Organizers cite fewer Munchkins, bad economy for ending Wizard of Oz festival after 27 years

HESTERTON, Ind. (AP) _ An annual Wizard of Oz festival that once attracted 75,000 fans of the classic film to see the actors who played Munchkins has been cancelled, its organizers announced Friday.

Brenda Maynard, president of the Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival, said the low turnout at September's event caused by heavy rains and flooding was part of the decision to end the festival after 27 years.

"When you add to that the tough economy everyone is up against right now, as well as the advancing age of our Munchkin guests, who are one of the primary reasons this festival is so beloved, we had to make a decision that it's time to retire the festival," Maynard said.

At this year's festival, only three Munchkins from the 1939 film were still alive and well enough to attend. As many as 15 actors who played Munchkins attended the festival during its peak years.

Mary Paschen, the festival's treasurer, said the festival owes about $10,000. Paschen and Maynard said its stock of props, artifacts, scenery and costumes will be sold to raise money to pay creditors.

Jean Nelson founded the festival in 1981 after inviting Parnell St. Aubin, who played a Munchkin in "The Wizard of Oz" movie, and his wife, Mary Ellen, to an autograph party at her Chesterton shop and museum, The Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop. Eventually, the festival grew to include a parade and costume contests.

Nelson has since sold the shop, and its new owner said Friday that it also planned to close.

___

Information from: The Times, http://nwitimes.com

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(Video) Anderson Cooper Races Michael Phelps

Watch CBS Videos Online

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Killer Tortoise attacks cats.

Killer Tortoise

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In Honor of Football Tomorrow-An NFL look at the Flyover.

Awesome Video. 

http://www.nfl.com/videos?videoId=09000d5d80924c91

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Fight Over Obama Leads To Beating

ACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- An attack on a Jacksonville woman began as an argument over President-elect Barack Obama, according to police.

Police: Politics Sparks Beating 


The incident took place Friday morning when a fight over politics turned into a physical battle, Jacksonville television station WJXT reported. 

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, Lindsy Whitfield, 46, got worked up when his friend told him she didn't like Obama.

Police said Whitfield slammed a picture frame on the floor of the woman's apartment, and then picked up the shattered frame, threw it and hit her in the face.

The enraged man then began beating the victim with his fists before telling her he was going to kill her, according to a police report.

The victim told police that after Whitfield stopped hitting her he grabbed her stun gun and ran out of the apartment.

Despite patrol efforts, Whitfield could not be located by police. He is wanted on charges of simple battery, petit theft and making threats. 


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Travis Pastrana big wheel Flip

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George Michael to offer new single "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" free on Xmas

LONDON, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- British pop star George Michael's spokeswoman says fans of his music will be able to legally download his new single online for free on Christmas Day.

The Daily Mail said Friday that Michael, who is responsible for more than 100 million record sales worldwide, is offering "December Song (I Dreamed of Christmas)" free on his Web site and other online outlets on Dec. 25.

Michael's spokeswoman said the holiday single marks the first Christmas song from Michael since 1984's "Last Christmas," which he created when part of the '80s duo Wham!

The unidentified spokeswoman said the new single was recorded and written by Michael andDavid Austin.

The Mail said Michael, 45, recently hinted at retirement during the second of two shows at Earls Court in London.

"It's been an amazing ride but there seemed to be too many moments when the compromises seemed too huge," the "Faith" singer told those in attendance at the show.

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Rosie O’Donnell’s Variety Show Canceled!

Rosie O’Donnell tried to revive the variety show format with Rosie Live! this Wednesday. Apparently the show flopped, with only 5 million tuning in to watch the NBC special.

Rosie, 46, blogged, “There will b no more. No ratings. Bad reviews. Yet still – a thrill 4 me… If the bloggers didnt like it, I knew it didn’t work.”

The reason for the cancellation was” “Not enough rehearsal. The live part wasn’t a plus. The in-theater experience didn’t transfer to TV. It was a pilot, meaning u try it [and] see if it works. Then if they pick it up, u fix it.”

