Wild Moon Cottage is a small working homestead in the pristine Ozark Mountains. We have dairy goats, poultry, organic herb and vegetable gardens, a start of a tiny fruit orchard, several black walnut trees, wild berries and fields of wildcrafting goodness. We raise our own milk, our own eggs, much of our own medicine and food. I do laundry by hand, make my own vinegar, candles, soap, bread, cheese ........ For a living I am an artist and herbalist. My goal for myself and our homestead is to be as self sufficient and self sustaining as possible.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Pictures & Biscuits

Kind, Gentle Buddha
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Yes, that is an egg and Yes! it came from one of our hens.
One of the Stars in fact  :)  :)  :)
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 Beautiful Crepe Myrtle right before I cut it way back to a disheveled stick.
But it needs to come with us and has to be prepared for the move.
It will grow wonderfully again next year.
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 Kirin, stalking poor Wicket who just jumped off my bed.
Kirin has gotten big!
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 Hard to see but a lovely honey bee on the sedum.
There were 10 or 12 of the little beauties.
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And a little biscuit making  :)


Ye Ole Biscuits (cut or drop)

3 c flour
1 1/2 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/3 c + 1 T shortening
1 c milk or water

Add flour to bowl, sift baking soda onto flour and sprinkle on salt. Add shortening and cut into flour until only pea size or smaller shortening balls remain. Add milk slowly and mix well to needed consistency. Thicker for cut biscuits, thinner for drop biscuits.

If you're making drop biscuits just drop them by the spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. I make big biscuits and use a large serving spoon. Bake at around 400 deg for 10 to 15 minutes.

To make cut biscuits, when dough is ready, sprinkle flour onto your rolling surface and roll dough out to 1/2 to 1 inch and cut with biscuit cutter or drinking glass rim or coffee cup rim dipped in flour. Place about 2 finger apart and bake at 400 for 10 to 15 minutes.

You can add all sorts of things to this basic mix, some of our favorite adds are ...

parmesan cheese and cracked pepper
shredded cheddar
minced ham and cheese bits
cinnamon and sugar (about 3 Tablespoons each to the mix)


This recipe also makes good shortbread which we call scones. You can make it like scones, in a large lump with slices cut. Or like shortbread, like large biscuits. I just add about 1/2 cup of sugar to the mix and sometimes adds like cranberries, blueberries, craisins, orange zest, cinnamon, lemon, poppy seeds ..... then just adjust the milk to make the dough the consistency you want. bake the same as above :)

I also made up a sort of chicken biscuit that we like a lot. Use chicken broth instead of milk or water and add pepper and onion. It might sound odd but they're very good and two make a good quick meal. I add minced cooked chicken meat is i have any extra.

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