Grandma never cut a biscuit either, she just pinched off a piece, shaped it a bit with her hands and dropped it onto her baking pan. She always made sure that the sides touched a bit so they didn't spread out too much. If she actually wanted something that looked "fancier" she patted the dough into a square and cut it with a knife into biscuit sized squares, then baked. Her biscuits were the best. My biscuits are good, but they ain't Grandma's that's for sure. I love hot biscuits with butter and honey, though, so I make them anyway and wish Grandma were here to show me how ONE MORE TIME. Sigh. At any rate, overhandling the dough is the biggest problem most people encounter. The fat must be very cold and I've never made a biscuit worth a tinker's dam* in the food processor. I use an old fashioned pastry cutter to cut in the fat, Grandma used two knives. I always use buttermilk, even if I have to buy it especially for biscuits. Sometimes I add cheese, sometimes not, and I've occasionally made and liked sweet potato biscuits and a spicy chipotle biscuit that Caliloo posted from Bon Appetit: CORNMEAL BISCUITS WITH CHEDDAR AND CHIPOTLE 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 3/4 cup (packed) chopped green onions 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal 2 tablespoons sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups (packed) coarsely grated yellow extra-sharp cheddar cheese 1 large egg 3/4 cup (about) buttermilk 1 tablespoon finely minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo* 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon whipping cream (for glaze) Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 425°F. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and sauté 2 minutes to soften slightly. Remove from heat. Blend flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in processor. Add 1/2 cup chilled butter; cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cheese; cut in using on/off turns. Transfer flour mixture to large bowl. Whisk 1 egg in glass measuring cup. Add enough buttermilk to egg to measure 1 cup; stir in green-onion mixture and chipotles. Make well in center of dry ingredients. Pour buttermilk mixture into well; mix just until evenly moistened. Turn dough out onto generously floured surface. Knead gently just until dough holds together, about 10 turns. Pat out on generously floured surface to 3/4-inch-thick round. Using 3-inch round cutter, cut out biscuits. Transfer to ungreased baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather dough scraps; pat out to 3/4-inch thickness and cut out additional biscuits. Brush biscuits with egg glaze. Bake biscuits until golden, tester inserted into center comes out clean, and biscuits feel firm, about 18 minutes. Cool on rack 5 minutes. Serve warm. Makes about 10. Bon Appétit March 2006 Good luck. The only way you can ever make a good biscuit is with practice. Yummy, yummy practice. LOL Annie

stir_fryi, I have the "perfect" solution for you or anyone who wants to have stress free foolproof gravy. This is the gravy recipe that I have been using for years. It took a lot of stress off of me when I first started preparing Thanksgiving for my husband's family. You prepare most of it ahead and then just add the drippings at the end. Mine comes out great every time. Planning tip: Can be made through step 4 one day ahead and refrigerated. (I even prepare the broth further(through step 2) in advance and freeze - then add the butter/flour mixture the day before Thanksgiving) Perfect Gravy (Woman's Day 1994) BROTH *Turkey neck and giblets (including liver) (You could use turkey parts purchased from grocery store for this step if you don't have access to the neck and giblets) *6 cups chicken broth (I use canned) *2 large onions sliced *1 cups sliced carrots *1 cup dry white wine or water *1/2 cup celery leaves *6 cloves garlic peeled *1 Bay leaf 6 Tablespoons butter @ room temp 3/4 cup all purpose flour Turkey Drippings Salt and Pepper to taste 1. Cut turkey neck and heart in half. Put into a large saucepan along with gizzard and remaining broth ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer gently, uncovered for 1 1/2 hrs. Add liver and simmer for 30 mins longer. 2. Discard liver and giblets. Strain broth through colander/strainer into a large measuring cup, pressing vegetables to extract as much juice as possible. Discard vegetables. Add water to broth if needed to make 6 cups. 3. Mash butter and flour with a fork until blended to a paste. 4. Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat to low and gradually whisk in flour mixture, l chunk at a time, until blended.( I take the butter flousr mixture and add the broth to it in a jar to make it smooth and easier to blend into the broth) Whisk until thickened and boiling. Boil 3 minutes longer to cook out any floury taste. 5. After turkey is removed from roasting pan: Spoon fat off pan drippings and discard. Stir juices in pan(add up to 2 cups of water if juices have evaporated) scraping up brown bits on bottom of pan. Add no more than 2 cups to gravy. Heat over medium-low heat until hot. Season to taste(sometimes I add a little kitchen bouquet or gravy master for color or taste if needed)

This recipe for vegetarian gravy showed up on Zite last week. Doesn't look too hard. My SIL is vegetarian, so I always make cream gravy - from a package - either Ikea or something I get at Walmart. I can darken it with Kitchen Bouquet. No one seems to know the difference. In a pinch, I'll brown some butter and flour and add vegetable broth for a last minute gravy. YOU-WON'T-MISS-THE-MEAT VEGETARIAN GRAVY Start to finish: 30 minutes Servings: 12 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large yellow onion, chopped 1 large leek, white part only, chopped 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped 1 stalk celery, chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/2 cup white wine 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth 2 tablespoons butter (optional) Kosher salt and ground black pepper In a large skillet over medium, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, leek, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring often, for 15 minutes, or until very soft and starting to brown. Add the thyme, rosemary, sage and flour, then stir until well mixed. Add the wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the pan. Stir in the vegetable broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the liquid thickens slightly. Working in batches, transfer the mixture to a blender and puree until very smooth, adding the butter during blending, if desired. Pour the blended gravy through a mesh strainer back into the saucepan. Reheat over low heat, then season with salt and pepper. Nutrition information per serving: 50 calories; 20 calories from fat (40 percent of total calories); 2.5 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 0 g protein; 35 mg sodium. Here is a link that might be useful: link

Jeri, thank you, I hadn't seen your make ahead au jus. I like its fundamentals -- roasted soup bones and beef shank and onions. I will probably triple the onions, then deglaze the roasting pan with some red wine (a la Woodie's turkey gravy) and then proceed with additional stock, carrots, and celery for lengthy simmering. Strained it should make a great au jus. I'll probably gravy-tize it with a roux and stir in sauteed mushrooms and lots of ground pepper at the end. (Ummm, only 24 days til Christmas . . .)