Good Finds : Mayberry's Finest Buttermilk Biscuit Mix

I love biscuits !!! I've tried so many recipes to get the perfect buttermilk biscuit but they always come up short (no flavor or not fluffy enough and sometimes just down right bad).  Living in eastern NC has it's benefits, one of those being Piggly Wiggly!  haha I know I know I bet you laughed a little bit too ... this city girl born and raised in Cary, NC going to a Piggly Wiggly ... say it ain't so!  In my search to find the ultimate biscuit recipe I stumbled upon the product below.  Yes it did start out as a joke, Charles is a huge Andy Griffith fan and we have all of the seasons (black and white episodes) on DVD.  I saw this at our local Piggly Wiggly and had to get it.  I was not expecting it to be that good, Sorry Aunt Bea :)


                 Mayberry's Finest Buttermilk Biscuit Mix (sorry for the blurry pictures)
       Word of warning, we have tried a few of the other mixes and they are not good :(

Holy Cow these things are DELICIOUS !!! Charles and I could eat these at any meal :)  I promise you they are that good ! And very easy to make !

Preheat oven to 450 (yeah mine never actually makes it there)
Open pouch, pour out contents into bowl
Add 1/2 cup of cold water
Mix until soft dough forms
Roll out/cut or drop biscuits onto a greased cookie sheet
Cook for 12-14 minutes
I always melt a little butter/margerine and brush the tops about 9 mins in for a nice buttery top
Take them out and enjoy !

Buttery, fluffy, amazing little southern morsels :)  So if you come over to my house for breakfast or dinner and you see these on the table ... you know where they came from, and after you try them, you'll by them in bulk! And if they're ever out at "The Pig" they are probably all in my pantry... feel free to stop on by, we always have some in stock at the Barrett house :)

Crafty Creations : Easy Crochet Beanies

My mom taught me to knit growing up... I made a few things, mainly scarves and other small projects.  Now, I work for Caron International and I have picked up the skill of crochetting.  It's sooooo much easier than knitting and is way faster too!  My most recent project of choice has been beanies (i.e. a tight fitting toboggan).  These take me anywhere from 30 minutes (for a baby hat) to 2 hours (an adult size).  I have found these are awesome gifts that friends with babies love :)

Just a warning to anyone in our BFG that is pregnant you will be getting one for your child so go ahead and let me know what color you'd like !

                             (Double crochet in Simply Soft Collection Vanilla)

           (Flip side of double crochet with cuff in Simply Soft Collection Aqua Mist)

             ( Single crochet with double crochet accent in Simply Soft Chocolate)

Here are two happy wearers of my recent creations :) 

Zac ( you can read his mom's awesome blog)  And my nephew Rhett with Simply Soft Chunky Forest Floor

Good Finds : The QUICK Carry

Alright so I'm going to use this blog to show you some neat stuff I've found and find useful.  Just a warning to all you readers our there I am cheap, thrify, frugal ... however you want to say it I have a hard time letting go of a dollar (haha Charles would disagree).  I make a weekly trip to the Dollar Tree (where everythings a dollar or less) and the local Goodwill to treasure hunt!  If you have never done this,  I suggest you give it a try! 

Okay on to my most recent find - The QUICK Carry ($1 @ Dollar Tree)

I work 45 minutes away from home which makes it very difficult to go grocery shopping once I get home because well, all I want to do is be home !  We do most of our shopping at Walmart (you will see this in all of my recipe pictures to come).  Thankfully there is a full size fridge/freeze at work so I can go to Walmart at lunch, buy groceries and store them chilled until my drive home.  I don't know if you have the same problem as me but those plastic bags can be heavy !!! Numerous times I have tried to carry way to many at a time and it made blood come to the surface, ouch ! Don't even get me started about trying to open a door with the bags in hand too (I always pray someone will be walking back into the office at the same time as me).

This little invention is a life saver !  As you can see, it holds numerous bags and gives you a semi-comfortable central location to grip.  There are a few issues though... The yellow opening is rather small, thus only good for thin plastic handles.  Also you have to make sure the latch is securely closed before you begin carrying the bags if not the weight of the bags will start bending the plastic.



In the beginning ...

I told myself I wasn't going to start blogging until we had a kid, I mean really ... I didn't think anyone would want to read a blog about lil ol' me unless there was something interesting in it, i.e. a baby.  I have a list of about 200 blogs that I frequent (some family/friends with kids, others about cooking/baking, most involving crafts and home decorating).

Soooo I put out a little feeler on facebook and I have come to the conclusion that I wanted to start a blog and from the responses of new mom's "and you think you'll have time for a blog once you have a kid !?"  I've decided to take the plunge, feel free to dive in with me too and start your own blog !!!  I do hope you'll find me and my life somewhat interesting/entertaining/bareable :)


Thus the title ... Grin and "Barrett"

This is phrase I thought of a few weeks ago and well, it fits!   Isaiah 43 is a great place in scripture where we are reminded of God's faithfulness :

¹ But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.

      O Israel, the one who formed you says,

   “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

      I have called you by name; you are mine.

 ² When you go through deep waters,

      I will be with you.

   When you go through rivers of difficulty,

      you will not drown.

   When you walk through the fire of oppression,

      you will not be burned up;

      the flames will not consume you.

 ³ For I am the Lord, your God,

      the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

   I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;

      I gave Ethiopia^[a] and Seba in your place.

 ⁴ Others were given in exchange for you.

      I traded their lives for yours

   because you are precious to me.

      You are honored, and I love you.

I have not had a life of ease and perfection, nor will I ever, but I know that God has his hand on me!  I am honored to be His child and I will fully trust Him throughout life's journey (marriage, jobs, kids,etc.) as we "Grin and Barrett" :)