Homemade Biscuits

2 c self-rising flour
2 c buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
4 tbsp cooking oil

• Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
• In a large bowl portion out the flour. (If using plain flour, sift in 4 tsp. baking powder and 1 tsp salt into it to make self-rising).
• Mix the baking soda and 2 tsp oil in the cup of buttermilk.
• Slowly add 1 c of buttermilk to the flour.
• You will be adding the rest of the buttermilk to the mixture, but not until you get a good feel for the dough.
• From this point, you need to make a judgment call about the dough. Mix using a large spoon and vigorous strokes until the dough is spongy and smooth. You may add more buttermilk to get it to mix more smoothly. If dough is too stiff, add more flour.
• The dough is ready when it is smooth and you can barely form a biscuit without it losing its shape. It should not be stiff. If stiff, add more milk.
• Coat a cast iron skill or other baking pan with the last 2 tbsp of oil.
• Coat hands with a little oil to keep dough from sticking to them.
• Pinch off biscuits to desired size (remember they swell so make them a little smaller than you might wish).
• Line pan with biscuits close together.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until brown.
• Cautiously turn out biscuits on a plate.

I have earned rites of passage on this recipe. I think the secret to making good biscuits is to work at it until you think your biscuits taste better than anyone else's. I believe my biscuits are better than anyone else's. My recipe is different from most because I use more buttermilk than oil/butter/lard than other recipes. I have learned to love to make these biscuits and I can whip them out in no time. It's a matter of the feel of the dough.

Holiday Punch

1 half gallon lime sherbet
2 liters gingerale

Mix the sherbet and gingerale in a large punch bowel. It is easy and inexpensive. Be prepared to make two batches because every loves it. It is very rich; consider it dessert and have something salty, like nuts, ready to eat.

You can substitute any other flavor of sherbet in this punch.

Sheila Witherington
I learned to make this recipe when I was a teenager. Part of our growing up process as young women in Fordyce, Arkansas, was to learn to host and attend parties, showers, teas, and other social occasions. We used to serve this punch at our parties. Finally, after all the weddings and babies were out of the way, I adopted the recipe for our Christmas punch. I made it for Christmas every year when my children were growing up. It has been many years since I made it though. But now I have four grandchildren and another on the way. It may be time to pull out the old punch bowel again.

Brown Beans

2 c dried pinto beans
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder or cumin
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 small onion, chopped (optional)
1 tbsp sala (optional)

Pick through and clean the beans. Preferably soak the beans overnight.

If you forgot to soak the beans, use the rapid method by covering the beans with water in a large pot and bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat and allow beans to sit in water for a few minutes to prepare beans for boiling. Drain off the first water.

Cover soaked beans with water and add other ingredients. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a slow simmer. Be sure to keep water level at least an inch over the beans to ensure they do not scorch. Cover pot and simmer for at least an hour, or until beans are tender.

Other options include: 1 tsp. cinnamon and 1 tsp cloves; 1/2 tsp grated ginger; 1 tsp hot curry

Sheila Witherington
Everyone needs to know how to cook brown beans because they can be the cheapest and most nutrious staple of food used in a variety of formats. Brown beans can save you money when you'd rather go to Europe than have a big food bill. They don't have to be boring either. My mom started cooking brown beans for us when we started getting welfare commodities shortly after she became a single parent after her divorce. Now I choose brown beans even though I can afford other foods. They are a great source of protein free of animal fat. I like to boil the beans and eat them the first day with brown rice or mashed potatoes. The leftover beans can then be used the next day for bean burritos, bean tostados, or refried beans for dip. I also like to make brown bean soup by adding more water and boiling the beans a little longer. It is really good with fresh pan cornbread or a pan of fresh homemade biscuits.

French Mustard Pasta Sauce

1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

• Mix all the ingredients and simmer over a low heat.
• Pour directly over al dente pasta and toss gently.
• Serve with a salad and crusty bread.
• Cheese and fruit for dessert top off a great meal.

Sheila Witherington
I learned this recipe during the summer of 1990 when I lived with a French family in Strasbourg, France. I don't remember very many details about this time because I had just had major abdominal surgery two weeks before leaving the U.S. and I was in a sort of shock for weeks. But I do remember this recipe. The family was comprised of a mother and three chldren, ages 18, 15, and 12. The 18-year-old son lived in the carriage house behind the main house with a college friend of his, and sometimes when the mother was not available, they cooked the evening meal for all of us. As a part of my homestay program, they provided breakfast and dinner in the evening. Therefore, it was understood that the family would dine together at night. One of the favorites for the guys to cook was pasta with this mustard sauce. They prepared a nice salad of fresh greens and oil and served pasta and sauce. I adapted the recipe to my different moods, but this is the basic recipe the best I can remember it. C'est la vie.