But variety shows aren’t dead! In good spirits, Rosie says, “Many people r gonna try a variety show. One will work. Ellen tonight. The Osbournes have one. John Mayer. Check them out.”

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Parents' desperate plea: No more ads for toys

Amid tough economy, some parents say ads unfairly target kids

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Meet an Inmate-Lonely Inmates in the USA Seek Penpals?

www.meet-an-inmate.com

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Even after he returns to the wild, a city-raised lion remembers where he came from.

This is going to make you cry.  What a story!  

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Cyber Monday Ads.

http://www.cybermonday.com/Department-Stores/bc_30___.htm

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Some Great Turkey Leftover Recipes. Thanksgiving

http://www.razzledazzlerecipes.com/thanksgiving/thanksleftovers.htm

http://www.leftoverchef.com/

http://www.mindspring.com/~mgrosz/turkeys.htm

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Wal-Mart Shoppers Fight Over Last XBox 360

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India's NDTV Reports Purported Details of Mumbai Attack

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(Video) Walmart worker trampled to death in Black Friday stampede-4 Hospitalized

NEW YORK -- A 34-year-old Walmart worker died Friday morning after "a throng of shoppers . . . physically broke down the doors" and knocked him to the ground as the crowd pushed its way into the store at a Valley Stream mall, Nassau police said.

One police officer told Newsday the prelude to the death at the Green Acres Mall was "a mob scene." The man who died was a temporary, part-time Walmart worker, the officer said.

Shoppers who surged into the store were asked to leave by Walmart workers, some of them crying and visibly upset, said one shopper, Kimberly Cribbs, of Far Rockaway.

Though rumors circulated among the shoppers that someone had been badly injured, people ignored the Wal-Mart workers' requests that they stop shopping, move to the front of the store and exit, Cribbs said.

"They kept shopping. It's not right. They're savages," said Cribbs.

She said she entered the store after the worker was already being attended to by emergency personnel. As people waited, then pushed into the store, she said, "It was chaos."

Another shopper said people were screaming and shoving in line before the opening.

The worker was knocked down at 5:03 a.m. at the store, and was taken to Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream, where he was pronounced dead at 6:03 a.m.

As of Friday morning the cause of death was described as "undetermined", police said. An exact cause of death will be determined by the county medical examiner's office, police said. The man's name was not immediately made public by the police, and the store was closed.

Asked at a news conference whether the store had enough security given the crowds that Black Friday shopping typically attracts, Det. Lt. Michael Fleming, who is investigating the death, said no.

"This crowd was out of control," Fleming said, characterizing the melee as "utter chaos."

Fleming said an estimated 2,000 people had gathered in line around 5 a.m. as the store was preparing to open.

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Synchronicity Foundation-says 2 Va. residents killed in Mumbai

This undated family photograph of Alan Scherr, his daughter 13-year-old Naomi (center) and wife Kia (left) taken before Alan and Naomi were killed by terrorists at the Oberoi hotel in Mumbai, India. The two were traveling with the Synchronicity Foundation, a religious group based in Virginia, who were hosting a meditation program at the hotel. (AP photo / November 28, 2008)

RICHMOND, Va. - A New York rabbi and his wife and a father and his teenage daughter from a Virginia meditation community were among those killed in the terrorist attacks in India, colleagues said today. Chabad-Lubavitch movement spokesman Rabbi Zalman Schmotkin, says Rabbi Gavriel Noach Holtzberg and his wife, Rivka, were killed in Mumbai. They ran the movement's local headquarters, which was one of 10 sites attacked. The couple's toddler son, Moshe Holtzberg, was smuggled out of the center by an employee, and is now with his grandparents. Separately, Alan Scherr, 58, and daughter Naomi, 13, were in a cafe Wednesday night in Mumbai when they were killed, said Bobbie Garvey, a spokeswoman for the Synchronicity Foundation meditation group. The U.S. State Department confirmed their deaths on this morning.

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Mork and Mindy Marathon-Pam Dauber-Robin Williams.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001118/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pam_Dawber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mork_&_Mindy

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The Little Red Hen-Obama Democratic Version

Once upon a time, on a farm in Virginia , there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered quite a few grains of wheat.

