The windows are boarded up, making the house as cozy as it is going to be this winter. In the main living area we leave lots of windows to look out of, despite the high cost of leaving them unboarded. Were I to design a house for this climate, I would have exterior rooms without plumbing, built to be boarded up and closed off during the winter, with a warm core open only on the south side of the house. That would be the only area heated during the winter.
It is unlikely I will ever design and build a house. I like to think about it though, when I am frustrated with the silly way most homes are built in Ontario.
Saturday’s turkey dinner was a real treat, and we will enjoy leftover turkey dinners for most of the week. Then Attila will make another pot of turkey soup, which will take us into next week.
The highlight of my Sunday though, was baking a batch of biscuits. I love biscuits. My traditional recipe calls for 1/3 cup of shortening, which is 5.3 tablespoons. Yesterday I tried a new-to-me recipe that Kate posted in her blog, Karen’s Cottage Cheese Biscuits. Attila and I both agreed, great biscuits! The advantage to the Cottage Cheese Biscuits is that the recipe calls for only two tablespoons of fat, and I used olive oil. I omitted the pepper and parsley flakes, as I like my biscuits with a dab of jelly.
Traditional Biscuit Recipe
1/3 cup of shortening
= 5.3 tablespoons
= 5.3 x 12.8gm per tablespoon OR 68 grams of fat
Total grams of fat in recipe: 68 grams4 tsp baking powder
= 4 x 488mg = 1952mg sodium
1 tsp salt
= 2325mg sodium
Total mg of sodium in recipe: 4277mgCottage Cheese Biscuit Recipe
2 tablespoons of olive oil
= 6 x 4.5gm per teaspoon OR 27 grams of fat
1 cup of cottage cheese
= 5gm fat (2% cottage cheese)
Total grams of fat in recipe: 32 grams4 tsp baking powder
= 4 x 488mg = 1952mg sodium
1/2 tsp salt
= .5 x 2325mg = 1163mg sodium
Total grams of sodium in recipe: 3115mgDaily Intake Limit
So the cottage cheese biscuits have less than half the fat of the traditional biscuits, and less sodium. There are several other bonus factors to the cottage cheese biscuits. Olive oil has no cholesterol in it. Cottage cheese has complete protein in it.
Karen’s Cottage Cheese Biscuits will be a staple food at our house!
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Worldly Distractions
Weather
6°C
Date: 10:00 AM EST Monday 3 November 2014
Condition: Cloudy
Pressure: 102.0 kPa
Visibility: 16 km
Temperature: 6.4°C
Dewpoint: 1.5°C
Humidity: 71%
Wind: SW 9 km/h
Quote
“One of the keys to happiness is a bad memory.”
Rita Mae Brown
One of the perks of old age!
Snug is good. After a gentle summer and an extended autumn, we’ve now had our first frost. It’s great to be able to cook again without having to calculate the cost of adding heat to the house.
Those biscuits sound very good. I don’t make biscuits worth a darn (I have bread hands) but I have a friend who makes excellent biscuits, so I’ve bookmarked the recipe link because she’ll try anything new! Thanks for this.
Here in USA so many homes have the heating unit/element directly under the windows. I never understood that.
The recipe sounds good and when I can I want to make it. I had a friend years ago who made delicious cookies using cottage cheese. I would never think to use it as a baking ingredient. Thanks for sharing.
I’m going to disagree with Ms. Brown. For me a bad memory is often frustrating 🙂 plus too many abuse the privilege!
Aren’t those biscuits dandy? I’m pleased to think of you all trying them.
Think I’ll make a batch this week.
Yum, thanks!
I have to respectfully disagree with Ms. Brown too. Having parents with Alzheimer’s right now (one less parent as of today) the loss of memory is a heavy burden, more so for the loved ones around them, and I would not wish it on anyone.
Bex, so sorry to hear of your loss (one less parent as of today). Your point is well taken, and it was I who introduced the concept of it being a perk in old age, which was clearly only true under ideal circumstances, and insensitive in many other contexts. Please let me apologize for that, and will be thinking of you today.
Wendy, I know what you mean about being able to cook again! I have not heard the phrase “bread hands” before, it is like “green thumb” only different?
Nora, son-in-law Lares and I were just talking about that last month, heating vents under windows. His take, from an installers point of view, was that under the window is where most of the heat loss occurs, so more of the heat is needed. I look at it differently though, as I would put the heating vents away from the windows, and then cover the windows with insulating material at night, when it is colder and you cannot see out of them anyway.
You have a good point about Mrs. Brown’s statement.
Kate, thank you for posting such a great recipe. I love your recipes, they win points on all kinds of levels from great tasting to good for you.
I went into Kate’s blog and saved it as a favorite! It’s wonderful. Looking forward to that cookbook!!!!
Lares has a good point but I am inclined to think like you do.
Maggie, my “bread hands” tend to work well with yeast dough, but I have to be careful about the handling of lighter things.
That biscuit recipe sounds nice. I have to limit my bread intake but the next time I start wanting Biscuits and Sausage Gravy I’ll have to give it a try.
Personally, one of my very favorite sayings is “The key to happiness is the company you keep.”
Nora, Kate’s recipes are very tempting!
Thanks Wendy for clarifying “bread hands” for me, now that you spelled it out it seems so obvious, lol!
Teri, in limiting your bread intake, does that include limiting breads made from grains other than wheat?
That is a great saying Teri!
Hi, Maggie! Yes, I limit intake of all breads, even from other grains. I am, however, more likely to eat breads with nuts and seeds or higher fiber content. I currently eat Slim bread, which is cut thinner and has extra fiber in it. But I don’t have it all that often. But during the Holidays I do allow myself some indulgences.
I think we all need indulgences once in a while. 🙂
That is interesting Teri, and very healthy, as you have mentioned in the past. I agree wholeheartedly, we all need our indulgences!! Once in a while.
I agree with all comments regarding the memory quote, but I also saw it as a delightful quip, something said tongue in cheek? Also, might it be that lapse of memory opens one to the journey of forgiveness. I’ve noted over the years that we all become revisionists of sorts – nothing malicious – because most revisionists rewrite a memory with a kinder voice.
The biscuits sound divine! I’ve never ever ever ever had any luck with biscuits – I mght just try one of these recipes!
My parents board up most the windows of their home during certain seasons. It’s something they’ve done for years – all borne out of practicality.
I agree Reenie, Brown’s quip was intended to be tongue in cheek. I was looking at it from my own perspective when I quipped that it was a perk of old age, the timing was off though, as Bex had been experiencing an extreme form of very sad memory loss issues within her circle of loved ones. Personally, I have seen a lot of things that I would love to forget, but so far they are still stuck down there in the depths, ready and waiting for that unguarded moment.
The boarding up is a bit of a pain in the patootie, but it makes a huge difference to reduce heating requirements. It does not affect the quality of life, since in the winter we don’t use the rooms where the windows are boarded up.
I know – the journey with a parent or friend whose memory is failing is difficult. I call it *word* charades with my father when he has difficulty retrieving words. I feel compassion for those who are experiencing that sadness. It’s very hard.