Every media outlet in creation is singing the praises of smoothies, fat busters, perfect workouts, and gym memberships so that you can "make a better you" for the new year. I do like the idea of smoothies, but I'm not convinced they'll really be enough to make a better me. Especially not the smoothies that have green things in them. Well, kiwi fruit is okay, but no kale or Brussels sprouts in my smoothies, please. EEEHW. Although fruit smoothies are fine and I'm willing, despite my skepticism, to see if the smoothies will help in "building a better me," I am kind of opposed to much of the January fitness hype. Fitness--including diet, exercise, sleep, and mental conditioning--is something you have to do all year, not just in January. So, while the media is busy telling me how to "get fit fast" and "bust fat in one easy step," I'm busy baking cheese biscuits to hold my leftover holiday ham. And I don't feel especially guilty about the biscuits. They aren't health food, but they aren't total fat bombs, either. They are fluffy, moist, cheesy, and, warm from the oven, the perfect containers for a slice of ham. The biscuits are quick to mix up, and they don't require rolling out, just dropping from a spoon. Although I like the biscuits for dinner, they also make great breakfast options--especially with ham (did you get the message yet?). I split a biscuit, pop it in the toaster to crisp it up a bit, fill it with a slice of ham, and eat it alongside my fruit and yogurt before I head out to the gym in the morning. Works for me.
Quick Cheese Biscuits -- Makes 6-8
3/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of butter
1 cup of half and half, warmed (to 90-110 degrees is about right--warm it in the
microwave, but stir the half and half before using it)
1/2 - 3/4 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter with a fork until well distributed in the flour. Pour in the warm half and half and stir the mixture with a spoon until the flour is moistened. Stir in the cheese until fully incorporated. Drop 6-8 mounds of batter/dough, each roughly equal in size (about 1/4 cup each for 6 biscuits) on the prepared baking sheet. Moisten your hands with water and shape the biscuits into rough rounds about 1-2 inches high. Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes or until they're just turning golden brown. Serve the biscuits warm.