She called all of her neighbors together and said, 'If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?'

'Not I,' said the cow.

'Not I,' said the duck.

'Not I,' said the pig.

'Not I,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did. The wheat grew very tall and ripened into golden grain.

'Who will help me reap my wheat?' asked the little red hen.

'Not I,' said the duck..

'Out of my classification,' said the pig.

'I'd lose my seniority,' said the cow.

'I'd lose my unemployment compensation,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen, and so she did.

At last it came time to bake the bread.

'Who will help me bake the bread?' asked the little red hen.

'That would be overtime for me,' said the cow.

'I'd lose my welfare benefits,' said the duck.

'I'm a dropout and never learned how,' said the pig.

'If I'm to be the only helper, that's discrimination,' said the goose.

'Then I will do it by myself,' said the little red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for all of her neighbors to see. They wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, 'No, I shall eat all five loaves.'

'Excess profits!' cried the cow. 

'Capitalist leech!' screamed the duck. 

'I demand equal rights!' yelled the goose. 

The pig just grunted in disdain. 

And they all painted 'Unfair!' picket signs and marched around and around the little red hen, shouting obscenities.

Then a government agent came. He said to the little red hen, 'You must not be so greedy.'

'But I earned the bread,' said the little red hen.

“Exactly,” said the agent. “That is what makes our free enterprise system so wonderful. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations, the productive workers must divide the fruits of their labor with those who are lazy and idle,”

And they all lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, “I am grateful, for now I truly understand,”

But her neighbors became quite disappointed in her. She never again baked bread, because she joined the “party” and got her bread free.

And all the Liberals smiled. ‘Fairness’ had been established. Individual initiative had died, but nobody noticed; perhaps no one cared…..so long as there was free bread that “the so called rich” were paying for.

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The owners of a Zeist, Netherlands, cafe said it has become the first to use its revolving entrance door to generate electricity.

Nature cafe La Porte said patrons using the revolving door can look at a meter telling them how much electricity their entrance generated for the establishment, Expatica reported Thursday.

Workers said one person entering the store through the revolving door creates about enough electricity to prepare a single cup of coffee.

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Circuit City Thanksgiving Day Blowout Sale happening Online

http://www.i4u.com/article21968.html

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Butterball Turkey and other Help Lines.

Butterball Turkey Talk-Line: (800) 288-8372. Home economists and nutritionists answer questions in English and Spanish from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow. Check butterball.com for 24-hour automated assistance and info on other resources.

•Crisco Pie Hotline: Though the line isn’t staffed today, you can access videos with troubleshooting tips, step-by-step visual instructions to create pie crusts and recipes using seasonal ingredients at crisco.com. If you’re in a pie-making mood tomorrow or anytime after, (877) 367-7438 offers a live pie expert 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday with the line available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 15-23.

•Empire Kosher poultry customer hot line: (800) 367-4734. Help is offered year-round Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

•Fleischmann’s Yeast Baker’s Help Line: (800) 777-4959 has recorded messages about yeast, including storing it, checking if it’s viable, substituting different types of yeast and more. Talk to a consumer representative 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. At breadworld.com, recipes and tips for using yeast.

•Jennie-O Holiday Turkey Hotline is 800-turkeys, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including Thanksgiving Day. At jennieo.com, find recipes, tips, and a FAQ section that tells you the plastic that ties the legs together is called a hock-lock.

•Land O’ Lakes Holiday Baking Hotline, (800) 782-9606, answers questions and gives advice about baking. It operates daily through Dec. 24 from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Callers will receive a leaflet of year-round baking tips and recipes for holiday sweets.

•Loews Hotel Wine Line: E-mail your questions towineline@loewshotels.com, where certified sommeliers will help guide you through your wine pairing or wine gift-giving dilemmas, no matter your budget, through Dec. 31. They recommend serving a Pinot Noir with turkey; their Holiday wine FAQs suggest a Viognier if you also want a white.

•Nestle Toll House Baking Information Line: (800) 637-8537 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., through Jan. 5.

