On-the-Hip Biscuits!

A mother’s mind is rarely (if ever) free and clear of distractions and the company of little people with all of their love, conversation, and appeals for interaction.  It’s pretty much the same with a mother’s hip.  There is usually someone sitting on it to be close to mommas sweet smell, or tugging on it to share a new discovery, ask a crucial question, or just to be close!  While having kiddlings so close so often is comforting and fulfilling, and wonderful on so many levels it does present a few challenges…making dinner being one of them! 

So…I’d like to share with you my recipe for On-the-Hip Biscuits!  They are very quick, easy, and delicious, but most importantly….they can be made from start to finish with with a child sitting on your hip!!!

On-the-Hip Biscuits

Get out one medium size bowl and a 2 cup liquid measuring cup, a fork, and measuring scoops and cups.

Preheat oven to 425

In the bowl mix:

2 cups sifted flour  *be sure to keep flour at arms length…your arms length, not your babies!!*  (Sometimes I throw in a handful of oats as well)

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

Switch hips and give that little lovey a kiss!

In the 2 cup measuring cup pour

2/3 cup skim milk

1/4 oil

*Do not stir the milk and oil mixture!* 

Set this aside…way out of reach…cleaning up with a little one on the hip is much harder than making the biscuits (really…I know!).

Switch hips and stretch out a bit.

Pour milk and oil mixture into flour and stir quickly with a fork until it clings together.  Knead the dough?…yeah right!  With one hand in the bowl knead the dough with one hand the best you can…remember that they are biscuits and not bread so the kneading does not need to be heavy or perfect. 

Set the baby on the counter and let them feel the cool dough.  Switch hips and get out a cookie sheet.  (I actually love how the biscuits come out on stoneware or cast iron…so if you have those definitely go that route!)

With one hand pull of a piece of dough about the size of a golf ball and roll it smooth.  Place it on the ungreased pan and give it a little thwump with your palm to flatten it a bit.  Depending on how your day has gone you might need to keep tabs on how thwumpy your thwumps are…we aren’t making pancakes!!

Continue until all the biscuits are on the sheet.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, wheat germ, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, flax seeds, …basically anything, and give them a final little pat.  Find somewhere safe to place your baby for a few seconds and stick the pan in the oven for ~12-15 minutes. 

Biscuits? Check!    Happy baby? Check!    Fulfilled Mom? Check! 

Or in other words:

Flaky Biscuits

2 cups flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup oil

2/3 cup skim milk

1 tablespoon sugar

Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together.  Pour oil and milk into one measuring cup, but do not stir.  Add all at once to flour mixture.  Stir quickly with a fork until dough clings together.  Knead dough lightly about ten times.

Pat dough out into desired thickness.  Slice with pizza cutter or cut out rounds with biscuit cutter and place on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes.

Enjoy!