this is nothing, but Texas is not equipped to handled stuff like this. They have sanding trucks (which finally made it down our street Sunday morning), but that's about it. Schools were closed. Highways were shut down. Over 270,000 people lost electricity. DFW Airport was at a standstill, trapping thousands of weary travelers. In a word, it was a MESS.

But a pretty mess. One that had me opting to stay inside.

A cold winter's day deserves a nice hot breakfast. Something besides the usual oatmeal. So I decided to make eggs, biscuits, and bacon. Now my biscuits aren't the gorgeous fluffy variety that Jan shared with us here, but they're easy and very yummy. My daughters' great-grandmother taught me how to make these when I was but a young bride.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

You'll need only 3 ingredients:

• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2-3 cups self rising flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil, plus more for pan

Yep, that's it. Like I said, easy. :)

Now, I like to dirty as few dishes as possible, so I measure my buttermilk into a large measuring cup that will double as my mixing bowl.

Add the oil and two cups of flour. 

Stir to mix. If it's too sticky, add more flour a spoonful at a time. You want it to hold together without being sticky.

Dump onto a floured surface and knead gently. Fold and push. Fold and push until elastic, but not sticky.

Prepare your pan (whatever pan you like. I usually use a round cake pan, but sometimes I'll use a cast iron skillet) by coating the bottom with a couple tablespoons of oil or butter. I usually use oil, but butter works just as well.

At this point, you can roll it to about a half-inch thickness and cut your biscuits, however, Greatmom taught me to "pinch" off the biscuits like she did. Simply grab a biscuit-sized blob between your thumb and forefinger and "pinch" it off.

Now shape it a bit with your hands. I usually roll it in my palms a time or two, then flatten it a bit.

Coat each side of the biscuit with the oil in the pan and settle in pan.

Repeat the process until your dough is gone and your pan is full.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Clean up mess and stare at the beauty outside the kitchen window. That is until one of the dogs barks, ordering you to let her outside. Just because she has a fur coat... Sheesh! And she would much rather drink her water al fresco than out of the bowl inside. However...

Imagine her reaction when she saw her water bucket.

 After pacing for a while, she gave up and decided to eat the sleet.

The warmth from the oven, not to mention the timer, draws me back inside. Perfect!

Now that's my kind of breakfast. One that's usually reserved for the ranch. But hey, it's not like we're ice-bound every day. This is an event, right? And an event like this calls for a hearty breakfast.

Well, things look a little different outside on this first day of October 2019. It's hot, it's dry, and I'm still sporting shorts, a t-shirt and sandals. But that doesn't mean I can't hope. Something I'm sure is lost on all of you who live up north. Because while I'm sweating, you're probably wondering how long before Jack Frost comes to visit you.

So, were you caught by this weekend's snow storm or are you reveling in fall's glorious color? And what's your favorite breakfast when you're snowed in?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits with Tanya Eavenson

Jan here. And in case you were wondering what I did this weekend....

Our oldest son married his sweetie, and it was a wonderful day.





Meanwhile, I'd like to introduce a guest for our Monday post. Tanya Eavenson is in the Cafe today with a fabulous biscuit recipe. This is definitely a Southern recipe, as you can tell from the White Lily Flour - a Southern staple! But it looks delicious, and I'm going to have to try it.

So everyone say hello to Tanya!

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

with Tanya Eavenson

Ingredients:

2 cups of White Lily Self-Rising Flour

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled in freezer & sliced into thin slices

½ tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup cold buttermilk (or you can substitute milk)

Supplies:

large bowl

pastry cutter or knife

cookie cutters

baking sheet

non-stick parchment paper

Directions:

Place unsalted butter in freezer.

Preheat oven at 425 degrees.

Line baking sheet with non-stick parchment paper.

Whisk flour, salt, & sugar together in a large bowl.

Add sliced butter into the flour mixture & blend together with a pastry cutter until mixture crumbles.

Make a crater in the center of the flour mixture & add in ¾ cup of milk.

Fold flour over milk until it becomes slightly sticky to the touch, but don’t stir or over work the dough.

Add flour to work surface & then add the dough.

Flatten with palm into a rectangle, folding the dough like a tri-fold brochure. Repeat this step 2-3 times.

Palm dough on a floured surface about ¾ inch thick and cut out biscuits with cookie cutters. Place on lined baking sheet. Bake 10-15 minutes until tops are golden brown.