•Ocean Spray consumer help line: (800) 662-3263. Year-round, weekdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Offers help with cranberries as well as recipes, cooking tips, nutritional information and menu-planning worksheets.

•Perdue consumer help line: (800) 473-7383 or www.perdue.com. Representatives answer cooking, storage and other questions about poultry. Regular hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Holiday hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Tuesday; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. today; 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thanksgiving Day. Closed Christmas Day.

•Reynolds Turkey Tips Hotline: (800) 745-4000. A year-round 24-hour automated hot line from the aluminum foil people; through Dec. 31 they offer advice on turkey defrosting, preparation and cooking options; free brochure and recipes.

•U.S. Department of Agriculture Meat and Poultry Hotline: (888) 674-6854. Food-safety specialists answer calls 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays year-round — except Thanksgiving Day, when hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Web site, fsis.usda.gov, has a 24-hour automated response system; recorded information is available 24 hours a day. Service also available in Spanish.

Chef’s secret: Remember, if the turkey is overcooked and the vegetables are cold, hot gravy covers a multitude of sins.

A final option — thank goodness for restaurants open on Thanksgiving. For a list, go to projo.com/seasonal/

thanksgiving/.'

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Top 100 Thanksgiving Prayers

Top 100 Thanksgiving Prayers for the Day of Thanksgiving or any Day

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Turkey Roasting Times Chart

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blturkey7.htm

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butterball turkeys

butterballturkey.com

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ATS chief Hemant Karkare dies a hero's death

Mumbai, Nov 27 (PTI) He wore a helmet, talked on his cellphone and finally put on a bullet-proof jacket before he met his deathly fate in the country's biggest terror seize.
Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who was probing the Malegaon blasts case, suffered three bullet injuries in his chest as he was leading the offensive against the terrorists in one of the places the ultras had holed out early this morning.

The last television visuals of the 54-year-old officer showed him in a light blue shirt and dark trousers surrounded by uniformed policemen armed with firearms and walkie-talkies.

Karkare, a 1982 batch IPS officer, became the head of ATS in January this year following his return to the state cadre after serving seven years in Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Austria.

One of the brightest officers, Karkare had solved the serial bomb blasts in Thane, Vashi and Panvel and was also credited for the stunning revelations in the investigation of the September 29 blast in Malegaon. He is known for his discipline and fair investigation.

During the Malegaon investigation, Karkare had told his officers not to create false evidence, saying, "We should do our job and it is for the court to decide." Incidentally, the Pune ATS on November 26 reportedly received phone calls threatening to blow up the residence of Karkare "within a couple of days".

In his last interview to a television channel yesterday, he referred to getting the custody of Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, and said "police custody would have helped investigations to proceed faster but still we will see how best to deal with it in a legal way". PTI

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POLICE CALLED IN SCHOOL DISPUTE OVER PILGRIM & AMERICAN INDIAN COSTUMES

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Nearly 20 Years After Rape and Murder Conviction, Steven Barnes Is Released from Prison Based on DNA Testing

'Unvalidated and exaggerated science convicted Steven Barnes and cost him nearly two decades, but real science finally secured his freedom,’ Innocence Project says

(UTICA, NY; November 25, 2008) – Innocence Project client Steven Barnes was released from prison this morning, nearly two decades after he was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder in Oneida County. New DNA test results support Barnes’ longstanding claim of innocence in the 1985 rape and murder of a high school student for which he was convicted in 1989.

Barnes’ conviction highlights the pressing need for national standards in forensic science, the Innocence Project said. Eyewitness testimony at his trial was shaky, but forensic testimony linked him to the crime. The forensic evidence included testimony that soil on Barnes’ truck tires was similar to soil at the crime scene and testimony that an imprint on the outside of Barnes’ truck matched the fabric pattern on a particular brand of jeans the victim wore when she was killed.  Neither soil comparison nor jean pattern imprinting is scientifically valid, and they should not be relied on in court without proper bounds and/or experts testifying for both parties, the Innocence Project said. 

Rest of the Story Here. 

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25 wounded in Mumbai, India is being attacked. Hotel on Fire.

