Bacon, Cheese and Chive Biscuits

A tasty twist on my biscuit recipe for your Sunday morning breakfasts.  Delicious along side a fried egg and some hash browns or grits. 
Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp chives
• 3/4 cup of buttermilk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.   Mix all the dry ingredients together.   Cut the butter into pieces, and work into the flour mixture with  a pastry cutter until it resembles pea-sized crumbs.   Stir in bacon and cheese and add the liquid and mix/knead in bowl until dough forms, kneading as little as possible.   Turn out dough out on a floured surface and pat out to 3/4” thick.   Using a round cutter or glass cut out your biscuits out, don’t twist the dough. Place on a greased baking sheet close together but not touching and bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are slightly brown.
Makes 8 biscuits.

Just One More Bluebonnet Post

Precious State Flower

This isn’t my picture but I had to share the Hill Country Bluebonnets.  It was a good year for our precious state flower.  Wow!

Have a nice Sunday.

Virtual Game of Catch

Howdy!  It’s me Gus.  Please throw the ball!

I’m waiting…

It’s Mine!

Just look at this technique!!

Got it.  I ROCK!!!  Thanks for coming by to see my mad fielding skills!

Honey Ginger Glazed Tilapia

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon grated ginger root
2 teaspoons minced or pressed garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
4-6 4-ounce tilapia fillets (or other favorite fish)
Instructions:
Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, and olive oil. Marinate the fish in the mixture for 20 minutes-1 hour.
Heat a grill pan over medium heat and brush with vegetable oil or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Cook the fish for 4-6 minutes per side or until it flakes easily with a fork.

My Cowboy & the Budweiser Clydesdales

Howdy From Cowtown!  Don’t you love his Easter Bonnet?  Yesterday we had to take Dude’s (that’s what Pa has nicknamed him, you know we nickname everyone in this family) hat back to exchange it for a larger size.  While we were in the Stockyards, we had some bar-b-q at Riskey’s.    When we were through eating we sat on a bench under a shade tree trying to decide what we wanted to do next.  First Born announced that she wanted to see a horse.  A woman walking down the sidewalk overheard her and told us that the Budweiser Clydesdales were in a barn at the end of an alley close to where we were.  She was with the group caring for the horses and said it would be fine for us to come down and see them.  Talk about a treat!!!  If you have read my blog for awhile you probably know that I love, love, love the Budweiser Clydesdale commercials so you can imagine how excited I was.  First Born didn’t even know what a Clydesdale was.  I’m not sure how you live to be 30 years old and have no idea what a Clydesdale is…boy, was she shocked at the size of them.

Pay close attention to First Born’s nervous expressions in the next few photos.  LOL!

This was the friendliest horse of the entire team and wouldn’t leave Jude alone.  The horse was truly in love with him.  We laughed so hard.  Look at the babys face!!!!  LOL!

There were a few other people in the barn and they just stood back and watched this horse with the baby.  It was amazing to see.

I missed a few really good pictures because I was a little nervous that the horse was going to bite my little cowboy.  I also blurred a few because I was laughing so hard.

First Born put herself between the horse and the baby and the pretty Clydesdale was still trying to get to Jude.

Guess who else was there?  The Budweiser Dalmatian!  He was posing for photos and never once got out of the golf cart.  Adorable!

Jude preferred the dog over the horses.  He loves dogs since he is around Gus all of the time.

We had a great time in the barn with the animals, one we won’t forget.

Buttermilk Peach Pie

Recipe from Southern Plate

You just can’t get more southern than buttermilk pie and peaches.  I found this recipe at Southern Plate and it was delicious.  I didn’t feel like dragging out the cookbook so I searched for a crust recipe on the internet and used the one below.  You only need one crust for this recipe so just half the ingredients for the crust.

Ingredients

• 1 Can (29 oz) Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup, drained
• 2 heaping tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1/3 Cup Buttermilk
• 1/2 Cup Butter or Margarine, Melted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 deep dish pie shell, unbaked
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Place peaches in bottom of pie shell.
2. In mixing bowl combine all other ingredients and mix with whisk until well combined.
3. Pour over peaches.
4. Place pie on baking sheet and bake at 350 for forty minutes, or until the middle doesn't jiggle when moved.

All Butter, Really Flaky Pie Dough from Smitten Kitchen

Makes enough dough for one double-, or two single-crust pies.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (8 ounces, 16 tablespoons or 1 cup) unsalted butter, very cold

Gather your ingredients: Fill a one cup liquid measuring cup with water, and drop in a few ice cubes; set it aside. In a large bowl — I like to use a very wide one, so I can get my hands in — whisk together 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a teaspoon of salt. Dice two sticks (8 ounces or 1 cup) of very cold unsalted butter into 1/2-inch pieces.

Make your mix: Sprinkle the butter cubes over the flour and begin working them in with the pastry blender, using it to scoop and redistribute the mixture as needed so all parts are worked evenly. When all of the butter pieces are the size of tiny peas — this won’t take long — stop. Yes, even if it looks uneven; you’ll thank me later.

Glue it together: Start by drizzling 1/2 cup of the ice-cold water (but not the cubes, if there are any left!) over the butter and flour mixture. Using a rubber or silicon spatula, gather the dough together. You’ll probably need an additional 1/4 cup of cold water to bring it together, but add it a tablespoon as a time. Once you’re pulling large clumps with the spatula, take it out and get your hands in there (see how that big bowl comes in handy?). Gather the disparate damp clumps together into one mound, kneading them gently together.

Pack it up: Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a large piece of plastic wrap. I like to use the sides to pull in the dough and shape it into a disk. Let the dough chill in the fridge for one hour, but preferably at least two, before rolling it out.

Do ahead: Dough will keep in the fridge for about a week, and in the freezer longer. If not using it that day, wrap it in additional layers of plastic wrap to protect it from fridge/freezer smells. To defrost your dough, move it to the fridge for one day before using it.