Winter

Winter

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

True Confessions and a Recipe

I thought I would share with you a bit of a confession. I am still shuddering inside when I think of it. Since we are almost to November, I need to tell you a story of Thanksgiving last year. When I was young, I made every thing from scratch. I spent months trying to decide on the perfect meal for Thanksgiving and Christmas. As our family has grown, I am more of a cook to feed the masses. Yes, fallen so far off the wagon I will never get back.

This was part of how it looked in my kitchen last year.


The little kids had been outside playing zombies with Nik and Emilie, Kessie was making cotton candy for the kids who were waiting patiently. Nik had made his famous guacamole so the kitchen at the other end was grown ups eating that wonderful stuff. So far okay right?

Here is the confession part. Nik's Mom came for the first time to meet us. I found out later, that she never fixes anything food wise unless it is from scratch. Ron brought in the turkey that we cooked on the smoker. What am I doing? I am opening boxes and boxes of Stove Top stuffing, and opening packages of gravy mix, you know the kind that you just add water. Because the kitchen is wall to wall people and I am starting to panic because my dinner rolls won't brown. Silly me, I was afraid we would run out of mashed potatoes so I had fixed 15 pounds of boiled potatoes and Megan was mashing and mashing for me. My sweet potatoes were overflowing in the bottom oven so there is the smell of burning marshmallows. Ron was trying to get the turkey ready so he needed platters and such. The kids were running back and forth wanting to know when dinner will be ready and when can they eat chocolate pie.


I have thought so much about that day, and just the over whelming thoughts of having Nik's Mom make the stuffing. How there was no order to the whole meal, there was so many of us and not at all like I planned. I don't think anyone remembers it and I know the kids had fun. I am going to have to do it again this year. I will do it different, starting with this new recipe for rolls. These rolls are so good that my son yesterday, instead of going straight to work from school, came home and had the fried chicken and biscuits I had fixed the night before. So hands down, these are the best biscuits I have ever made.

Angel Biscuits

5 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 package of yeast
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter
2 cups buttermilk

Mix dry ingredients, then cut in butter ( the one cup part) Dissolve 1 package yeast in 1 tablespoons warm water. ( I added a bit of sugar for the nourishment of the yeast) Add the buttermilk to the dry ingredients mix.
Add yeast and mix well. Dough will be sticky. I added enough flour until I could take it out of my mixing bowl. Put flour on board and kneed a few times until elastic.Roll to 1/4 thick and cut with biscuit cutter. Dip roll in the 1/4 cup part of melted butter and let rise. (optional) Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 to 17 minutes depending on your oven. Makes 40 biscuits.

I know that when I fix these this year, every dumb thing I do will be overlooked. I am working on recipes for Thanksgiving already. I plan on a trial run with the turkey this weekend.
I can't wait to make these biscuits for breakfast one morning with gravy, yep out of a package too.

Have a wonderful day,
~Kim~




21 comments:

Nancy said...

I totally understand you wanting everything to be perfect on those special holidays where the house if full of family but girlfriend you are too hard on yourself....I hope you will make what brings you joy and believe me everybody will enjoy and have the happiest of memories because you are in their life.....
Hugs sweet girl...
Nancy

TexWisGirl said...

your crazy, hectic, last-minute meal and home sounds PERFECT! as it should be.

Sarah said...

wait, what's the confession? It all sounds great to me. I think the combination of what everybody can do - a little homemade, a little storebought - is fun. My mom makes a make ahead mashed potato dish that you can keep warm in the crockpot. I start a crockpot in the corner of apple cider with spices and brown sugar and just keep adding cider all day as it is enjoyed. Angel biscuits are a favorite of ours too - especially with a dab of butter and my honey :)

Nellie said...

What a glorious Thanksgiving it was for you and your family, Kim! Yes, Angel Biscuits taste like they actually came from Heaven!:-) xo Nellie

Alica said...

I think it sounds like the meal and the day were a great success! But...I know how you feel...when company is there, it feels like everything should be just perfect...but I haven't even come close yet! Those Angel biscuits are sooo good! Hot from the oven, slathered in butter of course, with a little home made jelly on top...mmmmmm...