MUMBAI, India: Gunmen targeted luxury hotels, a popular tourist attraction and a crowded train station in at least seven attacks in India's financial capital Thursday, wounding 25 people, police and witnesses said.

A.N Roy police commissioner of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital, said several people had been wounded in the attacks and police were battling the gunmen.

"The terrorists have used automatic weapons and in some places grenades have been lobbed," said Roy.

Gunmen opened fire on two of the city's best known Luxury hotels, the Taj Mahal and the Oberoi. They also attacked the crowded Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station in southern Mumbai and Leopold's restaurant, a Mumbai landmark.

It was not immediately clear what the motive was for the attacks.

"It was really scary. It was like the sound of loud crackers, not one but several, we just ran out of there," said Janice Sequeira, a tourist who had been at a restaurant in the Taj Mahal Hotel.

At the Oberoi, police officer P.I. Patil said shots had been fired inside and the hotel had been cordoned off. He would not give any other details.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Mumbai General Railway Police Commissioner A.K. Sharma as saying that several men armed with rifles and grenades were holed up in the train station.

Leopold's restaurant was riddled with bullet holes and there were blood stains on the floor and shoes left by fleeing customers, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene.

At least 25 people had been brought to the G.T. Hospital near the shootings, said hospital official Yogesh Pandey.

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David Charvet and Brook Burke

Learning to dance hasn't been the biggest challenge for Dancing With the Stars contestant Brooke Burke -- instead, its been learning to juggle practice along with having four children! "That's been the toughest part," shared Brooke on an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show Monday, noting that "its been a big sacrifice for me and for them. Now that there's light at the tunnel and we're almost through, they've been very, very supportive."

In order to spend more time with Neriah, 8 ½, Sierra Sky, 6 ½, Heaven Rain, 22 months, and Shaya Braven, 8 months, Brooke sometimes brings them to dance rehearsal. This is fine with her partner Derek Hough, who describes the kids as both "insane" and "cute" and uses them to  his advantage! Recently, Brooke was having problems with her posture for a dance, so Derek placed Shaya in a baby carrier on his mom's chest to keep her in check, he explained.

"Shaya helped us out, he showed us a quickstep frame there. He actually fell asleep...he's out."

Brooke, 37, is engaged to actor David Charvet, who is father to Heaven and Shaya. Neriah and Sierra are Brooke's daughters with ex-husband Dr. Garth Fisher.

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JULIANNE HOUGH'S BOYFRIEND: 'WE'RE VERY MUCH IN LOVE' (photo)

Julianne Hough's country singer boyfriend Chuck Wicks says the two are now "very much in love" -- but when he first met Julianne, he gave her a nervous pick up line.

"My famous pick-up line was, 'The catering is great', and then I walked away. I was so nervous," Chuck tells People about meeting the "Dancing with the Stars" performer.

Chuck and Julianne met this summer while on tour with Brad Paisley. Now the singer says they "are a laid back, normal couple."

Chuck says he'll be spending his Thanksgiving with Julianne and her family, followed by Christmas in Nashville.

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Turgooducochiqua? The Latest Holiday Feast

Undated -- There are many ways to cook a turkey. You can bake it, broil it, fry it and grill it...but what about the bird itself?

By now, most people have heard about the Turducken (chicken and duck stuffed in a turkey), but what about the Turgooducochiqua?

However you say it, it surfaced on the photo exchange website Flickr.

The ingredients include: A quail inside a cornish hen inside a duck inside a chicken inside a turkey inside a goose...with bacon between the layers.

That's six birds and a pig.

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Separation planned for Oklahoma conjoined twins

A set of 1-month-old girls believed to be the first known American Indian conjoined twins are doing well and will be separated, doctors say.

Preslee Faith and Kylee Hope Wells were born Oct. 25 and are joined at the liver and rib cage, said David Tuggle, a pediatric surgeon who will be involved in the separation.

"They are very cute and they hold each other," Tuggle said Tuesday of the twins.

The twins' parents are 21-year-old Kyle Wells and 20-year-old Stevie Stewart of Calumet. Both have a history of twins in their families.

