Either sift your dry ingredients into a bowl, or put them in a bowl and mix together with a fork. Add your shortening, and work it between your fingers until it has a consistency like corn meal.
With a fork, stir in your milk. After the initial ⅔, you can add more milk, little by little, until the dough is soft (but not sticky).
Throw some flour on your counter, and pour your dough out onto it. Flour your hands, and knead the dough around 20 times (and not more than that, or you'll lose the flakiness of the biscuits). Roll out to around ¾ " thick, and cut out your biscuits with the top of a glass. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet, close together, prick the top of each with a fork, and toss them in the oven.
Cook the biscuits for 10 - 15 minutes, checking at 10 minutes. They're done when they start to take on a tan coloring, and a sharp knife can go into the middle of them and come out without any dough sticking to it.
Serve with butter, honey, or jam...