Meal Planning with Connie

My blogging buddy, Mub , asked about substituting butter for the shortening in my Square Biscuits recipe from Tuesday. Mub hails from “up North” and now lives way over in the Netherlands. So, bless her heart, I am sure she has no idea how much controversy this innocent question can spark amongst a group of Southern cooks! You may ask, is there really a big difference in using one fat over the over? In a word, yes. It is all about texture versus flavor. Shortening = tender, crisp and dense biscuits Butter = flaky, flavorful and light biscuits What accounts for the difference in texture? Water! Butter is about 17% water. Shortening contains no water. So, what did a little water ever hurt? The more water there is in dough, the more active gluten created. The more gluten present in dough, the tougher the dough. Again, it is really a trade off: Butter = Flavor Shortening = Tenderness There are generally four camps in the Butter vs. Shortening in Biscuits Debate: Camp One: These folk...

Our family, like many other Southern clans, enjoys having breakfast for supper. We usually do this once a week, especially during the winter months. I rarely cook a full breakfast during normal breakfast hours, so we all look forward to eating these dishes at night. There are several benefits to the breakfast-at-night meal. Not only are these foods tasty, they are generally fairly economic and easy to prepare. We keep it simple. Most nights Larry makes omelets, and I make a pan of Weeknight Square Biscuits, which we enjoy with a bit of butter alongside our omelets and as “dessert” with jelly or syrup. My Weeknight Square Biscuits are quick and easy to make. There's no rolling or cutting out required! And, there's no leftover dough scraps! Pat dough into a square on lightly floured surface.  Use a large spatula to lift dough into prepared pan.   Cut dough into squares. Brush hot biscuits with melted butter!   Weeknight Square Biscuits The secret to baking ligh...

Blueberry-Banana-Pecan Bread I made this for Sunday school last Sunday, and everyone said it was really good! Of course, they are all way too kind to say otherwise! ; This bread is very moist! It was a great way to use up some bananas that were needing to be used. I was also able to put to use some of the locally-grown blueberries and pecans I have in my freezer, which need using, as well. This recipe makes two large loaves. Be sure to share one! Blueberry-Banana-Pecan Bread 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen) 1½ cups (3 sticks) butter, softened 1½ cups granulated sugar 4 eggs 3 large ripe bananas, mashed 1½ cups sour cream 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped pecans Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Coat two 9-inch loaf pans with cooking spray. If using fresh berries, rinse and drain. Do not thaw frozen berries. Cream beat the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until in...

 Overnight Buttery Baby Buttermilk Biscuits “The hot biscuit runs a poor second to cornbread, but is considered of higher social caste. We abrogate and deprecate cornbread when we have guests, but we should consider ourselves deficient in hospitality if we served a company meal without hot biscuits.” ~ Majorie Kinnan Rawlings , Cross Creek (1942) These little biscuits are great for brunches, morning receptions and teas, and Sunday school! Kids think they are fun anytime! Of course, you can cut this dough into "regular-sized" biscuits, too. Preparing this dough the night before makes baking hot, fresh homemade biscuits a snap the next morning!  These are heap more tasty than the frozen variety - and a lot cheaper, too! Overnight Buttery Baby Buttermilk Biscuits 2 cups self-rising flour (I use White Lily. If you prefer Martha White, go for it! Do use a brand of soft, Southern flour.) 1 teaspoon baking powder 6 tablespoons Butter-flavored Crisco ¾ cup buttermilk 2 ta...

 Shrimp Fettuccine Casserole This was really good - a big hit with everyone!  Logan said it was as good as a dish from Macaroni Grill!   I’ll definitely make it again!  This made just about the right amount for the four of us. The guys did have seconds.  You'll want to double it for a larger group and bake it in a 9x13-inch dish. Quick and Easy Focaccia Bread I had picked up a package of ciabatta rolls today to go with the casserole, but when I opened the bag tonight, they were molded. Don't you just hate it when that happens?! Of course I didn't discover the problem until I was ready to bake them. I grabbed a can of pizza dough from the fridge, whisked together a bit of olive oil, a couple of crushed garlic cloves and some dried parsley. I slathered this over the dough, which I had pressed onto a cookie sheet. I sprinkled the whole thing down with a handful of Asiago and Parmesan cheese. Presto - quick and easy focaccia bread! Shrimp Fettuccine Casserole ...

  Sausage Bundt Bread  I made this for Sunday school. I just kind of combined several recipes that the class has liked, threw it all in a Bundt pan, and this was the result. It got very good reviews!  I used 3/4 cup of milk, but I adjusted it to 1/2 cup in the recipe. It batter seems a bit too thick after adding sausage and cheese, just add a little more milk at that point. I've noted this in the recipe, too!  If you try this, let me know. Also, if you can think of a better name for it, let me know that, too! Sausage Bundt Bread 1 pound sausage 2 cups grated Swiss cheese ¼ cup Asiago cheese (Parmesan would be good, too!) ½ cup milk 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup mayonnaise 3 tablespoon parsley flakes 1 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon sage 2 ½ cups Bisquick mix Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a Bundt pan with cooking spray. Brown sausage; drain. Whisk together milk, eggs, mayonnaise, parsley flakes, onion powder and sage. Combine Bisquick and milk mixture...