Rest of the Story Here at AP

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OKLAHOMA_CONJOINED_TWINS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=US

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The movie business isn't recession-proof, after all. Hollywood is hurting.

Judging by the box office--a record-setting $70 million opening for Quantum of Solace, fans camping out for Twilight and a blockbuster holiday season ahead--things seem great in Hollywood. But look away from the glow of the screen, and Tinseltown gets a lot darker.

All of the 10 highest-grossing studios, which control 91% of U.S. market share have scaled back or combined their operations in recent months. This year's top-grossing studio, Warner Brothers Entertainment, shuttered two of its independent arms, Picturehouse and Warner Independent Pictures, and absorbed a third, New Line Cinema, in an effort to cut costs. Their total film output will drop to 20 films this year, down 25% from last year's slate. Paramount and 20th Century Fox made similar cuts.

It isn't the terrible economy--yet. People are still going to movies. The big problem is Wall Street. Without money from private equity and big investment banks, which injected an estimated $10 to $18 billion into Hollywood in the last four years, studios have had to change the way they do business--fast. "I would be very dubious for Hollywood as we know it surviving," says David Thomson, film critic and author of Have You Seen ...?

In Pictures: What's Hurting Hollywood

The American film industry "can't sustain much higher growth rates or attract capital at the same low rates the way they could a year or two ago," says Harold Vogel, CEO of Vogel Capital Management and author of Entertainment Industry Economics."All the risk has been repriced."

As financing costs escalate, so will production costs. That means fewer films. Though the reduction ripple won't hit the box office until 2010, the number of productions will be down 5% to 10% over the next few years, predicts Vogel. The total number of feature films in wide release climbed from 478 in 2000 to 631 last year, a 32% increase. The number of movie tickets sold increased by only 1% in that same period.

The independent film industry may shrink even more. According to remarks made by Mark Gill, CEO of The Film Department, at the L.A. Film Festival last June, of the 5,000 films submitted to Sundance last year only "maybe five" would make money. There were 477 independent films made in 2007, according to the Independent Film & Television Alliance, each costing an average of $16.5 million to make.

"There's been an open spigot of money flowing into Hollywood, and the pictures are killing each other," says John Fithian, president of the National Association of Theatre Owners. "We can't handle the number of movies we're getting right now."

More on this Story 

Hollywood in Pictures

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Mother-daughter team unveil recipe for Callie’s Charleston cheese biscuits

Callie's Charleston cheese biscuits

Callie White, Carrie Morey

INGREDIENTS

• 6 cups self rising flour

• 6 tablespoons of salted butter, at room temperature, plus 1 tablespoon [to brush on top]

• 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

• 1/3 cup of chives

• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

• 2 1/2 cups buttermilk

DIRECTIONS

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Slightly grease a baking pan, or use a piece of parchment paper.

Place flour, butter, and cream cheese (torn into small pieces) into a large mixing bowl.

Quickly use your fingers to partially incorporate the butter and cream cheese into the flour. (You want to see some small pieces left after the mixing process is done. Don't overmix; you want a consistency between cornmeal and shaggy.) Mix in the chives and cheddar cheese.

Make a well in the center of above mix, and pour in the buttermilk. Now, it is crucial not to overmix your dough. You don't want visible flour pockets, so as soon as all is incorporated, stop.

Transfer the dough from the bowl to a well-floured surface, and lightly dust the sides and top of the dough.

Pat into a smooth shape, and use a rolling pin to get the desired thickness (about 1/2 inch). Have a small bowl of flour nearby.

Dip your biscuit cutter into the flour, and start "stamping" your biscuits, and placing them side by side — touching — into your pan. Be sure that your biscuits touch, so they will rise up, not spread out. The key to good biscuits is to not have to roll your dough out too many times.

Brush liberally with melted butter, and place in preheated oven for 15 to twenty minutes, rotating the pan once, halfway through. Every oven is different, so the first time, you need to watch them more carefully. You may need to adjust the temperature 10 to 25 degrees, or the time to 25 minutes.

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