Things that happened while I wasn't here...

Have you noticed the same trend in my blogging that I have? I do great all week, then BAM the weekend hits and I fail miserably to keep it up. I'm just to dang busy (and it's to stinkin' nice out) to sit inside and blog. So instead of feeling bad about it and counting it as a fail, I will just catch you up every Monday on the tings that happened while I wasn't here. :) Yep, I'm a genius!

Here goes nothing!

Friday night was great, yet disappointing all in the same second. I'll start with the great. My cousin Sam & I decided on Monday of last week to throw together a surprise party for my baby sis Kayla. Though, she's really not a baby any more, she's 22. But she'll always be MY baby sis! Anyways, we made a flyer and decided to have it at Sam's house, since we normally go there on Friday's anyway, and have drinks, food & a bon fire. Oh and did I mention the chocolate mustache lollipops? Oh yea, that happened! 

Pics or it didn't happen...

ME

Birthday Girl Kayla

Ashley

Brenna

Mark. (He already had a mustache, so he just needed the stick:)

We really did have a great time & Kayla was really surprised. (although a little let down because she thought we were going to California Pizza Kitchen all week.) SORRY KAY!

The downside of Friday is... actually I don't even care about the downside. Those that showed up had a good time and those who didn't missed out... BIG TIME!

Saturday: Was cleaning day... Yippee... 

Conversation with my Mom Friday night:

MOM: "Remember we're cleaning tomorrow... starting at 10, so I will be waking both of you up about 9:30. Pass that along to your sis please" 

ME: "Why can't I just wake up at 10?" 

MOM: "Because I want to start at 10..."

ME: O_o 

We got almost everything done, and I will agree that the house needed a good cleaning. Ever since Kay stopped being the maid we've gotten pretty lazy in the cleaning department. So we cleaned, and it looks gooooooood!


Then we all went to Makenzie's grad party (I feel so old!!!) and can I just say... The food was so delicious! I remember now why I don't mind going to grad parties! The food! haha On a serious note, CONGRATULATIONS to Makenzie for graduating high school! So proud of you girlie! Woohoo!


One more thing for Saturday, man I was busy! It was also My good friend Mallory's birthday and she invited a few of us over to her house for a bon fire. Highlight of the evening? 

Sh'e smiling here, but the engagement was short-lived.

The  fake engagement between Sam & Matt that carried over from Makenzie's grad party, to Mallory's B-day bon fire. It. Was. Hilarious! Sam may not think so, but the rest of us did. We even went as far as to take some mock engagement pictures. (which Sam FAILED to post to Facebook, so I cannot share them with you, I'm as disappointed as you are trust me!) We could have had a whole wedding all at Mallory's. We had a pastor, witnesses, a piano player, THE WORKS! I have a feeling Sam would have drawn the line though.


Onto SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! Not a whole lot really happened on Sunday. I got up & went to church, passed out fliers for the canoe trip I planned and had a BBQ at my house with Jon & Amy. And swam with my niece & nephew, they think they are SOO cool because they can swim underwater WITH THEIR EYES OPEN! haha they're wearing goggles, so does that really count?? 


Last thing I want to add to this post is more of a request. I have a blog friend named Lauren & she is currently about 30 weeks pregnant with her first child. 

Ted & Lauren - Borrowed this pic from her blog, aren't they the cutest?

They're having a baby girl. They found out recently that one of their daughter's ventricles is not working properly and just kinda stutters. What I remember from her blog & twitter is that this is a new development with baby Brimley, and that the Dr. appointment the month prior showed no sign of heart troubles. It's a very scary time for them and they really don't have a lot of answers as to what exactly is going on (you know how Doctors are, they like to keep you in the dark sometimes) It is possible that the heart issue will resolve itself and they will have a happy, healthy baby, but it is also possible that it will not heal itself and Baby will need surgery right after birth. It's really up in the air at this point, and all they can do is wait.


Anyways, back to my request. If you're the praying type, or just want to make an exception for me, please send a prayer up for Lauren & Ted to have the strength & wisdom to handle the path that they are on with the current health issues Baby Brimely is having. And throwing in a prayer to help heal that precious little baby never hurts. I know our Heavenly Father already has a plan for them, but prayer never hurts. 


So thanks in advance for the prayers for the Brimley family, I appreciate it & I'm sure they do to. :)

Glorious Day 30 - Gwen Space, Bill Space & Bill Korthas

It's glorious DAY 30!!! Can you believe it's over???

