Country Biscuits

Easy County Biscuits

3C Self Rising Flour

2 TBS. Sugar

½ TBS. Salt

2/3C Veg. Oil

1-1/3C Buttermilk or Soured Milk (see below)

1.       Measure and set aside 1-1/3C Buttermilk (if you do not have buttermilk on hand, add 2-3 tbs. of lemon juice or vinegar to your regular milk) I never have buttermilk on hand for some reason.

2.       Mix self rising flour, sugar, salt

3.       Pour vegetable oil in flour mixture and use pastry cutter (or fork or hands) to cut in the oil. 

4.       Create a well in your mix and pour in buttermilk.

5.       Mix until all dry ingredients become sticky wet. (it will be pretty wet)

6.       Dump batter on to a floured surface. 

7.       Sprinkle top of batter with flour and begin kneading.

8.       Knead lightly (just until batter is no longer sticky)

9.       Roll out dough about 1-1/2” to 2” thick

10.   Use biscuit cutter  to cut your biscuits (in my case a plastic cup haha)

11.   Bake at 425* for 20 minutes (or until golden brown on top)

**I use about a 2” round cup.  We like big biscuits.  This recipe makes about a dozen large biscuits for us.

Homemade Granola

Homemade Granola

12C Oats (whatever is on hand quick, regular, organic)

1-1/2C Brown Sugar

2/3C Froz. Apple Juice Concentrate

2/3C Honey

1/4C Cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

1.       On medium heat melt brown sugar, juice concentrate, honey, cinnamon, and salt.

2.       Pour mixture into oats and mix evenly.

3.       Bake at 450* for 10-15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. 

**Edges have tendency to burn, and the granola won’t seem crunchy enough at first, but will harder as it sits. 

Homemade Yogurt

Supplies Needed:

Crockpot

Candy Thermometer (need to measure 115*)

Cheesecloth or thin tea towel

Colander   

Large Bath Towel

Cooler (large enough to hold your crock pot insert)

Milk (your choice 2%, whole, organic, etc.)

Yogurt Starter (Plain, Greek is my choice)

1.       Fill your crock pot with your choice of milk and cover.  Heat to 115* EXACTLY

(This took less than 1 hour on high in my crock pot).  If you accidentally get too high just cool it       off until you get it back to the needed temp.

2.       When your milk reaches 115* EXACTLY remove a ladle full of your milk and mix with 1/4C of your Plain Yogurt Starter in a separate bowl.  Once mixed well add them both back to your crock pot.  Replace Lid.

3.       Place a large bath towel on your table fully opened.

4.       Remove your crock pot insert and place in the middle of the bath towel.  Wrap the crock pot insert with bath towel.

5.       Place the wrapped crock pot insert in your cooler.  Close cooler lid.  Allow to “cook” for 7-12 hours.  The longer you cook it, the tarter flavored yogurt you get.

6.       When you have cooked your yogurt to your desired flavor, you are ready to strain the whey from it.  Sit a colander lined with cheese cloth or a cotton tea towel in a stock pot that is deeper than the colander itself.  (The colander edges should sit over the stock pot creating a space for the whey to fall below.  Make sure the two of these units together can still fit on a refrigerator shelf)  

7.       Pour your cooked yogurt from your crock pot into the lined colander.  Fold any remaining fabric up where it is not hanging off the sides and stick in the fridge.   The whey will soak into the fabric and will leak onto your refrigerator shelves if it hangs down.  The whey straining process takes all day or night depending on when you make your yogurt!

8.       After about 10 hours or so of straining you will be left with thick, creamy yogurt.  Discard the whey and scoop the yogurt into any container of your choice.  (We use leftover plastic yogurt containers).  Refrigerate for up to 7 days!

**The cooked yogurt consistency before you strain the whey is very thin.  Somewhere between milk and yogurt.

**The strained whey should fill up several inches of your stock pot and is yellow tinted looking water.

You can use the plain yogurt as a sour cream replacement or flavor with your choice sweetner.

I flavor my yogurt with maple syrup and vanilla.  You can add frozen or fresh fruit.  Use the yogurt for smoothies, etc.