Garlic-Herb Butter (Compound Butter)

Garlic-Herb Butter, sometimes called Compound Butter, is something you should *always* have in your fridge or freezer.  It's the best way to add quick flavor to almost anything.  

Some things we use it for are:

Topping our medium-rare steak

Cooking our steak in a cast iron skillet

Melting it into some sautéed veggies (zucchini!)

Add it to any and all seafood

Spread it on freshly baked bread

Use it as a spread for garlic bread

2 sticks grass fed butter (I use a brick of Kerrygold)

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp. fresh minced Rosemary

1 tsp. fresh minced Thyme

2 tablespoons fresh minced Parsley

In a medium sized bowl cream the butter with a fork until smooth.

Add the crushed garlic and herbs and mix well.

Tear off two 12" sheets of wax paper.

Divide the butter mixture in two equal halves.

Place one half on each sheet of wax paper and begin shaping it into a log, as best you can.

Roll the ends of the wax paper like a tootsie roll until tight, continuing to shape it into a log as you go.

Refrigerate for 2 hours prior to use.

Use it on anything you think it sounds good on!  It will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 6 months.

Bisquick Recipes

I have a confession.  I have been an organizin' foo lately!  My most recent organizing project has been my pantry.  A friend of mine put me onto these two wonderful blogs and I spend WAY too much time on them.  One of them is a video blog and I can literally spend all day long watching her videos.  Her name is Alejandra and I highly recommend you check out her site if you like to organize.  The second site is by another lady named Jen.  She has a TON of awesome step-by-step organizational instructions in her Project Gallery and I love that she photos everything so the visual freak in me knows what she's talking about.  Her site is called iHeart Organizing.  Check her out.  

Ok, all that to say...whew!...I now keep all of my dry goods in Oxo bins.  If you've not heard of Oxo bins, here's a link to them on Amazon so you can see what I'm talking about.  I L.O.V.E. these containers.  They are air tight, the lid stays on them, the food inside stays fresh for a REALLY long time...they're just all around fabulous.  (Then...I'm really excited about this....I used my Cricut machine and cut out cute little lable-tag-type-things on scrapbook paper.  Get this...the paper is made from chalkboard material!!! And then I used a bistro chalk marker to label what's in each bin....I know, right?!  Super CUTE!!!!)  Anyway, Amazon has the Oxo bins for a good price, but I will tell you I found them at an even better price at Ross.  So if you really want them, shop around a little bit before you drop the cash on them at Amazon. 

Soooo, now that all of my dry goods are in Oxo bins, I have no need for the Bisquick box.  But, I do use the pancake, waffle, biscuit, and strawberry shortcake recipes from the back of the box.  And I really don't want to keep an empty box around just for the recipes on the back.  So, on the blog they go.

Bisquick Pancake Recipe:

2 cups Bisquick mix

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat skillet or griddle to medium/high heat.  Ladle mix into medium size circles onto hot, greased griddle.  Once bubbles start forming on top of the pancake, flip.  Cook until golden brown on both sides.  Makes approx. 14 pancakes.

Bisquick Waffle Recipe:

2 cups Bisquick mix

1 1/3 cups milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

Heat waffle maker.  Stir all ingredients until blended.  Pour onto center of hot, greased waffle maker.  Close lid.  Bake about 5 minutes or until steaming stops.  Makes approx. 12 waffles.

Bisquick Strawberry Shortcake Recipe:

4 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup sugar

2 1/3 cups Bisquick mix

2/3 cup milk

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (8oz.) container cool whip

Mix strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar; set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix remaining ingredients (minus cool whip) until a soft dough forms.  Drop by 6 spoonfulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.  Split warm shortcakes, add strawberries and cool whip.  Makes 6 shortcakes.

Bisquick Biscuit Recipe:

2 1/4 cup Bisquick Mix

2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Stir ingredients until a soft dough forms.  Place on a surface that has been generously sprinkled with Bisquick mix.  Knead the dough 10 times.  Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.  Cut with a 2 1/2 inch cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.  

Drop Biscuits:

Do not knead dough.  Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Cheese-Garlic Biscuits:

Make Drop Biscuits-except decrease Bisquick mix to 2 cups and add 1/2 shredded cheddar cheese.  Bake 8-10 minutes.  In a small bowl melt 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/4 tsp. garlic powder; mix together.  Brush the garlic butter over warm biscuits.

Oven Baked Bacon

This is one of those "how-to"/"tips and tricks" things that you just need to know.  I came across this little trick a few years ago and I've done it ever since.  Oven bake your bacon!  It saves you time because you don't have to babysit it while it's frying AND it frees up a burner on the stove so you can make other yummy things to go with your bacon.  And personally, I think the bacon tastes way better when it's done this way.  I'm not sure why it tastes better, but it does have a better texture, so maybe that's part of it.

 

First, line a cookie sheet with foil.  Make sure the foil goes up all of the sides of the cookie sheet.  This makes clean up a breeze.

Then place your bacon on the foil.  I usually make a whole pound of bacon at a time and refreeze what I don't use for later, but you don't have to make the whole pound of it if you don't want to.

Place an oven rack in the center position and place the cookie sheet in the COLD oven.

Turn your oven to 400 degrees and walk away.  Allow it to bake for 17-20 minutes.