First of all, I want to thank you all for enjoying this wild ride with me. 30 meals for 30 families in 30 days turned into so much more than just me learning how to cook. I sit hear crying as I type this all out, but I mean every word. I learned so much more than how to make a great meal, more than budgeting my money. I learned about the greatest group of people anyone could ever have the privilege of knowing. I mean that from the bottom of my heart. I only hope that everyone out there can have as great of a church family (Yep, FAMILY) as I do. Thank you to all of the families that let me come in and cook, THANK YOU to all of my sponsors, every single person who donated had a hand in this project, without you guys I wouldn't have been able to do this! And a very VERY special thank you to Juanita Willard for making ALL of the delicious desserts. I was blown away by your kindness. I seriously cannot thank you all enough for the support you have given me throughout this project. I try, but there really are no words.

Now, onto my final meal. Tonight was fun and full of surprises! I cooked for Gwen & Bill Space, Bob Korthas, Chuck, Bobbi & Makenzie Adams AND Connor Donohue. 
Way to go out with a bang right??? 

I know what you're thinking right now. Where's Bobbi & Chuck??? Chuck had to go pick up Maddi, their other daughter, from work and Bobbi said "No way, Jose" to the picture. :) She helped cook so I gave her a "Get Out Of The Picture Free" card.

We had the most delicious Old World Manicotti ever to grace the earth. For. Reals. Surprise numero uno. Most of the meal was prepped and put together when I got there. (Thoughtful of them right?) I had to put the finishing touches on it, so TECHNICALLY I helped cook it. :) 

So lets total this up. I officially cooked 32 meals for 35 families in 30 days. 
But I actually cooked 34 dishes. I cooked 2 separate pastas and a soup for "Young Adults" dinner. Yep... I'm that awesome!


OK... Final meal, you gotta try it!

Old World Manicotti

Ingredients:

12 large manicotti shells

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

6 tbsp chopped fresh basil or 2 tbsp dried basil

1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or Ramano cheese

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels.

For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella with the ricotta and fresh basil. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff pasta shells with prepared cheese mixture.

spoon 2 cups of spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed shells over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake manicotti for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the Parmesan; bake for additional 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Day 29 - The Herman's

Can you believe this is already Day 29???? It feels like just yesterday it was Day 1! Only one more day and this whole dang thing is over! It's very bittersweet for me. While I'm really loving every minute of the time I get to spend with everyone, I am so stinkin' tired I cannot believe it! Who knew?? 


Tonight I cooked for a really rad chic named Tracy. Heard of her?? haha Along with Tracy, there was her husband Dave and their 2 adorable kids McKenna & Mathew. 

They have a HAIRLESS RAT?!?!?! Say what???? I was shocked by this. Tracy did not strike me as the rat type. Weird. It was actually pretty soft! I thought it would have been rough. I should have taken a picture of it.


Wanna know how dinner went??? McKenna will tell you below :)

I know I'm pretty awesome!


Weird... I made another chicken meal... Eat it!Maple Mustard Buttermilk Crusted Chicken Tenders

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken tenders

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup pure maple syrup

1/4 cup dijon mustard

4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 cups panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup regular seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

In a bowl, whisk together buttermilk, maple syrup, mustard and garlic. Add chicken to a baking dish and pour buttermilk mixture over top to coat. Let soak for 4-6 hours, or overnight.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, combine panko, bread crumbs, flour, salt, pepper and ground mustard.

Remove each chicken tender from the buttermilk and dip in breadcrumbs, gently pressing to adhere. Place on the wire rack. Spray each with a mist of olive oil or nonstick spray. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from over, gently flip and mist with spray, then bake for 10-12 minutes more. Eat!

Maple Honey Mustard

1/3 cup dijon mustard

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons honey

Whisk ingredients together and serve.

Day 28 - Piper & The Clan

My mom is pretty sweet, and she set up a dinner with my old babysitter Piper and her family. I've known them forever, but it's been so long since I've seen them. This was the coolest thing ever! Thanks mom!

Piper is in the purple, her arm is around her son Andrew and behind him is Jason. Going the other way you have Piper's mom Chris, son Jamie and dad Keith. Buddy the dog is in front. They were loads of fun to have dinner with! It was great to sit around and  just catch up with some of the coolest people on the planet.

I Kinda cheated and I'm re-doing a meal because it was so good! But don't you worry, because of the extra special meal I made with Maddi on Day 11 I still met my goal of 30 meals for 30 families in 30 days! Boo-ya Kasha!

