Sweet Potato Biscuits

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I have had a huge response with friends and co-workers over this recipe. It was standard fare growing up. I assumed it was common place everywhere, much to my surprise it was not as common as I thought. So I felt the compelling need to share this. Just a little back story. This recipe has been handed down through my family for many generations. It has gone so long that we have no idea who started this tradition. But; I can tell you where I learned it, this recipe came from my Granny Betty (Voyles) it was taught to her by her mother and so on so forth. It is simple easy to make and the taste is other worldly. The sweet potatoes give the biscuits an ever so slight orange color and a sweet taste along with the sugar. The biscuits seem to the best when they are fresh out of the oven and are accented with a rather liberal helping of butter. Every time I eat on of these biscuits I have fond memories and I am taken back to my childhood, happy memories flood my mind of Granny getting up early and making each biscuit with care and love. After which we would go about our daily business knowing we had a full stomach and was prepared for whatever challenges we might face that day. Even after all these years it still amazes me that the flavor and texture of this biscuit is so good that melts in your mouth. I am not one to dedicate or get sentimental very often but I must say I have to give full and undivided credit for my love of cooking and these truly wonderful biscuits to my Granny Betty Voyles. She does not own a computer and has never surfed the web, doesn’t even know what that phrase means. But she has spent a lifetime helping others and serving the community we live in. She has mastered the art of southern cooking and at times added her own flare to classic recipes. She is a wonderful person who should not go without recognition and proper respect for unyielding venture to keep the family feed and always have a hot meal on the table.

SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

1 cup mashed sweet potato
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar

mix all these ingredients together
Just a quick add in I forgot the times which should be around 35 minutes at 350 degrees, just remember to check the oven as this is a guideline and not a rule.

then slowly add
1 and 3/4 cups to 2 cups self rising flour

turn out mixture onto a floured surface, roll out, and cut

World of Warcraft

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It is no big secret that I am an avid gamer. I love to have fun, and after a long day of work I come home and relax by firing up my PC and running around in a make belief world. That world for me is Azeroth, set in the World of Warcraft universe. Just a little background I started my time in wow at the end of the Burning Crusade content. I was a raider through Wrath of the Lich King, and in Cataclysm I have taken a more casual approach due to real life time constraints. I have also enjoyed battlegrounds and a small, very small step in arena play. I play on The Forgotten Coast server Horde faction in the Macabre guild, I play a Tauren Hunter. The guild is a late night raiding guild which is one reason I haven’t raided as much these days. At Blizzcon 2011 the next World of Warcraft expansion was announced Mist of Pandaria, I am excited about this to say the least. I am not going to include a list of facts and updates there are plenty of sites to do that. This is after all Food for Thought. Which brings me to my point, is online gaming a problem for some people? I have heard it discussed both ways. My general play time is from 6-8pm cst on Thursday nights. That is my time to get away and kick back. I feel it is very important to balance time from whatever your chosen hobby is and family time. With a wife and son, it is vital as a husband and father to give them all the attention and love they need. it is also important for me to have my time as well as my wife. So how do modern couples and families balance there lives? I don’t think this question has an easy answer. It is a topic that has constant debate. I can tell you this, if you spend more time working and doing whatever hobby you like, than spending time with your own family, you need to revamp your way of thinking and strive to do better. This is a goal that I myself constantly work on. I challenge all of you to do the same. For just one hour put down the magazine, turn off the computer, put up the fishing rod, put the car in the garage, and enjoy what we so often take for granted. You will be surprised in what a difference it makes in your quality of life and the quality of life of your family.

Greek Yogurt

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While filing some paperwork at the Circuit Clerk’s office. Which is a task that I do throughout my work day, I noticed that they were eating Yogurt. As a foodie I could not help but ask them about it. The girls in the office politely offered me some. As I went to the fridge to get a cup, I noticed this was not the standard yogurt I was used to. It was made my the Dannon company and was in a blue container. In big white letters on the side it said Greek Yogurt. I asked the girls why they bought this brand and type of yogurt. They said it seemed to have more nutrients in it. I have not done any research to confirm or deny this fact, but what I can say it was delicious. I tried the strawberry flavor. As I mixed the fruit in the bottom of the cup and the yogurt on the top, I noticed the aromatics were pleasing. While mixing one them chimed in “you should mix granola in with it, we have some here”. That was a great idea I thought. So I proceeded to mix in the granola. I must say the first bite was a moment of sheer joy and delight. I first noticed that the texture of the yogurt was thicker than the yogurt I was used to. I liked this very much. With the granola added in the texture was spot on with what I had been looking for in a good yogurt all this time. I didn’t realize what I had been missing. As I devoured that cup enjoying every last spoonful of smooth, creamy, fruity, goodness. I realized not only was the texture great, the yogurt and granola a great match up. It seemed the fruit was fresh and tasty. It didn’t have that grocery freezer quality about it. No, it seemed to take me right to the strawberry farm where it was picked. I was able to finish out the rest of my workday with a smile on my face and a new-found taste on a familiar classic.