Beth said...

Your Thanksgiving meal last year was just as it should be! Family gathered around sharing love! Nothing made from scratch can beat that.

Kessie said...

Oh man, those biscuits sound so good! I'll bet they're super fluffy. Maybe next year we can try to make it for Thanksgiving, and there'll be one more rug rat running around. She'll be a year old by then. I thought last year was tons of fun! Makes me homesick looking at the pictures, though.

Mary Ann said...

I think that sounds like one of the BEST Thanksgivings ever, family as it ought to be!!!

Miss Debbie said...

This made me laugh! A few years ago, I found canned sweet potatoes...not yams, but plain sweet potatoes. I decided to try them in my souffle for Thanksgiving instead of fresh ones that I have to peel, cut up and boil. Well, the taste and consistency was the same. No one could tell the difference. I bought them again for Christmas. My older son saw them in my pantry and acted mortified...his mom using canned sweet potatoes! He didn't make me feel bad and I would still be using them, but they aren't in the store anymore. ha! ha! And,,,shhh, don't tell anyone, I use gravy from a jar! :-)

Buttons Thoughts said...

Oh I also laughed at this we have already had our Thanksgiving and honestly the kids had fun and I don't remember what I did it was busy and we had canned cranberries. I used to put a lot more into it and now I just don't find the time but still everyone talks about next year and my sister is doing Christmas and I am looking forward to her canned cranberries. The biscuits I copied down yes they look good. I will try to give them a test run too:) B

Meg said...

Oh gosh I didn't even remember that stuff! I just remember it being lovely and fun as it always is. :) Although now that you mention it I do remember mashing and mashing potatoes lol. And you make boxes of Stove Top not because you have fallen from the wagon, but because everyone prefers Stove Top! You cook to please. :D

Debbie said...

I LOVE stove top, I will never make "from scratch" stuffing ever again, haven't made it in years!!

Your thanksgiving sounds perfect and fun!! It's all about family being together, not how perfect the food is!!

thewovenspoke said...

I used to be the one who cooked Thanksgiving dinner since I am the only girl in my family. Now however we are so scattered over the country we only get together every few years. Now I make dinner for 4 of us, everything from scratch of course!

Anonymous said...

Wonderful thanks giving day...

Christine said...

Don't be hard on yourself Kim! But I have had a similar experience only to my mind worse as it was the first meal I cooked for my new mother in law. Oh dear I blush just remembering! But we live and learn and family together is more important.

annie said...

as long as you are together, and everyone eats well, it will be fine! you can not cook impressions, you love people, and that is what will do it! if I made those biscuits here, my son would eat the whole pan in one sitting! yummo

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

I'm pretty sure that anything wrong was overlooked! Family is what it's all about. Happy Halloween!

Julia said...

The purpose of Thanksgiving is to give thanks and I'm sure that the family was thankful to have you cooking a big meal for a full house. Being all together and talking and sharing laughter is what's it's all about. I bet everyone has overlooked the little things that didn't go as well as expected.

You always have this Thanksgiving to try to make it without disaster this time and you can laugh at all the things that went wrong last year.

I love those Angel biscuits too. They are the best.

Happy Halloween, hugs,
JB

Empty Nester said...

I guarantee you that everyone had a blast and enjoyed every minute of the day. How could they not in a house filled to over flowing with love like yours?!

GretchenJoanna said...

What annie said is right - it's about the people being together and working together. Your family would want you to be happy about that. The food is not really important, so - you do your best *within reason* and then relax. What I think is so wonderful is having a houseful of people all chipping in in one way or another. Happy November, Kim!

Will and Tracy said...

First you are the most amazing cook. Second wouldn't you rather enjoy the priceless moments than be standing behind a stove all day. Third our memories of holidays didn't involve Mama in the kitchen all day but the food was memorable. I bet the kids will always remember the cotton candy and the kids table especially since Kess is living in AZ. Fourth I won't and cant make gravy either. I love McCormicks gravy. Fifth when you are cooking for that many it is insanity to try to cook everything from scratch. I bet major memories will be made.