Buttermilk Biscuits

Completely unrelated to today's recipe post - I have to put it down somewhere about how stinking ANXIOUS I am for this Friday's lining check! It CANNOT get here soon enough! I am so ready to hear if we're going to get to transfer or not, and what my lining is doing. I'll have been on estrogen for 24 days by the time we have our lining check - that is WAY longer than I've ever been on it before prior to a lining check. I have no idea why other than my guess is they scheduled us that way to fit us into the books... but maybe there was an actual decision to put me on estrace for that long - either way I am trying not to go too crazy wondering what is going on!! I haven't had any major estrogen symptoms lately, tired more so than usual and a little emotional/grumpy occasionally but nothing extreme. Haven't had any major crampiness or anything else I sometimes get on estrogen... so what is happening!!!! ACCCKKKK!!!

We're supposed to get Kenneth's written offer letter today as well from Alion and I keep watching my e-mail to see if that's showed up yet to distract myself with, and we have Kenneth's 6-week post op appointment coming up on Thursday along with a Silent Auction at work that day which will help keep me busy and I have another physical therapy appointment to look forward to on Thursday evening. I am so glad I finally decided to go to PT instead of just the chiropractor. I still have a lot of muscle tension in my neck and shoulders but the pain level is a LOT lower than it has been for a long time. I'd just gotten so used to everything hurting a little bit I didn't realize that I really have been in pain pretty much every day for a long time now. My therapist has worked a LOT on my shoulders and now the majority of the pain I feel is in my neck, though my shoulders still have some tightness in them, but they are TONS better than they were when I started. Progress is exciting! Just wish I'd decided to do this a long time ago and maybe it wouldn't be such a slow process. Oh well, live and learn moment I suppose! :)

These are one of my favorite "go-to" buttermilk biscuit recipes. They always come out very tender and flaky; the folding process really gives them some great texture! Just a couple ingredients and these will be piping hot from the oven and ready to eat in no time!

I have a hard copy of this one from Southern Living magazine (link to online recipe below).

Start with self-rising flour, butter and buttermilk!

Cut the butter into slices and toss with the flour.

Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Add in the buttermilk.

Stir together until mostly combined, don't over mix. Place dough onto floured surface and kneed until flour is incorporated and dough is no longer sticky.

Next pat by hand into a rectangle.

Tri-fold the dough onto itself.

Then pat out into another rectangle (repeat 2 more times).

Use floured juice glass or biscuit cutter to cut your biscuits out (about 12 - depending on size of cutter).

Gently press scraps together and use to form 1 or 2 more biscuits.

Place with edges barely touching on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake about 13 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top and bottom.

These work great for sausage and cheese sandwiches (like my boys enjoy them).

Or with a serving of Smucker's Blackberry Jam - my favorite!

However you like your, I'm sure will enjoy these flaky, tender and delicious buttermilk biscuits!

Slightly modified - original recipe from SouthernLiving, on MyRecipes.com

YIELD: Makes 1 dozen

Ingredients
1/2 cup cold butter
2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
Self-rising flour

Preparation

1. Cut butter with a sharp knife or pastry blender into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Sprinkle butter slices over flour in a large bowl. Toss butter with flour. Cut butter into flour with a pastry blender until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Add buttermilk, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times, gradually adding additional flour as needed. With floured hands, press or pat dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches). Sprinkle top of dough with additional flour. Fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, starting with 1 short end. (Fold dough rectangle as if folding a letter-size piece of paper.) Repeat entire process 2 more times, beginning with pressing into a 3/4-inch-thick dough rectangle (about 9 x 5 inches).

3. Press or pat dough to 1/2-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface; cut with a 3-inch round cutter (or flour dipped juice glass), and place, side by side, on an ungreased or lightly greased (with cooking spray) baking sheet. (Dough rounds should touch.)

4. Bake at 450° for 13 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned.