Sunday "white" Biscuits

I have been getting up earlier than G for the past few weeks. And I get the biscuits ready to this point, while we (Riley and I) wait for G to get up. Then I mix the milk into the dry ingredients and pat out my dough and cut biscuits. I usually get eight. Two cups of flour, scant teaspoon of salt and three teaspoons of baking powder with 1/4 cup shortening cut into the mixed dry stuff. Then I add 3/4 cup milk. Some times a bit more if I haven't fluffed the flour well before scooping. 425 degrees for about 12 minutes. I check for a bit of browning on the biscuit bottoms. I have used this recipe for about 40 years and just this year (please don't laugh too much) memorized it. For 40 years I had to go find the recipe card before I could make the biscuits. And for 35 of those 40 years, these biscuits were known by everyone who ever ate them, as "white" biscuits because they never even get tan or beige or any color on them. Now I use the "butter" Crisco sticks and they get some color to them. I have also used buttermilk or soured milk instead of plain milk. Then I need to add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.

Yesterday was a slow day at work. Not many customers in the morning but later in the day we had quite a few "anniversary" purchases. Husbands indulgently purchasing plants, fire pits and bird baths for their brides. One husband, after running his credit card through twice for two separate expensive purchases, was heard to say, "does this mean we can skip dinner out?" Another was calling around looking for 12 white, double peonies.

The six of us working yesterday did Suduko puzzles up front. The plants were well watered and it was hot. So we were all up front where we have a fan and available (at least I was) to answer questions and solve problems. I sorted through a bunch of deceased leaves, bugs and self made problems. One guy had scrubbed paint off his shingled house with baking soda. Which is caustic in large quantities. So his grass, peonies and shrubs were burned. And all I could suggest was something to acidify the soil in hopes of changing the chemistry.

I'm tired today. It's hot and humid. Tough sleeping. And I keep waking up at around 1 or 2 in the morning and not being able to fall back to sleep. And I forgot to put the pork I bought yesterday into the crock pot over night for pulled pork. I did remember to make pizza for dinner last night. And we had tiny slivers of the lemon ricotta cheesecake I made. I scatter fresh blueberries all over the cheesecake. So I have to think of something to eat today.

We went out to eat (using a gift certificate) and it wasn't a wonderful experience. For $100. I could prepare better food myself. I really dislike going out for a special, upscale meal and being so very disappointed by the food. Even the mussels were bland and needed to be salted. My Cuban Shrimp were so over seasoned and sauced that they ruined the rice. And the black beans were truly disgusting. And I had to ask for iced water. They gave me warm tap water.

Time for biscuits. Only seven today.