Buttermilk Biscuits With Pan Gravy

I’m not much on big, heavy breakfasts, but I love breakfast for dinner!  We like to call it “brinner” in our house.  Last night, we really wanted some “brinner”, so I made some super yummy buttermilk biscuits and smothered them in pan gravy and served them up with a side of bacon.  Oh, my, that’s some country goodness right there!  And it’s such a cheap and easy meal. It’s friendly on the budget and the time, which most of us are in short supply of.  I hope you enjoy this “brinner”, or breakfast, as much as I did!

Buttermilk Biscuits and Pan Gravy

Ingredients:

1 package bacon

2 cups self-rising flour

dash of salt

dash of sugar

3 Tbsp. shortening

1 1/4 cup buttermilk

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

6 Tbsp. bacon drippings

6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups milk (or more)

salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Place bacon slices on a sheet pan, and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until done.  Place slices on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.  Reserve 6 Tbsp. of bacon drippings for later.

2.  Preheat oven to 475F.  In a medium bowl, mix together self-rising flour, dash of salt, and a dash of sugar.  Cut in 3 Tbsp. shortening until mixed with the flour.  (I use two knives to cut in my shortening, but they actually make a handy, dandy tool for this, so if you have one, use it.)  Add the buttermilk and 1 Tbsp. of the melted butter.  Mix lightly until all ingredients are just mixed together.  Do not overmix.  Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead two or three times.  Pat the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut dough using a biscuit cutter.  Do not twist the cutter, this seals the edges and won’t allow your biscuits to rise properly.  You should get about 12 biscuits.  Place them in two round cake pans and bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush with the remaining Tbsp. of butter when they come from the oven.

3.  While the biscuits are baking, heat a skillet over medium heat.  Add the drippings, and stir in 6 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour.  Cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly.  Slowly stir in 1 1/2 cups of milk.  You may need to add more depending on how thick you like your gravy.  I always end up adding a little more.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and continue cooking over low heat until the gravy is smooth and thick, stirring constantly.

4.  Put a couple of those golden brown buttermilk biscuits on a plate or in a bowl, drown them in that smooth, thick, rich gravy, stick a few slices of bacon on the side, and dig in!

The Juicy Lucy Burger

Here is another one of my favorite burger recipes.  I love this one almost as much as the Butter Burger.  The pickle and onion on this big guy with all that gooey cheese oozing from the center is unbelievably delicious!  I serve mine up with hand cut fries (leave the skin on, it makes them crunchier), and ,of course, a Coke or Root Beer float in a nice frosty mug.  Hope you enjoy!

The Juicy Lucy Burger

Ingredients:

1 lb ground chuck

4 slices American cheese

1 Tbsp. butter

1 small onion, diced

salt and pepper

Dill pickle slices

4 burger buns

Directions:

1.  Divide the meat into 8 balls, then form into thin patties.  Fold 4 cheese slices into small squares and put in the center of 4 patties.  Top with the other 4 patties and crimp the edges together to seal in the cheese.  Set aside.

2.  Warm the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook until browned.  Add 1/2 cup of water to the onions and cook until water is gone.  (Makes a nice, soft onion for your burger!)  Transfer onion to a bowl.  Do not wipe your skillet clean, all that flavor from cooking the onions just adds to the yumminess of the burgers!

3.  Add the patties to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook until done, about 6 minutes per side.  Don’t worry if some of the cheese comes out, it just makes a yummy, cheesy crust on the burger.

4.  Put pickle slices on each bottom bun, top with cooked onions and a patty, then put on the top bun.  Slice each burger in half so you can appreciate the cheesiness.  Watch out for that cheese, though, it’s super hot!

Oh, my, would you look at that yummy, cheesy, deliciousness!  Enjoy!

Meet Mr. Toad

You may recall that my children are on a mission to find as many reptiles and amphibians as they can this year.  At my last reptilian post, I believe we had 16 frogs (plus hundreds of tadpoles), 5 blue-tailed lizards, 1 salamander, and one lovely little turtle named Boxy Roxy.

Now, we can add a handsome little toad to the list.  Meet Mr. Toad!

Such a cute little warty guy!  He loved sitting in my hand for this picture.  What is it with all these photo loving animals?

My kiddos decided to name this guy Mr. Toad because of their love of the stories of Mr. Toad and the classic Disney movie.  I think he looks an awful lot like the character from the book, don’t you?

My sweet little children were so happy with their find.  Ribbit, ribbit!

Now, the list for reptiles and amphibians found by my two little explorers consists of 16 frogs (plus tadpoles), about 20 blue-tailed lizards (we’ve found more!), 1 salamander, 1 turtle, and….one lovely little toad!

Maybe we’ll find a few more today.  Hope your day is “toad-ally” awesome!

Slip-Sliding Away

Finally!  Warm weather is here!  I just hope it’s here to stay for a while.

You know it’s warm when you have to pull out the slip-n-slide and the kiddie pools.  My kiddos and I finished up class early yesterday so we could spend the afternoon enjoying this beautiful weather.  Ah, the joys and freedoms of homeschooling!

This momma even gave her kids a tutorial on how to properly use the slip-n-slide, and ended up walking around with a wet front all afternoon.  I had forgotten just how much fun those things are!

Mr. man loved taking a big, and I mean big, run and sliding.  He even let his toy lizards join in the fun.

