Sour Cream, Orange, and Lavender Biscuits

12 to 14 biscuits

2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
4 or more tablespoons finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons chopped lavender blossoms or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
about 1-1/4 cups sour cream
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil one large or two average baking sheets.

Stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, orange zest, and lavender in a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough sour cream to form a sticky dough.

Turn the dough onto a floured board. Knead by gently folding the dough in half a dozen times or so until it no longer sticks to the board. Roll or press it into a 1/2-inch thickness.

Use a cookie cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 2-inch rounds. Place them on the prepared sheet, and bake them until lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

Freeze any unbaked biscuits on a tray or baking sheet and then transfer them to an airtight container. When ready to bake, place them on baking sheets, let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes, and bake as directed.

Do Ahead: Mix the dough, cut out the biscuits, and refrigerate them on the baking sheets, covered with a cotton dish towel.

In The Morning (About 15 To 20 Minutes): Preheat the oven and bake as directed.

Serve these delicate biscuits with honey butter and orange wedges. Use fresh blossoms if you're lucky enough to have access to a lavender bush, or look for dried blossoms at a natural foods or spice store. Rosemary may be substituted.

Fried Okra

1/2 cup plain flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 quart okra, sliced crosswise
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shortening (vegetable oil)

-Combine flour, corn meal, salt and pepper.
-In separate bowl, stir beaten egg into okra
-Dredge in flour mixture
-Heat oil in large skillet or fry daddy until hot
-Add okra and fry until brown and crisp
-Remove and drain
-Enjoy

Tasty Chili

Here is a great alternative to the same ole chili.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey (85 percent lean) or ground turkey breast (99 percent lean)
4 tablespoons dark chili powder
2 tablespoons grill seasoning blend, any brand, 1 palm full
1 tablespoon cumin
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce, medium to extra-spicy
1 large onion, quartered
2 large peppers, any color combination, red, green, purple, yellow or orange, chopped
1/2 bottle beer (the alcohol cooks out)
1 (14-ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup smoky barbecue sauce
2 cups corn kernels, optional

Heat a pot over medium to medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan, and the turkey meat. Season the meat with: chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Break up the meat with the back of a wooden spoon into small crumbles.

Chop the onion, reserving 1/4 of it for topping the chili. Brown meat 5 minutes, then add onions and chopped bell peppers and cook 10 minutes more.

Add beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up the drippings and cooking off the alcohol. Add tomato sauce and barbecue sauce and bring to a bubble.

If using corn kernels add them now. Let chili simmer 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings and heat level to your taste. Remove from heat and serve.

Skyline Chili Dip

Add Skyline Chili (Cincinnati) Dip to your pre-game ritual!

Make Skyline Dip an essential part of your game day preparation.
It’s easy to make and sure to please everyone in the crowd.

Just follow this simple recipe:

- One 12 oz. package of softened cream cheese
- 15 oz can of Skyline Chili
- 1/4 cup diced onions (optional)
- 12 oz. shredded mild cheddar cheese

Spread softened cream cheese evenly on bottom of a 9 x 13” microwaveable
casserole dish. Heat chili thoroughly. Pour heated Skyline Chili over cream cheese. Sprinkle diced onions on top of chili. Cover with Skyline shredded mild cheddar cheese.

Conventional Oven: Heat at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is
completely melted.

Microwave Oven: Heat on high for 2 minutes or until cheese is completely melted.

Let stand 5-10 minutes before serving.

Serve with nacho or corn chips.

Make this dip Deluxe by adding lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream!

Augusta Hash

In Augusta there is a dish served in barbecue restaurants that we've never seen anywhere else or heard of until we visited there recently. We call this Augusta Hash.

- leftover barbecue meat, finely chopped and shredded
- onions, finely chopped
- tomato juice
- black pepper (perhaps some hot sauce)

Simmer together and serve on rice

Grammy's Stewed Apples

3 lbs of apples

Start with
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 - 1 tsp apple spice
2 T butter or margarine
1/4 cup or more apple juice or apple brandy

Heat together all ingredients in large sauce pan.
Simmer on low while you peel and slice apples.
As juice thickens, put apples in sauce and toss to coat

Throw in handfull of mini marshmallows and mix in with apples

Cover to simmer until done:
Taste to see if more sugar or brown sugar is needed
Test for tenderness with fork - Don't let them get mushy!
If juice is too thin mix a little cornstarch in a little water and stir in.

Eat as a side item, dessert, over ice cream and enjoy!

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup yellow onion, finely diced
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg
12 ounces sharp cheddar, shredded
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh black pepper
Topping:
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter. Whisk in the flour and mustard and keep it moving for about five minutes. Make sure it's free of lumps. Stir in the milk, onion, bay leaf, and paprika. Simmer for ten minutes and remove the bay leaf.

Temper in the egg. Stir in 3/4 of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the macaroni into the mix and pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

Melt the butter in a saute pan and toss the bread crumbs to coat. Top the macaroni with the bread crumbs. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for five minutes before serving.

Remember to save leftovers for fried Macaroni and Cheese.