I re-did the Jessie-Famous Johnny Carino's Bowtie Festival. Yum:

Johnny Carino's Bowtie Festival

Ingredients: 

For Alfredo sauce:

1 quart heavy whipping cream

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp black pepper

1/4 cup milk

For bowtie Festival:

1 oz melted butter

1 tsp chopped fresh garlic

1/8 cup diced red onion

1/8 cup diced cooked bacon

1/4 cup diced Roma tomatoes

3 oz. sliced cooked chicken

1 oz heavy (whipping) cream

1/8 cup Asiago cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

10 oz precooked bowtie pasta

Method:

For Alfredo sauce:   

Saute heavy cream , milk and black pepper to a consistent boil. Remove cream mixture from heat and fold in Parmesan cheese. Store completed sauce in refrigerator until use.

For bowtie festival:

In a  heated saute pan combine butter, garlic, onions, bacon, tomatoes, chicken and spice mixture.

When onions begin to turn translucent, add heavy cream and Asiago cheese.

Once cheese and cream have reduced by 1/2, add in Alfredo sauce and bowtie pasta. Toss until well combined and remove from stove. Allow to cool for a few minutes so the cheese and sauce thicken.

Day 27 - Ryan & Corrine

Here's Ryan & Corrine. I cooked for them today.


Just kidding... Apparently there are no existing pictures on the internet of these 2. Maybe they are in the Witness Protection Program. In that case, I cooked for Brian & Dorrine. :) Today's meal didn't start off as well as I'd hoped! I was planning to be over to Ryan & Corrine's between 12-1. HOWEVER, Tyler had a flag football game and I went & then we had to get super sweet pictures printed. Obvi! So I didn't end up getting there until around 2! OYE! The meal went well, UNTIL the sauce was supposed to thicken, and DIDN'T. After about 20 minutes trying to thicken it I gave up. I have no idea what the trick is. :( I hope that the meal was still delicious. I'll find out Monday at work from Ryan.


My Mom would be totes jelly if you tried this one:

Chicken Pot Pie Penne

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup half & half or heavy cream 
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded into bite sized pieces
1 cup frozen peas & carrots mix
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1-2 cups whole wheat dry penne pasta (or any penne pasta will do)
water for boiling pasta

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. When done, place hot penne pasta in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Melt the better (or oil if using) in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook onion, garlic and mushrooms in the skillet until golden brown. 
3. Sprinkle in the flour over the mushroom mixture in the skillet and stir. Cook for a few seconds to rid the floury smell then add the broth, half & half (or heavy cream) to the skillet.

4. Deglaze the skillet, scraping up any bits of fond at the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, uncovered until the liquid is slightly thickened.

5. Add the chicken, frozen peas and carrots mix, lemon juice, and thyme to the skillet. Cook until heated through and season with salt & pepper to taste.

6. Add the cooked penne pasta and toss to coat pasta.

Day 24 - The Other Ridgway's

I call them the "Other" Ridgway's, not in a mean way, but just so you don't get confused and think it's my parents again. See I'm doing you a favor, spelling it out so you don't even have to think about it. Yep, I'm that nice!

Look at them & their awesomness! Mark(striped shirt) & I used to hang out like EVERYDAY growing up. Besides my sisters he was the best friend I had! Those were the good ole days! I'm glad I got to go over & hang out with them. Don't get to spend a whole lot of time with them outside of work. :)


Mmmmm mmmm mmmmm... This dinner was delish! Angel Hair Pasta w/ Chicken. It was light, yet filling. Wasn't a giant fan of the carrots & broccoli in it though. I'm just not huge on cooked veggies. But I ate them and survived. ;)


Simple, yet satisfying! Try it!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cubed

1 carrot, sliced diagonally into ¼ inch pieces

1 (10 oz) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz angel hair pasta

2/3 cup chicken broth

1 tsp dried basil

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

(serves 4)

Method:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium skillet over a medium heat; add chicken.

2. Cook, stirring, until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes.

3. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels.

4. Heat remaining oil in same skillet.

5. Begin heating water for pasta.

6. Add carrot to skillet; cook, stirring for 4 minutes.

7. Add broccoli & garlic to skillet; cook, stirring for 2 minutes longer.

8. Cook pasta according to package instructions.

9. While pasta is cooking, add chicken broth, basil and parmesan to skillet. Stir to combine.

10. Return chicken to skillet. Reduce heat & simmer for 4 minutes.

11. Drain pasta & place in large serving bowl.

12. Top w/ Chicken & vegetable mixture. Serve immediately.

Day 22 - Mike & Candice

Way back when I first started this project I asked my sister if she thought her neighbor's Mike & Candice would like to get in on this food action. I mean who wouldn't want a free meal cooked for them??? Well, Brenna asked and I never heard anything back from her. About 2 weeks in I asked again and we got them signed up for, in my opinion, the grossest meal in existence! I really thought no one in their right mind would want to eat a Baked Reuben Sandwich, let alone like it! But Mike & Candice actually like them! Yay!