We had a great worship service and Sunday school lesson today!  I made these muffins for our fellowship time. They received several compliments!      Sweet and Savory Sausage Muffins God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself,  because it is not there. There is no such thing. ~C. S. Lewis Sweet and Savory Sausage Muffins These muffins have an interesting, complex taste. The brown sugar adds a bit of sweetness, the cayenne a touch of heat and the onion a nice savoriness. 1 pound pork sausage 1 bunch green onions 3 tablespoons butter 3 cups baking mix 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese 1 cup buttermilk* 2 eggs, lightly beaten Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat muffin tins with cooking spray. Brown and drain sausage. While sausage is cooking, sauté onions in butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine baking mix, brown sugar, dry mustard, cayenne, cheese, saus...

We had a wonderful time of fellowship, prayer and discussion in Sunday school this morning. One of the topics reminded me of two quotes, which often come to my mind: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~ Maya Angelou "Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." ~ Henry James The Bible sums it up this way: Treat others as you want them to treat you. Matthew 7:12 Would that I would keep these thoughts in the forefront of my mind at all times! I can possibly help others have a nicer day, and I always feel better myself when I show kindness to others. Sausage and Cheese Biscuit Cups Sausage and Cheese Biscuit Cups What to make for Sunday school this morning? Since I procrastinated about going to the grocery store all week-end, I was limited on my choices. I was out of baking mix...

  Larry treated us to his yummy omelets for supper. I made these simple scones, which went perfectly with the omelets. Cheesy Scones   Cheesy Scones The baking powder makes these really light and fluffy. The kids love these! 3 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled 1 egg beaten with enough milk to measure ½ cup 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup self-rising flour 1 tablespoon melted butter Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking tray with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine margarine, egg and milk mixture, cheese and baking powder until well blended. Add self-rising flour a little at a time, mixing well. On a well-floured surface, gently knead dough and pat into a square. Cut the square into 4 equal-sized smaller squares. Cut each of these smaller squares in half on the diagonal, making triangles. Place triangles on prepared baking sheet and brush with the tablespoon of melted butter. Bake until golden brown, ...

 Our snow-frosted magnolia tree Another “snow day” in our portion of the “Magnolia State!” We understand that we are laughed at for the big hoopla we make over teeny, tiny bits of snow. But, snow is such a novelty for us, we don’t really care for having a bit of fun poked at us! As a matter of fact, we even laugh at ourselves and how at the mere mention of that four-letter-word, "snow," by the local t.v. weatherman instantaneously causes our grocery stores' shelves to be emptied of milk, bread, peanut butter, crackers, "tater" chips and Little Debbie Cakes - the major components of the average Southern family's "snowed-in" diet. In all fairness, we usually only get ice down here, not snow, which often causes us to loose electrical power. So, we're just being prepared! ;) Larry, the kids and I enjoyed a fun snowball fight yesterday afternoon. One never gets too old for a good snowball fight! Our fun didn’t last long, because, well, we r...

We awoke to a snow-frosted lawn, a rarity here in Mississippi. As a treat, I made Easy Lemon Scones for breakfast.. They were a hit with everyone! The kids and Larry thought they were tasty, and I thought they were an easy, convenient recipe to make. They went together really quickly and all needed ingredients were in my pantry/fridge! No fresh lemons on hand? Substitute a teaspoon of lemon flavoring for the lemon rind in the batter. For the topping, mix sugar with 2 tablespoons milk and use as directed. Easy Lemon Scones Easy Lemon Scones 2 2/3 c. biscuit mix 5 tbsp. sugar 1 tablespoon poppy seeds (optional) grated rind of one lemon 1 egg, beaten 1/2 c. milk or buttermilk Topping: 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine first 4 ingredients. Mix egg with milk. Add to dry ingredients. Mix into soft ball. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Gently roll or pat dough to about...

  These are a favorite with the kids! I did use Heart-healthy Bisquick tonight. You can use 2% cheese, but I highly recommend freshly grating it. It will melt better without the powdered coating on pre-shredded cheese. This coating works great for keeping the cheese from clumping together. It does inhibit melting, though - IMHO :) Garlic and Cheddar Cheese Biscuits 2 cups Bisquick. baking mix 2/3 cup milk 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup melted butter 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss cheese with baking mix. Add milk and mix until soft dough forms.  Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet or roll out on floured board and cut with a biscuit cutter or glass. Bake  until golden brown, usually about 10 - 15 minutes. Mix melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet.

My first loaf of bread from  Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day After reading much praise about the Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day cookbook , I ordered it awhile back. I made my first batch during the holidays. If you like homemade bread, but you are intimidated by the time and effort needed for most homemade bread recipes (like me!), I highly recommend this book.  The authors have made homemade bread doable for all us non-bakers! The bread is delicious, and from my experience and reading the experiences of others, the recipes/directions seem almost foolproof! I love that the dough will keep for 2 weeks in my fridge! I can have a fresh baked loaf in just about an hour with truly only about 5 minutes of work!  And, the bread is delicious! White Pizza I used some of my dough to make the crust for our White Pizza tonight. We were all very pleased with it.  I'm still on the basic recipe. (I am looking forward to branching out a bit in the coming weeks.) ...

