Author: Lois Houston

I'm a sweet tea drinkin' southern gal who loves to cook, bake, crochet, and read. Check out my blog for posts about parenting, faith, books, crafts, planning, baking, cooking, and life in general.

Kitchen Tips: Buttermilk

I thought I would share some of the tips/tricks I’ve learned in the kitchen – many through trial and error, but even more through panicked phone calls to my momma. The “Help! NOW what do I do?” type of calls.

One of my favorite tricks is making my own “buttermilk” to use in recipes. I love the tang and the brightness that buttermilk brings to recipes, but I don’t use enough of it to keep it perpetually stocked in my refrigerator. I buy those little pint bottles from time to time, but I always feel guilty when I have to toss it because it’s gone bad and I’ve not used it all up. And “bad” buttermilk is a bad thing, my friend. Good buttermilk smells nasty. “Bad” buttermilk? Gulp. It’s awful.

So, what’s a girl to do when she has a craving for some scones or biscuits – and there is no buttermilk around?source image: http://alexandracooks.blogspot.com/

Well, I can tell you this much ~ THIS girl isn’t going to get in the car and drive to the market just for buttermilk. Especially since these cravings usually occur when I’m still bed-headed and pajama-clad. No way, Jose.

In lieu of buttermilk, I fall back on my favorite pseudo-buttermilk tricks – and I thought I’d share those with you here.

  1. Pour/squeeze 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice in a measuring cup. Fill the cup to the 1 Cup mark with milk. Stir and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes.  The milk will curdle and you’ll have “buttermilk.”
  2. The same works with white vinegar if you don’t have any lemon juice around.
  3. Martha Stewart recommends substituting 1/2 cup plain yogurt mixed with 2 Tablespoons of milk (for 1/2 cup of “buttermilk”)
  4. I’ve also heard of people thinning sour cream with milk to substitute for buttermilk, but I’ve not tried that (yet)

There are a few other ideas over on the GoodLife Eats blog.

I hope this helps the next time you decide to try out my blueberry-lemon scones for breakfast one day.

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Menu Plan Monday ~ 2 May

I’m traveling this week. Out west for business, not pleasure. Well, it will be fun to see all these people I talk with on the phone all the time, but the family is not with me, ergo it’s not a “pleasure” trip.

I’ve planned out the week’s dinners to make it easy for my mom, who has come in to take care of the kids while I’m gone. I’m sure that there will be adjustments and adaptations – and that is her prerogative. Make it easy on yourself, I told her. Do what works for you.

But here is what I’ve planned out for the week – mostly family favorites that I know the girls like and that are easy to prepare (can you say crock pot, people?)MPM_Button

I hope you have a great week. I have a few posts scheduled just in case I’m too busy to write some real-time posts, but I’m taking my camera so I hope to share some photos from my trip once I get home!

Join us over at orgjunkie.com for more menu ideas.

Sunday Silliness

The Barn - April 10, 2011

I'm traveling for work this week and so my posts may be sporadic if I have time to post at all. I haven't left you all, I've just been sucked into a vortex of time/space in which nothing exists except my job for a few days. I'll be back to my normal schedule next week.

Project Life, a wedding, and more

Did you watch?

Did you rise early to see the Prince get married? I did, although I was getting up early anyway, so it wasn’t a special thing that I got up so stinkin’ early.  But I have to say, it was beautiful.  She was simply gorgeous – elegant, regal and so feminine. And the princes looked so relaxed, Harry even joking around.

The girls (my girls) were cute – I woke them to see the wedding (it was time for them to get up anyway) and Little Bit wasn’t sure she wanted to wake up for the wedding or not. “Can I go back to sleep afterward?” uh, no. “Then no, I don’t want to watch.”

But I think they loved it anyway.

On another note –

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My Project Life kit arrived! Hooray!

I spent a little time yesterday starting to get things together. I have been snapping pictures for a few weeks with this project in mind, although I don’t have that much from January/February, March onwards is covered pretty well.

After looking at lots of other Project Life pages online, I have decided this year to keep more memorabilia and some of the kids’ schoolwork – this album will be THE place I record 2011 – everything is going to go in there – digital pages, snapshots, everything.

I have everything scattered out on the kitchen table now, but I think I’ll be moving it to my basement scrap space tonight. I can’t stand the mess there and I’m paranoid about getting food or something on the pages.IMG_0381

Finalizing my plans and preparation for my business trip next week. I used to travel all the time for work, but I am so out of practice these days.  I have been obsessing about the trip for weeks and have my bags partially packed already.  Today I’ll be sneaking in a mani/pedi so that all is groomed and tailored for next week. I’m so accustomed to wearing jeans/yoga pants and casual clothes that it feels a little strange to be planning to dress up, even just a little bit. But it will be fun to be a “grown up” for a few days – not just Mommy in yoga pants who happens to work, too. 🙂

Posts are scheduled throughout the week, but if I miss a day or two, don’t think I’ve forgotten you. I plan to take photos and have plenty to share when I return!

Beatrice has a new friend

I just celebrated my ten year anniversary at my company.  They sent me a nice email congratulating me and linking to a website with a list of anniversary gifts I could choose from to celebrate the big event.  As usual with these type of corporate (and universally "PC" for all), they were not that of great choices – watches, plaques, etc. – things I’d never buy myself if I had the money.  Just as I was losing hope, I clicked one more link and found the *best* choice of all. An AMEX gift certificate. Yep, who doesn’t  love those?

I quickly scooped that puppy up (in the e-sense of the word “scoop”) and added it to my “cart.”  Now… what was I going to use it for? It had to be something that was a little bit indulgent and totally for me. No bill-paying responsible behavior here.  This was my anniversary gift. It had to be fun.

I have been flipping back and forth between wanting a new iPad and considering the new Nook Color.  You all know from my praises sung about Beatrice how much I love my Nook. But did I really want another one? Or did I want the iPad?

Everyone that is anyone has an iPad. Did I want to become part of that clique?

And did I really need one?  Of course, need has nothing to do with this, does it? (just ask Cathy Zielske)

And I kept thinking about how big an iPad is, compared to my little Nookie… and how expensive they are (ouch!) and did I really want one, or just want one because everyone else has one?

Which kept bringing me back to the Nook. 

And I started researching the new Nook Color. 

And it’s beautiful.  And sleek. And small (but not too small)

And best of all, it’s Android (like my phone)

So, off I went to the B&N store.  After an hours’ worth of conversation with my handy, helpful Nook Geek, I was sold.  He told me they were going to be releasing an update to the Nook Color software which would enable me to download apps onto it (much like I have done on my phone) and that it would become more and more of a true tablet-PC type of tool, not just an e-reader.  Which, they did, today. And I already have Angry Birds loaded. (hee hee) And a nifty email client so I can check email on there. And surf the web. And update Facebook. (which, we know, is vital.)

I think (and this is just my opinion) that B&N has decided the iPad is their competition (not Kindle) and that seems to be where their focus is for development.

Which is a good deal for me. Given that I am already familiar with Android and love the Nook software, too.

So, now, Beatrice has a new cousin. And she is beautiful. And sleek. And shiny and colorful. (and she has a pretty pink cover)

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And she’s all mine.