Taking Care of Business

Today is the last day of my "spring weekend."  I am making the most of it by doing some things around the house.

I Mailed:
* State Taxes
* Federal Taxes
* A skirt that wasn't me
* Bank Deposit
* Application for a new SS Card (lost my old one in the midst of setting things up once we got moved in)

I am so thrilled to find Giver's Log!  They have a section of the blog devoted to "Happy Mail."  It is all about the different things you can mail that are 13 ounces or less.  I want to mail Easter Eggs with fun items in them to my students.  I did read the comment section that some people were not allowed to mail them at their USPS.  I want to double check before I invest the work into making them.  I just need some fun packaging tape now.  Oh the ideas!

For the little ones at the daycare, I made Cherry Almond Cupcakes.  This is the first time that I've delivered the baked goods, so I kinda felt like a celebrity.  I am really enjoying making my own frosting with things.  I never knew how easy it was.  It gives you many more choices to make your desserts pop.  HH says these were the best cupcakes I have made so far.

I am also in loved with Almond Extract.

Tonight for dinner, I am making "Slow Cooker Apple Cherry Pork Loin."  This is already starting to smell good.  I didn't have fresh cherries, so I just used the ones from the can.

Bacon-Cheese Biscuits

4 slices thick-cut bacon (I used six)
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon fresh chopped chives
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus melting butter for brushing
1 cup grated Colby or Cheddar Cheese
1 cup buttermilk

1.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Drain on paper towels and reserve 2 tablespoons drippings.  Finely chop bacon.

2.  Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chopped bacon and chives in a medium bowl.  Using a pastry blender or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it is in pea-sized pieces.  Stir in the cheese with a wooden spoon.  Add the buttermilk and reserved bacon drippings and gently mix until just moistened.  The dough will be loose.

3.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead three to five times, just until it comes together.  (Don't overknead because the biscuits will be tough.)  Roll out to 1/2 thick, then cut out biscuits using a floured 2 inch-round cutter.  Arrange on an ungreased baking sheet.  Reoll the scraps and cut out more biscuits.  Brush the tops with melted butter.

4.  Bake the biscuits until golden borwn, 12 to 15 minutes.  Serve warm.

These biscuits were good.  There is a slight problem mentally though.  They look a lot like those awesome garlic cheddar biscuits you get from Red Lobster.  In your head, that is what you are thinking that you are about to taste, and it's not that.  Now, I've got to find a cheater recipe for those!