Has Your Cooking Improved.....?

Just curious, for those of you who miss things from the states. Have you been able to duplicate things?
Reason I'm asking......I was DESPERATE for enchiladas today......unfortunately I was out of the enchilada sauce mix packets my mom sends me. So, I googled a bit, and went at it from scratch. Then I decided to do up some chicken.......Well! The sauce was REALLY HOT, as I used too much chili powder, but it was REALLY tasty too! The enchiladas were delicious, even my husband, who's asian, and practically only eats indian food......he LICKED the plate! Seriously, well, he was getting the sauce off the plate with his finger and licking it off. I made eight enchiladas, he ate five. So, now I know that I don't NEED the packets my mom sends, although they make it a bit easier. That to me, means that my cooking has improved!
  What have you guys done in desperation that turned out yummy?

Yes it has.  I cook pretty much everything from scratch here - it's so much tastier and much more healthy than the way I used to eat in the US.

Yeah for you!  Enchilada sauce is so easy.  It has been good to try and duplicate things for me too.  Just made fudge without the aid of fluff, which was a first-time thing, but just as good.  I do a lot more baking than I did in the US, but my cooking is about the same. 

I'm definitely better though I suspect I would have improved a lot in the US, too, as I come from a cooking-loving family.

There are a few things I've failed at duplicating but after 8 years, I've gotten over it!

I don't see a dramatic difference in my cooking, well when I can be bothered to cook. I have always been a pretty wholesome cook and I think its turned out pretty good.
But I increasingly find myself, I guess because I am single, eating random meals that aren't necessarily of the best quality. 
So maybe my cooking has gotten worse! Once I stop being sick, I am going to make a resolve to start to cook a bit again. 

The one thing I CANNOT do, is get a biscuit to rise. They just won't. I know the ingredients are ok, because I use the same flour, baking powder, ect. to make muffins, and they DO rise. This is beginning to annoy the "£$%#" outta me!! I've done all the tricks, like don't knead, don't overmix, don't twist the cutter, put them close to each other on the pan.....blah blah.......One day I'll get it, I suppose. Just don't know what the trick is! I want like big fat KFC biscuits!

I'm better than I was, but mostly just because I have more time to focus on it here since I'm not working. If I'd been in the US with more time on my hands, I suspect my cooking would have improved over there too.

The one thing I CANNOT do, is get a biscuit to rise.

Are you rolling them too thin?  Is your oven hot enough when you put them in?  Do you keep the oven door closed until they are baked, because if not they may not rise as they should.

I roll them to about half an inch. Maybe a bit more. The oven is hot, I have gas, it's put on six I think. Between 5 and 6, can't remember what that is in F. I don't open the door, usually. Just when I think they are done.

Weirdness, biscuits are one baking thing that always (ack! knock on wood NOW!!) works for me.  They're about 1" thick when they go into the oven, about 21/2" cooked.   I don't always preheat the oven, and I open the door after 10 minutes to look.  And quite often thereafter. It doesn't seem to bother them. 

Sounds like you're doing everything right.  They don't like much handling, and liquids should be cold when they're added.  VERY cold is best.  But you're probably already doing that, so throw out your baking powder and get some new stuff.  Maybe the flour, as well. 

Oh, I cut the butter in very cold, too.  Do you?

Oh, I cut the butter in very cold, too.  Do you?

This was going to be my suggestion too.  Very cold butter. 

I use it from the fridge, that's as cold as it gets, sometimes I use marg, but I've done it both ways, and they just don't lift. I don't handle them very much either. I know it's not the baking powder or flour, because I've tried many times, with different ones, (I replace flour and baking powder a lot) and whatever else I've baked with those turned out fine! Biscuits are a tricky business for me.......

Are you using buttermilk? 

no, can't find it, so I use regular. Should I do the add vinegar to milk thingy to make some? Do it that way?

no, can't find it, so I use regular. Should I do the add vinegar to milk thingy to make some? Do it that way?

Yeah, it may be worth a try!  The acidity usually helps the baking soda rise more.