I made these for Sunday school this morning.   They are quite tasty! Bacon Cheddar Muffins Bacon Cheddar Muffins 2 cups Bisquick 2/3 cup milk 1/4 cup butter 1 egg 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese 8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled (can use 1/2 cup "real" bacon bits) dash or two cayenne pepper (optional) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray. Combine the Bisquick, cheese and bacon.  Add milk, butter and egg just until moistened.  Fill muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes for standard muffins. Bake about 10 minutes for miniature muffins. Yield: about 12 standard muffins or 48 miniature muffins.

I made this bread this afternoon. I poured part of the batter into this Bundt pan to share with a friend. I poured the rest into a loaf pan. I thought it tasted pretty good, especially the nuts! We had a slice of this with our supper instead of the planned Fried Apples.   Sweet Potato Bread Sweet Potato Bread 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1/2 cup butter, melted 4 eggs 3 1/2 cups sifted flour 3 cups sugar 2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. cinnamon 2/3 cup water 2 cups cooked sweet potatoes ( I used a 16 ounce can. ) 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) Preheat oven to 350°F. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs, oil, and melted butter. Beat for 45 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Whisk together dry ingredients and add to egg mixture, alternately with water. Stir in sweet potatoes, vanilla and chopped nuts, if using. Transfer batter into 3 buttered and floured loaf pans. Bake at 350°F for a...

Quick, easy and yummy!!! Easy Focaccia Bread Easy Focaccia Bread 1 Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced 1 - 2 tablespoons dry Italian seasonings ½ - 1 cup Italian blended cheese Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Press pizza dough evenly onto the bottom of cookie sheet; set aside. Combine olive oil, minced garlic and Italian seasonings. Brush olive oil mixture over the entire top of the pizza dough, making sure it’s completely coated. Sprinkle cheese on the top of the pizza dough. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the dough is a nice golden brown color. Cut into squares to serve.

This recipe accompanies Pampered Chef’s Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan.  I know it is wonderful as written!  My "lightened" version is below. I made these for our breakfast this morning, and we all thought they were really good.  The original version has 12 grams of fat per serving ( 3 mini muffins.) My version only has about 1 gram of fat per serving (3 mini muffins.) You could add a few poppy seeds to this recipe, if you like.  A tablespoon of poppy seeds has about 4 grams of fat. I use a tablespoon-size measuring spoon, that I've spritzed with cooking spray, to spoon the batter into my mini muffin pan. This is just about the right amount, the muffins are somewhat uniform in size, and the cooking spray helps the batter slide right into the little cup. One of the best things about mini muffins is that they cook really quickly! I also think they help with portion control.  Of course, you can just make this in a standard-size muffin pan, as well.  I'd think one "reg...

Low-fat Corn Muffins The corn makes these really moist for low-fat muffins.  These are wonderful made the "regular" way with the butter!! Low-fat (or Not!)*Corn Muffins 2 cups self-rising cornmeal 1 cup self-rising flour 1 tablespoon sugar, optional 1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk ( I use White Lily Buttermilk Cornmeal mix, so I just fat-free 1/2-and-half. ) ¾ cup Egg Beaters (equals 3 eggs) ( I used 1 egg and 1/2 cup of Egg Beaters. ) 1 can (15 ounces) cream-style corn 2 tablespoon melted “light” butter ( I used fat-free squeeze butter. ) Preheat oven to 425°. Coat muffin pan liberally with cooking spray. (Use plenty of spray to help these brown and to help keep them from sticking.) Combine the cornmeal, flour and sugar in a large mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and Egg Beaters; stir in the cream-style corn and melted butter. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just until blended. Spoon into the prepared baking pan. Ba...

Cheesy, Buttery Corn Muffins We thought these were really good!! Cheesy, Buttery Corn Muffins 3/4 cup yellow self-rising cornmeal 1/2 cup self-rising flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese 1 egg, beaten 3/4 cup milk 3 tablespoons melted butter Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cornmeal, flour and sugar; stir in shredded cheese. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add beaten egg, milk, and the melted cooled butter. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Coat a muffin pan with cooking spray and fill cups 2/3-full with batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.

Krusteaz Fat Free Cranberry Orange Supreme Muffin Mix I was craving me some cranberries this morning! Yesterday at Sunday School, my dear friend Donna S. told me about a cranberry slaw recipe she tried last week! She said it was really tasty! I've asked her to share it with us!! And then this morning, the weather was so nice and crisp when M.C. and I took a little stroll, it felt like cranberry weather! When we got home, I decided to make this box of cranberry muffins for our breakfast. Logan and I love these! I usually keep a box or two on hand, stocking up when they are on sale. They are found with all the other muffin mixes at most grocery stores. We love cranberries, and I have several good recipes I look forward to sharing when the fresh cranberries arrive this season! When the kids were small, we read a series of books that took place in the cranberry bogs of Massachusetts by Harry and Wende Devlin. I was introduced to these through the Five in a Row curri...