Biscuits and Gravy

While the biscuits are a relatively new recipe for me, I've been making this gravy for years. You can use sausage or bacon grease in place of the butter if you want the flavor. And FYI a stand mixer makes the biscuits much easier to make.

BISCUITS:
3 cups flour
1 Tbs baking powder
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cream of tartar
3/4 cup butter
1 cup milk

GRAVY:
2 Tbs butter
2 Tbs flour
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

BISCUITS: mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl than cut in butter with a knife until the mixture resembles crumbs. Than add the milk and mix until it forms into a dough. Roll the dough to about 3/4 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes.
GRAVY: melt the butter in a sauce pan over med/high heat. than add the flour and mix until it's smooth. Continue to heat while you slowly add the milk and whisk until it thickens. Salt and pepper to taste.

Cinnamon Bites

I didn't get this recipe from the internet or from a book...I made it up. And I don't know what to call it. It's not really a cinnamon roll or baked cinnamon doughnuts. I guess it's more like monkey bread or pull apart bread (only you don't pull it apart). I don't know so I will just call them cinnamon bites.

1 can Grands biscuits
1/4 cup butter (melted) or use spray butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
ICING:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cut each biscuit into fourths (an 8pk of biscuits makes 32 bite size pieces). Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Dip each biscuit piece into melted butter and than roll in the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place about an inch apart on a cookie sheet and bake according to  the directions on the can or at 350 for about 10 minutes.
While the cinnamon bites are cooling mix 2 cups confectioners sugar and the milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until you get a desired thickness. Than add the vanilla. Mix and pour over the cinnamon bites.

Maple & Brown Sugar Oatmeal

Do you know what else a coffee pot is good for besides coffee? I have 3 coffee pots. A single serve one that I use for coffee, a 4 cup one that I use to heat water for oatmeal and hot chocolate, and a 12 cup coffee pot for making tea. Just thought you might like to know how I heat my water for this next recipe.

1/2 cup quick oats
1 cup hot water
1/8 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup maple syrup

Heat your water first than pour it over the oatmeal and mix. Than add the brown sugar and maple syrup.

Coconut and Banana Smoothie

I recently started using coconut milk in my smoothies because of its health benefits and I like the rich and silky texture it gives the smoothie. One of my favorites is this simple coconut milk and banana smoothie:

Just blend together 1 cup coconut milk and 1 banana. It's that simple!
If you use canned coconut milk than you may need to add some regular milk to thin it out a bit.

Chocolate Milk Smoothie

I love this smoothie because its basically chocolate milk sweetened with a banana. I also love it because it's healthy for my kids and they don't get all the sugar and other additives that they would get from the store bought chocolate milk.

1 cup milk
1 Tbs cocoa powder
1 banana
1 Tbs peanut butter
Blend it and enjoy!

I  like to use dark chocolate cocoa powder because it contains the highest concentration of flavonoids which are a form of antioxidants (actually I'm just a sucker for dark chocolate). Peanut butter is high in protein and the banana has potassium...what more could you ask for in a Delicious smoothie?

Frozen Yogurt Pops

My son loves these frozen yogurt pops and they are so easy to make. I purchase the smallest containers of yogurt I can find with a rounded bottom (makes them easier to eat). Use a knife to poke a small hole in each yogurt container than poke a popsicle stick in each hole. Put them in the freezer for a couple of hours or over night. If they are stuck in the container than run some warm water over them and they will slide right out.

Granola Bars

1 cup oats

1/3 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/4 cup dried banana chips (chopped)

1/2 cup coconut flakes

1/3 cup grape nut cereal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

Blend all of the ingredients together than pour it out onto wax paper. Place another piece of wax paper on top and roll it out to desired thickness with a rolling pin. Place it on a cookie sheet and put it in the fridge for at least an hour (this step will make it easier to cut). Use a pizza cutter to cut them into bars and store them in the fridge.

Note: You can easily change this recipe. Try adding kraft jet-puffed mallow bits for a smores taste or add raisins instead of chocolate chips. If you want it more chewy and less crunchy than leave out the grape nut cereal and banana chips.