Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits

4 cups flour (works well with 1/2 white 1/2 wheat)
2 tsp salt

5 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup shortening
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups milk

Mix dry ingredients. Add shortening and cut in with two knives or pastry cutter until like fine crumbs. Add milk and mix quickly with fork. Turn onto heavily floured surface and knead a few quick times. Roll to 3/4 inch thick. Cut with cup or biscuit cutter to desired size. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes.
Make sure that your baking powder is fresh. If your not sure, place one teaspoon of baking powder in a cup of very hot water. It should fizz.

Gravy
1/2 lb. sausage
1/4 - 1/2 cup flour (until oil is soaked up)
1 cup water
1 cup milk

Brown sausage. Add flour and brown. Add water and milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir and boil for one minute. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Natural Food Bargains

Hi Joy,
Your blog is a great idea! We're always looking for good deals on "natural" foods, meaning no additives, free range, organic, etc. It's tricky to be frugal and also keep your conscience happy and family healthy. One place we love is J&J Meats on US 36 near Summit Lake. The prices on their grass-fed/free range meats compare well to the mega-stores' sale prices. And you can walk out and see the animals you'll be eating next month munching on their natural diets!
We also like bulk stores like Fountain Acres Foods just south of Fountain City. Buying in bulk and cooking form scratch is a great way to save money if you have the time and space.Keep up the good work!
Laura
Hagerstown

Laura,
I am so glad to know about both of these places. I've searched the net for two years to find both types of places and came up with nothing. Thanks so much.
Joy

Tortillas and Spanish Rice

This is the easiest tortilla recipe I have ever made. They taste really good, too. The baking powder is the secret here. While it's not an authentic ingredient, it does wonders to make your homemade tortillas soft and pliable. All the ones I had made before were stiff and brittle.

Tortillas
4 cups flour (I've used 1/2 white 1/2 whole wheat with good results, just up the water to about 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup - 1 1/4 cups water

Combine flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in shortening. Add 1 cup water. Stir with fork until ball of dough, adding spoonfuls of water if too dry. (This dough should be a bit sticky. I usually just put in the whole 1 1/4 cups water.) Knead in mixing bowl about 20 times. Set aside and rest the dough for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, begin preheating your skillet (iron preferred) to med/high. Cut dough into 8 - 12 balls (depending on your desired size of tortilla). Dip the flatened dough ball in flour, coating well. Roll to desired size, getting as thin as you can. Add only a little flour, if necessary. It helps the stretching process to stick just a little to the countertop. Put on skillet. Cook until you see little bubbles forming. Flip; cook a few more seconds.
This takes a litte while the first few times, but it won't take long to get in a groove.
25-40 minutes
Serves 6-8

Easy Spanish Rice
2 cups water
1/2 cup favorite salsa (I use Aldi brand - it's very good)
1 cup rice
1 tsp butter/oil
Mix all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce temperature to low. Barely simmer for 45 minutes. Add salt, if needed, after cooking. Don't remove lid unless necessary.

My family loves when I mix the Spanish rice with one can of mexican chili beans from Aldi. We put it on the tortillas and add cheese and sour cream. It's really tasty.

Pizza

Crust
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast, any type
2 TBSP oil (olive if you have it)
1 cup warm water

Mix first three ingredients. Add oil and water. Stir until blob. Turn onto floured surface and knead 5 minutes, adding flour to counter top as necessary. (When kneading, always add flour to the counter top, not to the top of the dough. Then the dough will pick up just a little at a time.) Allow to rise 1 hour. Roll onto greased pizza stone (or cookie sheet), using a bit of water on hands and rolling pin, not flour. Add ingredients listed below and bake at 500 - 550 for 12-15 minutes.

1/2 lb. Sausage

2 cups Mozzerella cheese

1 cup sauce

Sauce - use about 1 cup of this mix on pizza, and rest for dipping
1 can tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 -1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried parsely (optional)
1/2 tsp onion powder (optional)
Simmer (lightly boil) for five minutes

Easy Jack's Pizza Breadsticks
Roll crust off the edges of baking stone by 1-2 inches when making pizza. (This makes a thinner crust pizza, but you get the breadsticks.) Then I trim off that excess with knife in strips abou six inches long. Put these on cookie sheet in oven while it's preheating until barely firm and not brown. Remove from oven. Brush on melted butter and sprinkle garlic powder and parmesan cheese. Return to oven for about 5 minutes, or until they start to brown. Delicious!

Uno's Chicago Style Pizza
Prepare crust as directed above until after it has risen. Put 3 TBSP of oil into 10 - 12 inch cake pan. Push crust into cake pan with fingers, pushing up the sides of pan. Pierce with fork all over. Add sauce, sausage and cheese as normal. Also, add 1/2 can crushed canned tomatoes, drained, then 1 more cup cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Amazing!

Pinto beans and cornbread

Beans
1 lb. Pinto beans
1 ham hock
Cook as directed on package.
(I usually cook 2 lbs. of beans to have leftovers for refried beans)

Cornbread
2 cups self rising cornmeal (or 2 cups cormeal +1 tsp. salt + 1 tsp. baking soda)
1 1/3 cups milk
1/4 cup oil
1 egg
1/2 cup sugar (optional)
Heat oven to 450. Grease/oil 9" skillet or 9" pan and preheat with oven. Mix all ingredients. Pour into skillet. Bake 20-25 minutes.