Oh yes ... “it's ladies night, and we're feeling right. Oh yes it's ladies night; oh what a night. Oh what a night.”

Oh yes it was ladies night, and it was a very nice night.

A small group of ladies gathered on a dreary night and enjoyed each others company while eating food and learning about cosmetics. Women have always had these little gatherings whether it was cookware, purses, jewelry or lingerie. Like men, women also need their own time to bond with other women without the restraints of the opposite sex.

As both sexes probably realize the sole purpose of these parties is not the actual selling of wares, but the kinpersonship of being together and sharing stories and concerns. The concern of this particular party was apparently getting older and how to mask it. How can we apply preservatives to our faces and actually expect them not to age.

Oddly enough some of the same preservatives in our makeup are the same as in what we eat.

Yummy.

One of my most favorite quick breads are biscuits, and I find it extremely interesting that such a “down home” comfort food has been so mass produced and pumped full of preservatives.

Of the four specimens that I researched; the biscuit side order from a well known “military” persona's restaurant has so many ingredients that I don't comprehend what they all are. I could probably look up these ingredients on the Internet, but I am not sure I want to. What if I find out that they are also used for embalming corpses? Not to say that these biscuits aren't tasty, but now I know why I am so full after I have a three piece dinner.

Of all the biscuits that I have consumed in the past week, the most visually appealing have been made by a blue-eyed doughboy. Sadly these biscuits have a weird aftertaste to me. I also am not thrilled that they have peel-off flaky layers. Biscuits aren't meant to have layers, and I don't understand where this concept came from. I also find it odd when celebrity chefs endorse these products.

Homemade biscuits have five ingredients, and any reasonable person would think that a chef could make their own biscuits and that they would probably be better than any corporation could make.

The next rung of our biscuit ladder includes the “quick” baking mix that dominates many kitchens. Without a doubt, in a pinch, I use this mix for a number of things. The ingredient list is far less than the above two biscuit producers and the guilt factor is also lower. In some minds; if you do a little of the mixing yourself then isn't it still homemade?

Sure why not. We live in a busy world and as long as you get your hands dirty with some flour, I am a happy camper.

The mix can be used for more than just biscuits. Our household enjoys strawberry shortcake, taco pie, zucchini appetizers and pecan pie squares. The mix can also be altered to decrease fat by substituting skim milk. Sodium intake can be altered by exchanging or eliminating the salt.

Lastly we come to the from-scratch biscuits which consist of flour, baking powder, salt, shortening, and buttermilk. Yeast is sometimes added for lighter, airier roll-like biscuits. Herbs, cheeses, nuts or onion can also be added to heighten the flavor.

Many of the recipes that I researched called for self-rising flour, which is an all purpose flour with baking powder and salt added. Butter can be exchanged for shortening as long as it is cold and will also give the biscuit a warmer hue.

Most recipes follow the same basic format: sift dry ingredients, cut in fat, then stir in milk product, knead dough briefly, roll out, and cut dough with firm downward strokes (twisting will make the biscuits lopsided). I have used anything from glasses to cleaned tuna fish cans to make the flaky rounds.

To ensure that your biscuits have soft not crusty sides; place them close together on the baking sheet. Biscuits will double in size when baked so keep that in mind when the dough is rolled out. After the initial kneading, press without kneading the trimmings to use up the remaining dough. Homemade biscuits are usually cooked at 450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size. Brushing biscuits with a little egg wash or extra butter will give them a nice finish.

Drop biscuits require even less work. Increase the amount of milk used and plop the dough onto the baking sheet. Try to keep the mounds similar in size.

Comparing cosmetic parties and making biscuits may be a little of a stretch but whether you put the preservatives in your body or on your body does not change the fact that they are part of you.

Wash that gunk off your face, throw out those pre-made things and treat yourself to some natural homemade goodness.

Valerie Usowski, an Auburn native, is the banquet manager at the Auburn Holiday Inn and a Culinary Institute of America graduate