Thank you, Tanya!

Don't these biscuits look delicious? And with the fun heart and star shapes, they would be perfect for Valentine's Day tomorrow!

Speaking of Valentine's Day, Tanya has a new book out:

Click here to order!

To Gain a Valentine: 

Pediatrician Patrick Reynolds works wonders with sick children, yet when it comes to pets, he’s clueless. But caring for his sister’s menagerie while she’s on vacation is the perfect answer to working through a broken engagement. Hoping to escape the memories, he returns to his hometown, the last place he'd expect to find love.

Life as a single mom is never easy, but pet shop owner Amabelle Durand has found contentment. When an old friend returns to care for his sister’s pets, he enlists her assistance to keep the animals alive. But when Amabelle's young daughter falls ill, she finds herself attracted to more than the handsome pediatrician’s medical skills.

As Valentine's Day approaches, will Patrick and Amabelle miss out on the love they've always desired? Or will their love take flight under the stars on this very special night? 

Tanya Eavenson is a bestselling and an award-winning inspirational romance author. She enjoys spending time with her husband and their three children. Tanya is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Word Weavers International. Her favorite pastime is grabbing a cup of coffee, eating chocolate, and reading a good book. You can find her at her website http://www.tanyaeavenson.com/ on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Google, or on Amazon.

Cheesy Biscuits

by Missy Tippens

I'm afraid I have a short post today. For one, our internet is out right now (Thursday night) so I'm having to do my post from my phone. Plus, I never made the biscuits I had planned to make because I ended up going out to dinner with friends. :)

So I'm sharing these amazing biscuits I had at a fantastic barbecue restaurant near our new house. It's a chain called Jim 'N Nick's (www.jimnnicks.com). And they serve cheese biscuits that are probably the lightest biscuits I've ever had. Add in the flecks of cheese and they're addictive!

And the best part is that they sell the mix! I'm so excited that I'll be able to make these at home! I bought a bag the other night. I'll report later how they turn out.

www.missytippens.com

Biscuits and Gravy with The Belle...

Missy Tippens

I may have shared this dish before but wanted to share it anyway since this is our Christmas morning tradition. :)

One of our friends, another staff person who works at the church with my husband, makes us homemade cinnamon rolls and delivers them every Christmas Eve. We have those as soon as we finish opening gifts. But I always make biscuits and sausage gravy for a late breakfast or brunch. It's comfort food for me--a dish my dad always made for us when I was growing up (often on Christmas morning).

1 pound of ground sausage (my favorite is Bob Evans Original)

3 TBS butter

3 TBS flour

1-½  to 2 cups milk  [Honestly, I always do this by eye, so you may want to start with a smaller amount to make sure it's not too thin.]

Preheat the oven and pop in the biscuits to bake. (I use frozen biscuits.)

Brown the sausage.

Drain off the grease if there is any. Then add the butter and let it melt. (I forgot the butter and added the flour first!) Sprinkle in the flour.

Let the roux cook for a few minutes to cook off the flour flavor but don't let it brown unless you want brown gravy. :) I add salt and pepper at this point.



Pour in the milk.



Let simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until it's as thick as you'd like. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Here are my favorite brand of frozen biscuits, Mary B's. I usually buy the Tea Biscuits but tried the Southern Made this time. The family loved them!



Nothing's better than a hot biscuit with butter and jelly. Except of course, a hot biscuit topped with gravy. :)



Here's hubby's plate. He had his cinnamon roll along with the biscuits and gravy. And yes, we ate off paper plates to save time since I knew I'd be cooking a traditional turkey dinner that evening and didn't want to spend time washing beforehand. :)



Let me know if you try this for the first time. I'd love to hear what you think!

www.missytippens.com

Cheddar-Garlic Biscuits, low-carb style

One amazing thing about social media - when something catches one person's attention, it goes viral!

This recipe for Low Carb Cheddar Cheese and Garlic Biscuits is one of those things. If you're eating low carb, gluten free, or if you've adopted an eating plan like Trim Healthy Mama, you know about these biscuits.

Since these are nothing new, call this a recipe review ☺

Before I begin, though, keep in mind that there are also plenty of versions of the copy-cat recipes of these biscuits from a famous seafood restaurant chain, but those are regular biscuits. (Or as my son says, real biscuits!) They are delicious! But not low carb. Not at all low carb.

