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...one woman's decision impacts her family's diet....how long can they last without a trip through the drive-thru?

Friday, October 22, 2010

Day 9-Biscuits and Gravy

I didn't post anything for day 8 since I spent most of the day on the road with my hubby. We had to take Sara and little Addie to the airport so they could fly home to Oahu for 6 weeks. Boy I am going to miss them. I think that's why I was inspired to make biscuits and gravy for breakfast this morning. (Thank you Sara for the recipe) Comfort food, and Sara just made me breakfast a few days ago and that was what she made. So there we go, comfort, and happy thoughts on a day when I am missing my dearest friend.

Sara made the gravy using a little leftover bacon grease that she had in the fridge. I didn't have anything like that, so I just used the little bit of grease that was left in the pan after I cooked the sausage. Since I used a really lean chicken sausage, there wasn't very much grease left at all. It actually worked out well, and I think it was a healthier alternative to the biscuits and gravy you can get at restaurants and one fast food place that only serves chicken...

I consider gravy making an art form. In previous years, I always thought it was easier to just open a jar or can than to try and make my own from scratch. I have gotten braver in my advancing years (that's for my husband who teases me endlessly because I am 1 year, 11 months older than him), and can now make gravy from scratch. It is a process though, and if you have never done it before, just take it slowly. For me, there is no exact science or measurement. I do it all visually, and after some practice, you will see what I mean. It's just easier to play with the thickness, and texture of the gravy while you are cooking until you have the gravy you want!

Biscuits and Gravy
serves: 4

1 can biscuits-makes 8 (we used Pillsbury Grands honey butter which added a sweet taste to the meal)
1 lb chicken (or turkey) sausage
Milk
Flour
Salt
Pepper

1) pre-heat oven according to package directions on biscuits. 2) prepare sausage according to package directions, cooking thoroughly. While sausage is browning, put biscuits in oven and cook according to package directions. 3) after sausage is browned well on the outside, remove from heat. Place sausage in a bowl. Use the pan to prepare the gravy. 4) slowly pour milk in hot skillet over low heat and stir with whisk. The amount of milk depends on how much gravy you actually want to make. I used 2 cups of milk to start, and added more as needed to thin out the gravy. Sprinkle a small amount of salt and pepper over the surface of the milk and whisk in. Using a teaspoon, slowly add flour to the milk and stir continuously with a whisk to avoid lumps. Continue adding flour until the gravy begins to thicken. Stop stirring, and let it simmer over low heat. You may need to add more milk if the gravy gets too thick too quickly. Make sure you stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan to prevent burning. 5) when gravy has reached desired consistency, add sausage back into gravy and stir together. Pour gravy over biscuits and serve warm.



For this recipe I used Isernios all natural chicken sausage. I prefer organic meats, but this tasted good and only had 80calories per serving. It was listed as having 87% less fat when compared to the USDA information for pork sausage.


The family reviews:
Dad: "I like it better than Chick-fil-a's biscuits and gravy. It was delicious. Downside is I ate too much, which doesn't actually make it healthier in the long run"

Baby: signed more, absolutely loved the flaky biscuits. Happy kicks and giggles were a sure sign he was happy with the meal.


This week's weight: Mom: 172

2 comments:

  1. I find that if you mix the flour in a bit of liquid (either water or milk) before adding to the hot milk milk mixture, it helps to keep the lumps from forming. Also, since you are making gravy from scratch, you should make biscuits from scratch too. Very easy to make. My favorite is buttermilk biscuits.

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  2. Thank you for the tip! I have made biscuits from scratch and know that it is very easy. I should have mentioned this in the blog post: I normally make biscuits from scratch at home, using a recipe found in my Better Homes and Gardens cook book. However, since I was pressed for time (as most working moms are in the morning) I substituted with the Pillsbury biscuits.

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