Ok, I know it's been a while since the original idea... but I'm back with updates. I decided that I didn't want to fuss with both new ingredients and new techniques. That would leave me with only instinct to ensure things came out as planned and they're not always reliable! Instead I used a recipe called Good Dog Biscuits I found on doggiebistro.com and adapted it as follows: 2 C rye flour, plus a little 3/4 C steel cut oats 1/2 C nutritional yeast 2 tsp garlic powder 2 egg yolks 1 1/2 Cups boiling water with approx 1 1/2 Tbsp beef boullion Mix all in stand mixer (I discovered that the eggs either need to be tempered or mixed in VERY quickly once the boiling water is added). Plop on plastic wrap and freeze until hard enough to cut into 1/4 inch slices (I recommend a serrated knife due to the steel cut oats still being rather hard). Bake 375 for 20 mins if brought to room temp or longer if still frozen/cold. Turn oven off and leave biscuits in oven overnight or until cooled to ensure they are dry and crunchy. Couple of thoughts... Grainlady was right, and I could have probably used 3/4 cup of broth mix since the rye flour got very sticky (these were originally supposed to be rolled) and I was slightly short on the steel cut oats and the nutritional yeast. This calls for way too much garlic for my taste-the house smells like meatloaf and the dog wasn't too keen on the dough. I'm sure he'll find them more appetizing once they're done and he doesn't have to lick it off my finger, though. As they're baking now, I'm pleased to see that they're not spreading so I can pack them on the cookie sheet next time. Will try to remember to comment on the finished product tomorrow when they're dry, cool and have been taste tested.

lily, I'm hooked on my noise machine as well, and even wake up suddenly if a power outage shuts it off! kathsgrdn, thankfully I don't hear the sounds of a distinct voice, lol. It's more that the smooth sound the white noise used to make, is now a bit more inconsistent and pitchy, which makes it sound like muffled singsong phrases. I'm pretty sure it's just the ageing motor that's causing the inconsistent sound, so I guess it's time for a new one!

Well, having said I used canned sauce with whole berries, I had quite a surprise on Wed night when I finally started to make my cranberry sauce. I had used Kroger's Quick List - order online, select pick-up time, go to special place in the parking lot, call number on sign, and ones groceries are carried out and put the the car. I've used it before with no problems. Not this time! I opened both cans and started to pour them into a mixing bowl so I could add the fresh orange juice and zest. They had given me the JELLIED cranberry sauce, not the one with whole berries! I'm sure there was a Kroger open somewhere at 11PM on Wed, but I wasn't going to get dressed again and go out. Fortunately, I had also ordered 2 packages of fresh cranberries to use in the Nantucket Pie I take to my pulmonary rehab for our Christmas party. Well, there's a first time for everything, so I followed the recipe on the bag, cooked it WAY down so it was very thick, added the fresh squeezed OJ (don't like to cook it - can make it bitter) and the fresh orange zest. Easy, peasy! And delicious. I will forget canned from now on.

If you can get King Arthur flour, that works better than anything else. Buttermilk Biscuits 2 1/2 cups self rising flour (I use King Arthur) 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup PLAIN Crisco (not butter) 1 cup whole milk buttermilk Preheat oven to 425*. Cut Crisco into flour with a pastry cutter or fork until well mixed. Add buttermilk and stir. Turn out onto floured surface and pat out, turn in half, flip, pat out, and turn bottom half over. Pat out and cut with biscuit cutter. Place in pan sprayed with Pam. Reform leftover dough and cut rest of biscuits. I form the last biscuit by hand. You can do them all by hand if no cutter. Bake about 10 to 15 minutes. 1. You can cut recipe in half. You can also take out of oven after they are just done, but not brown, and freeze after they are cool. 2. To use regular flour, 2 1/2 cup plain flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt. 3. We like to butter our biscuits after they are cooked and do not like butter in the dough. If you want butter in the dough, use 1/2 cup unsalted butter, omit Crisco. 4. The lard you get in the grocery stores now is not the same as old fashioned lard. If you have a source for real fresh lard, you can use 1/2 cup lard instead of Crisco or butter. 5. Keep your hands well floured and also dust a small amount on top of dough and under dough as you turn. Keep a light hand, you are not kneading yeast dough. Dust the cutter with flour, also. The first biscuits after I got married in 1970, you could of used for hockey pucks, lol. He ate them anyway!