Little miss…slip-sliding away!  Look, there’s her toy lizard sliding, too.

I think sis won that race!

After all that “hard work”, it’s time for a relaxing soak in the pool.

Why, yes, that is a sandal floating in the pool.  It is a “boat” for all those lizards and snakes.

I really love and cherish this time with my kiddos…and I love their fun little imaginations.  Hope you are enjoying this warm weather as much as we are!

Mother’s Day and Mocha Caramel Sea Salt Cupcakes

Happy Mother’s Day to all you other momma bloggers out there!

I had a most wonderful day with my kids and my momma and the rest of my loving family.  When hubby asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day, I couldn’t think of anything because I have everything I need.  I have been so blessed.  However, I did get a morning serenade, breakfast in bed, and homemade cards from my little kiddos and hubby…so sweet.  When I asked my mom what she wanted from me for Mother’s Day, she said, “Make me some of those Mocha Caramel Cupcakes.”  So, along with a few other gifts, she got her cupcakes.  We don’t need much to be happy…just love and cupcakes!

I thought I would give all of you the recipe for these super easy, super yummy cupcakes as a Mother’s Day gift.

(Or a Happy Sunday gift if you aren’t a momma.)

Mocha Caramel Sea Salt Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box Yellow Cake Mix (I prefer Duncan Hines)

2 containers Chocolate Frosting (Ditto)

3 Tbsp. Coffee Extract

Caramel Dessert Topping

Course Sea Salt

Directions:

1.  Prepare cake mix according to directions on box.  Add 3 Tbsp. Coffee Extract (more or less according to taste).  Mix.  Pour into cupcake liners in a  muffin pan.  Bake according to directions on box.  Allow to cool.

2.  Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  I used a No. 2A round tip to frost mine.

3.  Drizzle caramel dessert topping over cupcakes.

4.  Sprinkle course sea salt onto cupcakes.

5.  Devour!  Mom likes to devour hers with a cup of coffee.  I like a mug of milk.  To each their own!

Here’s a picture of me with my sweet momma many years ago.  Aren’t mommas the greatest?

Meet Boxy Roxy, The Turtle

My kids are really into reptiles and amphibians.  Those of you who have been reading my blog know this already.  For those of you who are new to my blog, you should be forewarned that there will be lots and lots of reptile and amphibian pictures posted on here because every time my kids find a new lizard or frog or salamander, they must have a picture taken, and usually insist that I post it on my blog (which they seem to think belongs to them).

So far this year, we have found 8 lizards, 1 salamander, 16 frogs (that isn’t counting the hundreds of tadpoles), and a turtle.

The turtle was found for my kiddos by their cousins.  They have been dying to find a turtle, and having trouble doing it, so this really made their day.  They finally got to add turtle to their list!  And what a sweet turtle it was.  It wasn’t shy at all.  It came out of its shell for a picture, and crawled around all of us (even across our toes), until it finally made a nice little home in my landscaping.  The kids named it Boxy Roxy!  Where do they come up with these names?

Here’s our sweet little turtle, Boxy Roxy.

Boxy Roxy brought such joyful smiles to my kid’s faces as she crawled around and looked at us with her cute little face.

Then, she decided she had had enough attention, and crawled into my landscaping to rest.  Bye, Boxy Roxy!  See ya later!

What will they find next?

Lime Chicken Fajitas

I love good Tex-Mex food, and this dish does not disappoint.  The chicken is so tender, and you can really taste the kick of lime…and the garlic, which I also really love.  I made some Mexican Rice and “smooshed up” (refried) Black Beans to go with it, threw it all on a plate together, and added some shredded Monterey Jack Cheese, Sour Cream, Salsa, and a lime wedge.  Throw a couple of warm tortilla shells on the plate, and you’ve got all the fixings for a really yummy fajita.  Hope you enjoy this as much as my family did!

Lime Chicken Fajitas

Ingredients:

3 limes

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 jalapeno, sliced

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

dash of salt

handful of fresh cilantro (or a dash of dried if you can’t get your hands on the fresh stuff)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:

1.  Slice 2 of the limes in half and squeeze the juice into a blender.  Add the garlic, jalapeno, veg. oil, water, salt, and cilantro, and blend until mix is smooth.

2.  Put the chicken breasts in a gallon size plastic bag and pour on the marinade.  Close the bag and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes…the longer the better!

3.  Grill (or saute if it’s pouring the rain and you can’t use your grill!) the chicken over medium high heat.  Cook until chicken is done, about 5 minutes per side.

4.  Slice the chicken and serve with Mexican Rice (recipe to follow), black beans, salsa, sour cream, shredded Monty Jack Cheese, and a lime wedge (this is where that third lime comes in handy).  Roll up warm tortillas and throw those on the plate.  Put your fajita together any way you like…preferably with lots of everything!

My kiddos loved being able to build their own fajita.

Here’s the recipe for Mexican Rice

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white rice (uncooked)

1- 10 oz. can Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles

Dash of Salt

Dash of dried Cilantro (or handful of fresh)

Dash of Cumin

Dash of Cayenne

1 1/2 cups Chicken Broth

Directions:

1.  Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent.  Turn heat on low and add the rice.  Cook, stirring constantly, about 2-3 minutes.

2.  Add the Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles, salt, cilantro, cumin, cayenne, and broth.  Stir to combine the ingredients, and bring to a boil.

3.  Cook on low, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is done.  This stuff is good…it’s extra good on the fajita!