Food, Friends, and Fun

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This weekend was an exceptionally great weekend. It was filled with Food, Friends, and Fun. My wife and I started the weekend off very early Saturday morning in preparations for Dinner that evening with another couple. I had decided to smoke a Boston Butt, and let me tell you I could not have asked for a better day. The temperature was perfect, the sun was shining, the humidity level was spot on, the cosmos aligned and the world was in a perfect place. But I will move on and get to the meat of the matter.

As a general rule of thumb, I try to smoke my meat for 1.5 hours for every pound of meat. I also like the temp on my smoker to be around 220 degrees. These times and temps will vary for each smoker, climate, and personal cooking style. We used a dry rub made with Woody’s seasoning and brown sugar. I also placed it in the smoker with the fat side up. I did this so that all the fat and juices would run down into the proteins of the meat. I must say this turned out really well. The only thing I might have done differently was to apply more dry rub at the beginning to really drive home the flavor. But as for the tenderness and smoky flavor of the meat it was fantastic. It was smoked with cherry wood which seemed to really enhance the flavor. As I pulled the meat off the smoker the aroma was the most sweet, smoky, seductive smell that I have ever had the pleasure to experience. As I let it rest on the counter the anticipation was more than I could stand. I tore (not cut) a rather small portion for tasting. I was not disappointed. The meat literally melted in my mouth. At that moment the joy I experienced was an other worldly experience. As I had my wife taste as well she agreed that the entire process turned out well this time. It is like anything else we may encounter in life, it doesn’t always turn out the way we want but it did this time. We immediately began to pull the pork apart no knife and fork needed here. I also decided to leave part of it chunked because it was just plain good. Lets move on to the sides shall we?

My wife is fast becoming the sides expert in our home. We decided to make brown and serve rolls to save on time. I was not let down they turned out great. They were light, fluffy, little buttery delights. Next  up Cream Cheese Corn, this dish is super easy and fun the trick is the pepper jelly. You add pepper jelly to give it extra zip and a real flavor boost. Moving on is grilled beans with mild sausage and mustard (yes mustard). They were packed full of flavor and tasted great. fire up the grill pre-heat to 350 degrees leave them for around 30 to 45 minutes top. Much longer than that and you will burn them. Lets face it no one wants burned beans. I have done that and it was not a fun time. Now for the dessert, our friends brought two desserts. The first was truly the best take on Banna Pudding I have ever had. The secret which they so graciously provided me with was real vanilla. That’s right real imported vanilla from Mexico. That one dish alone made me a believer. It was so delicious and was just a wonderful finish to a great meal. There was one more surprise. It was a dessert that was new to me and I must say I was impressed. The name of the dish was called Fluff and that’s just what it was light airy and low-fat to boot. It was made with oranges, pineapples, and cool-whip. It was something you could eat a ton of and not feel guilty about it.

Of course no evening is complete without a riveting game of Pictonary and Scooby-Doo Clue. I was refreshed to have an evening filled with good food, good friends, and good fun.

2nd Amendment

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Last night after work, I settled into my easy chair. I turned on the t.v. and realized it was almost time for Sons of Guns. I was thinking popcorn loaded down with Salt and butter. While I waited for the show to start. I began think about our 2nd amendment rights and how important these rights are. Had it not been for the many men and women who are serving or have served in our armed forces we wouldn’t have these rights. This post is not going to rant about rights, politics, or any other movement. I just simply wanted to post my respects and regards for the freedoms we have and sometimes take for granted. I am an advocate for firearms and am very happy to I can to enjoy the shooting hobby. I challenge everyone to thank a serviceman, or woman the next time they see one.

Better Access

Ok, I have facebook and twitter tied into the blog, I am thinking about adding a few other sources such as youtube and maybe a few others. As a work in progress this may take some time to complete. But hopefully the end result will be something we all can enjoy.

Twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/AndrewTurner25/status/111477879442898944

Getting Started

Ok everyone I am trying my hand at blogging, I am getting off the ground and I have not got the things set up on this site yet. Bare with me as I learn as I go. Any feedback or help would be great.

Let me jump into my idea and theme for the site. I am a normal guy, but I have a passion for food, and all things food related. I also have a few other things in my life I intend to share such as gaming, hot rods, family, work, and just day to day life. But somehow things in my life always come back to the food. Feel free to drop a comment or a e-mail with ideas, what you would like to see, and of course suggestions on how to improve.