(Stole this little gem from Candice's Facebook page, 
because I'm really awesome & forgot to take one! :)

So I went over to the house and made the best smelling Baked Reuben Sandy ever in the whole widest world!!!! (But I was definitely not going to eat it! haha) Kayla had already made me dinner at home :) I really hope they enjoy it, because it was a really easy meal to make. Would be good for a busy night or just a night when you want something great to eat! Enjoy Mike & Candice. And if it sucks, let me know!


Are you brave enough to try this one???

Baked Reuben Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 cups Original Bisquick mix

1 cup milk

1 egg

2 tsp caraway seeds

1/2 lb sliced Deli-style corned beef (I used 1 1/2 lbs because a 1/2 lb here is 5 slices!)

1/4 honey mustard

3/4 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

14 oz jar Sauerkraut, well drained

1/2 cup thousand island dressing

Method:

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2-qt square glass baking dish with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, stir Bisquick, milk, egg & 1 tsp caraway seeds with a fork until blended. Spread one cup of batter in a baking dish.

Brush corned beef slices with honey mustard; layer on top of batter in baking dish. Top evenly with cheese and sauerkraut. carefully spread the rest of the batter over sauerkraut. Sprinkle remaining tsp of caraway seeds.

Bake uncovered 28-32 minutes or until lightly golden brown and center is set. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting. Serve with thousand island dressing.

Day 21 - The Rodriguez's & the Ridgway's

Today was another big group day. I had my Aunt Vanessa & cousin Staci over to join my family & Tyler and Daisy. They always get to sneak in for meals! haha

We had a pretty dang good meal too! Mac & Cheese and Chicken. Seriously Bloggies... Seriously the most delicious thing ever! I love me some Mac & Cheese and this knocked my socks off! Yes, it's a little more work than tossing in some cheese whiz, but it's soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo worth it!

Then we had cupcakes and Daisy showed off her frosting mustache.

Totes adorbes. I love that little girl with all my heart! Her brother too!

How can you not melt looking at that smile!

Please take a little extra time & try this Mac & Cheese. You will fall in love! I promise!

Chicken Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

1-2 tsp dried Italian seasoning, crushed

Salt & ground pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

8 oz dried mostaccioli, ziti or penne pasta

1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 tbsp tomato paste

3 cups milk

8 oz smoked Cheddar, Gruyere or Swiss cheese, shredded (2 cups)

2 cups soft sourdough or French bread crumbs

2 oz finely shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese (1/2 cup)

2 tbsp butter, melted

(Serves 6)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

3. In a large skillet, cook chicken, Italian (or desired) seasoning blend, salt and pepper in hot oil over medium heat until chicken is no longer pink.

4. Remove from skillet and set aside.

5. In a large pot cook pasta according to the directions, drain and return to pot.

6. Meanwhile, in the same skillet you cooked the chicken, cook onion and garlic in 3 tbsp hot butter over medium heat until tender.

7. Stir in flour until well combined.

8. Stir in tomato paste and add milk.

9. Cook & stir until mixture is thickened & bubbly; reduce heat.

10. Add shredded cheese & stir until cheese is almost melted & remove from heat.

11. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

12. Add sauce & chicken to cooked pasta in pot; stir to coat and spoon mixture into a 2 quart baking dish.

13. In a small bowl, stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and 3 tbsp melted butter. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over pasta mixture.

14. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until bread crumb mixture is golden and the edges are bubbly.

15. Let Stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Day 20 - The Betz's

Or is it just Betz'? I'm horrible with grammar & spelling.

I'm just going to come out with it up-front. I was dreading tonight's meal. Chicken Enchilada Pasta???????????????????????? I've told you about my distaste for chunks in my food. This is Mexican, full of chunks food! But I can honestly say that I gave it a fair shot. And... and... I LIKED IT!!! Yes, me, the one who only orders chicken tenders everywhere I go ate chicken enchilada pasta and like it. The Apocalypse is happening, prepare yourself now! :)

I was also kinda iffy about tonight's dinner because I really don't know the Betz family very well. I kinda turn into "awkward, shy girl" when I'm around people I don't know, but they made me feel so welcome there was not one iota of "awkward, shy girl" anywhere in the whole process. YAY, I'm double proud of myself for tonight! This night alone makes the WHOLE process worth it. :)

Here's the wonderful Betz family

As you can see, Sophie is having a full-out meltdown. Maybe it was my cooking. :(

And Erik is so over it! haha ok so I made that last part up, but he totally looks like he's over it! That's my story & I'm sticking to it!