In fact, we've highlighted the real version of these biscuits here at the cafe a few times in the past. Here is Mindy's version: Cheesy, Yummy Goodness!!!. Here is Ruthy's version: Red Lobster Style Biscuits II. And we even have a version from Tina Radcliffe: Suppertime! With Tina Radcliffe.

But today we're talking low carb. These are even grain free. Not low fat though. Sorry. But low fat is overrated. (Says the cook who fries her eggs in butter!)

So, here we go.

Low Carb Cheddar Cheese and Garlic Biscuits
(makes 6-7 biscuits)

ingredients:

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Almond flour (also known as almond meal)
2 Tablespoons Coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided - or - 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (not the powdered stuff)
1 egg
1/4 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 Tablespoons butter, softened

You might not have some of these ingredients in your pantry. If you're experimenting with this type of recipe, see if you have a friend who will split a bag of coconut flour or almond flour with you. Or perhaps your local natural food store sells it in bulk.

First, preheat your oven to 350° and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Start by mixing the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Now add the egg, sour cream and butter, and mix well. Finally add 1/2 cup shredded cheese and mix thoroughly (reserve 1/4 cup cheddar cheese for the end).

At this point, you can add other herbs to your dough for a different flavor. Basil would be a good addition, giving the biscuits an Italian flair. Or try reducing the garlic, and add some chopped cilantro and a pinch of oregano.

Drop the batter onto your lined cookie sheet. Each drop of dough should be a little less than 1/4 cup.

Bake at 350° for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the biscuits have slightly browned.

Sprinkle your reserved cheese on top and put them back in the oven for a minute or so to melt the cheese.

Delicious, cheesy goodness!

These are best served warm. If you have leftovers, keep them in the refrigerator and then warm them up before serving them.

I like one with my fried eggs in the morning ☺

This recipe is just one of several available on-line. This one came from http://satisfyingeats.com. I also found another recipe for a larger batch of biscuits on http://alldayidreamaboutfood.com.

Now for the review: These aren't real biscuits, as my son says. If you're looking for a flaky, soft, fluffy biscuit, this isn't it. BUT, these are delicious. And if you're avoiding carbs for any reason, either for a season or for a meal, these are a great substitute. One note - you can taste the coconut flour in these. I happen to like coconut, and it gives these biscuits a fabulous undertone. But if you really don't like coconut, you should avoid recipes using coconut flour.

And since you're all wondering (I'm sure you are!), yes, I did meet my deadlines! Since June, I've been working with multiple deadlines, multiple books and multiple editors. Round after round of revisions...emails back and forth.... But all the while, I knew that what my editors were asking me to do was going to make each story better.

Now both books are in the editor's hands and I'm waiting for the copy edit process. I took a couple days off last week, but today I'm back at it, working on the next book. A busy writer is a happy writer, right?

Whether you're a writer or not, what is your next project in the pipeline?

Suppertime! With Tina Radcliffe

Suppertime! with Tina Radcliffe

Yes, it’s true. I like my meals cheap and easy. But I don’t skip on the delicious factor.

Today’s menu:

Salmon

Rice Medley

Side salad

Cheddar-Bay biscuits

If you’ve always been afraid of cooking salmon, check out this tutorial courtesy of Serious Eats. I use a nonstick pan, a meat thermometer and a little olive oil. Additionally, I use McCormick Grill Mates Salmon Seasoning, and sprinkle on both sides. BTW, it’s only available online now. Go in with a buddy and buy the two-pack.

  

Next add the side dishes of your choice.

I like a nice personal salad with romaine, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, dried cranberries and a few croutons. Dressing of choice as well.

Plus a fast serving of Minute Rice Multi-Grain Medley: Brown rice, wheat, quinoa, rye, oats and barley. Cooks in 60 seconds-or a color match for the salmon is a baked sweet potato.

The real treat to this meal is Red Lobster-Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I picked up the mix at Wal-Mart. All you need to have on hand is ½ cup grated sharp cheddar and 1/3 cup of butter.

This is how they turned out! AMAZING!

The person who takes the last biscuit does the dishes! What’s your dishes rule?

Tina Radcliffe writes fun, inspirational romance for Love Inspired. She is a 2014 ACFW Mentor of the Year finalist and a 2014 Carol Award finalist in the short novel category, with her first Paradise book, Mending the Doctor’s Heart. Her latest Paradise book, Stranded with the Rancher just released this week.