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Cornmeal biscuits with ham and cheddar

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In Praise of Leftovers
Cornmeal biscuits with ham and cheddar cheese. If you want, you can add chopped chives, fresh thyme, or green onions. These biscuits couldn't be easier to make – one bowl, a wooden spoon.

I've got an easy, crowd-pleasing little savory bite here, and  not much else to say except that I am, still and again, so grateful for my life.

If you're a mom, you've probably seen this post going around – about how our kids need us and not expertly executed birthday parties, cute Easter crafts, or the stress of living up to the curated perfection of Pinterest. And if you're not a Mom, the same is true – the people in your life need YOU, your presence, the way you show up, more than anything you produce or any ideal you uphold. 

And I want to show up--with children, husband, strangers, clients, friends – in a way that's open to outcome, drawing from energy deeper than mine, and ready to give and receive. I do that better some days than others. Some moments that have helped me out lately:

  • A family outing to Vancouver, where we played on the beach, ate lots of sushi, went on long bike rides, and enjoyed the miracle of being a foursome in the world
  • Sun!! Not oodles, but enough to remind me that orb is still in the solar system
  • Loretta practicing her letters all the time, on every scrap of paper in the house
  • Wyatt winning a ribbon at the science fair and constantly thinking in fractions
  • Starting to work on the house again
  • Wyatt coming home from soccer, covered head-to-toe in mud
  • Walking the labyrinth at my church and feeling renewed my calling as a peacemaker
  • Spring cleaning and tossing things I don't love or need
  • Aerobics with Liz, bopping to the '80's with some really fit 70 year-olds

And these biscuits. It's not warm here yet despite the fact that it's technically spring. So we're still having soup and biscuits for dinner. It could be worse.

Cornmeal Biscuits with Ham and Cheddar
Adapted from Gourmet. I usually have some proscuitto around, which is the "ham" in these biscuits. I buy the German brand of proscuitto at Trader Joe's, which is very reasonably priced and has a good balance of saltiness and fat. If you want, you can add chopped chives, fresh thyme, or green onions. These couldn't be easier – one bowl, a wooden spoon.

2 cups flour
1/4 cup. cornmeal
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1-1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
1/2 cup coarsely chopped proscuitto or cooked ham
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk 

Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Butter a large baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheddar and ham. Add buttermilk and stir until just combined.

Drop dough in 12 equal mounds about 2 inches apart onto baking sheet. Bake until golden, 15-20 minutes.

Related post on In Praise of Leftovers: Banana Lemon Scones

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