OH! I almost forgot! The Betz got me the cutest little plant/flower ever! I love it!

Please, do me a solid and try this recipe!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded {or shredded rotisserie chicken…I used the breasts}

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 {4 oz.} can diced green chiles

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

2 {10 oz.} cans green chili enchilada sauce

2/3 cups red enchilada sauce

2 cups shredded cheese {I used colby & monterrey jack}

1 cup sour cream

Penne pasta

Optional toppings

Avocado

Green Onions

Black Olives

Tomatoes

Sour Cream

Method:

Cook chicken, drain, and shred {or shred your rotisserie}.  

Meanwhile boil pasta according to package and chop the veggies. 

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet and cook onions for about 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic & red pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes. 

Add cooked chicken, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, salt, & enchilada sauces.  Let sauce simmer for about 8-10 minutes.

Add cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and heated through.  Now toss in the sour cream, but whatever you do, DO NOT bring to a boil!  Cook on low heat or the sour cream will curdle.  Gross.  Stir until sour cream is well mixed and heated through.

Drain pasta & return to pot.  Pour sauce over pasta, mix well & serve. 

*OPTIONAL* garnish with avocado, tomato, green onion, and a dollop of sour cream.

Day 19 - "Myles & Kayla"

*I felt that I needed to make a special note before starting the actual post to explain something you will read but not understand if I don't explain. When we (our church) went to Flint to work for the M&M (Ministries & Michigan) Project we gave our Pastor Jon the nickname PJ. I think you can clearly figure out the reason. So when I refer to PJ now you know who I am talking about*

Not sure if you noticed or not, but I used quotes around Myles & Kayla. I did that for one reason, it ended up not just being Myles & Kayla. First, I added a helper, Mallory. Then my cousin Sam was coming. Then, I invited Matt over. THEN I invited PJ over. So it became quite a crowd at the Ridgway house. My parents were home, but they weren't invited to the party. So now I post the picture from last night & you will notice something strange. It's ONLY of Kayla & Myles. Yep, I'm lame and I forgot. Or was it because the others were LAMER PARTY POOPERS and left right after dinner. I'm pretty sure it was the 2nd.

Now, I've told you previously that I have only had part of one dish that I didn't like. The Vinaigrette rice from Day 8. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeell My continued streak of delicious dishes ended Friday, April 27th approximately 8:30PM. Yes, I remember the time of day it happened. We had *I shudder at the thought* Doritos Cheesy Chicken Casserole. I may have not have hated it so much if there wasn't so many chunks in it. HOWEVER, it had lots of salsa, mushroom, corn chunks in it. So it was SICKNAST. End. Of. Story.

Oh, but that really isn't the end of the story. I did save the meal. Wanna know how????? I made the most delicious imitation Red Lobster biscuits to ever grace this earth with their presence. Yes, they were THAT GOOD! (even though I started to cook them on wax paper. How should I know that's bad?) 

I suppose if you like chunks in your food, like the boys do, you will like this recipe:

Doritos Cheesy Chicken Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked chicken, chopped (I used a rotisserie chicken)
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups salsa or 1 can Rotel
1 can of corn, drained
2 cups Mexican cheese, shredded
1 bag of nacho cheese Doritos

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Crush the entire bag of Doritos and cover the bottom of the dish.  Reserve one cup of cheese.   Mix together remaining ingredients in a large bow.  Pour chicken mixture over the Doritos.  Bake for 20 min. Top casserole with the remaining cheese and bake 5 additional minutes or until melted.

Red Lobster Biscuits

Ingredients:
Biscuits:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder (I used 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp salt (I used 1 tsp)
2 tbsp shortening
3 tbsp butter, cold (or room temp works)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk & 1 1/2 tsp vinegar. Let them sit together until little bubbles form on top, approx. 10 minutes)
1 1/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (I use a full 2 cups)


Buttery Topping:
3 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
3/4 tsp garlic powder


Method:
Preheat over to 350 degrees.


In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder & salt. Cut in shortening & butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here & there are ok - the biscuits will be tough if over-mixed.) Drop the biscuits onto greased or lined (WITH PARCHMENT PAPER, NOT WITH WAX PAPER) baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned & golden.


While biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine butter, parsley, garlic powder & salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush them with the buttery mixture & serve.