Breakfast For One

Good morning!  I have been wanting to share my tips and tricks for Breakfast For One for a while.  I truly wanted someone else to take the pictures, mainly because I'm kind of busy during this process.  But alas, today is the day and it's up to me.  So here goes.

This Breakfast For One, as I call it, isn't because I'm single, because I'm not, but only because I cook breakfast for Shaun on the daily and I eat something else.  He needs a more "stick to your ribs" kind of start to his day.  So, I am sharing one of many breakfasts that I cook for him.  

This is for scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage gravy which today also features onions and mushrooms.

First... a tip.  It makes more sense to me to cook the eggs first.  Mainly because your pan is pretty full after the gravy.  So, I first get a bowl, pour some water in it and heat it on two minutes in the microwave.  When my eggs are cooked I pour the water out and put the eggs to rest in their warm bowl inside the microwave while I cook the sausage and gravy.

  Well thank goodness my microwave is semi clean.

Next I go ahead and chop up my onion and mushrooms while my pan is heating with a little butter in the bottom.  Even though I use a copper skillet I have little faith in "nothing" sticking, especially when I cook eggs.

And on to my next tip... I use a rubber spatula for this whole process.  It is so much easier to scrape around the sides of the pan.  And since I'm not flipping anything over it just makes more sense.

I always whisk my eggs with a little water in a measuring cup or bowl and pour them in when the pan it decently heated.  The spatula also helps to scrape around the sides of the eggs.  To scramble well I gently pull from the center while also working around the edges and turn over when necessary.  It truly only takes a couple of minutes to cook eggs.

 Look Ma!  I love my birthday mug from Cracker Barrel!!

When they're done, pour your water in the sink and place them in the bowl in the micro until you're ready to serve.

Now... on to the good stuff... gravy for one.

I precooked my mushrooms and onions in butter for just a minute then added my sausage.  I find it easier to twist the bottom of the tube of sausage and pinch off how much I need.  Let it cook until lightly browned.

You can see it really doesn't make a whole lot of grease if you use a decent quality sausage.

Here's what I use for my gravy, plus milk.

Toss in a tablespoon or a little more of flour right onto your sausage.

I like to throw in a pinch of chicken bullion and black pepper.  Toss it around with your spatula until you can't really see the flour anymore.

Then add your milk.

If I had to guess how much it's probably about a cup of milk.  Let it come to a boil.

Scrape around the sides.  I tried to get a picture of this next step.  Did not work.  When my gravy has begun to change colors to more of a tan than white and feels like it is thickening I like to take my spatula and drag it from the side inward.  When the gravy comes together slow then it's done.

Put your piece of toast on your plate next to your warm eggs and pour the sausage and gravy over the toast.  And WaaLaa!  Breakfast for one!

Kiss Kiss Hugs Hugs Have a good day!!

bacon

Y'all.. I wouldn't kid you.  Bacon this way has literally changed my life.  I cook breakfast every morning.  I get up, walk in the kitchen and turn on the oven, take a shower, go to the kitchen and put foil on a sheet pan for my bacon.  Then I put a small piece of parchment paper out for two frozen biscuits and put halves of bacon on the foil.  Put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.  This gives me time to finished getting ready.  When the 20 minutes is about up I am back on the kitchen cooking two eggs and making my lunch for the day.  It's my routine.  I used to stand here frying bacon.  This process is much easier.  I'm telling you.  And oh-so good!

And the clean up is a snap.  Just let the grease cool and throw it away. 

morning cravings

I woke up this morning thinking about blueberry and lemon pancakes.  I got on a crepe kick several years ago that involved lemon curd and fresh blueberry filling with just a sprinkling of powdered sugar on top.  Right as I sat down at the table with my laptop, coffee and bacon, egg, cheese and tomato sandwich I found a post on an old blog crush of mine for blueberry lemon pancakes.  Tomorrow.... tomorrow.

 

Found on adventures-in-cooking.com.

My little lemon crepes were a whole lot simpler.  Matter of fact it was a crepe mix and you made several at a time and kept them in the fridge.  So all I had to do was add the filling.  Lucky for me I have a grocery store visit today.

P.S. My new favorite summer time thing is to hold my hummingbird feeder out past the porch rail.  Within minutes they are getting and drink and flying all around me.  Sometimes six to ten at a time!

Meal Planning

Normally I am not a big planner.  I also officially began to refuse to be a list maker when I turned forty professing that I refuse to live by my own rules anymore.  Not sure where this meal planning agenda fits in to that plan.  It started when I was at the day care today making a new lunch planning menu for the weeks ahead.  Sometimes I do this but most of the time I do not.  I just make sure I have enough and fix what I have each day.  When my little menu was done for the week I felt better knowing what we would have the next few days, so I went further and planned the next few weeks.  I realize that people do this all the time, I am just normally not one of them.  I will get a few ideas for lunches and suppers and take it to the grocery and call it done. 

 

I started out by writing down (not an official list) main dishes, side dishes and fruit for the DC.  Then picked one off each... um... list... and wrote them down for each day.  It wound up looking like this.

 

Yes, I have only part time kids and no kids on Fridays!  I try to feed them as healthy as I know how.  The hot dogs are turkey dogs, the jello is sugar free and I throw veggies in to the paddies that they don't know they are eating sometimes.  I try to make sure there is a meat, vegetable, fruit and a bargaining chip to get the plates cleaned off.

 

Then... are you ready for this... I went a little crazy and did the same thing for suppers at home.  I obviously cook a lot and no, we don't go out to eat much.  Although I will alter any of these evening plans for the occasional supper out.  I will also plan my grocery lists accordingly. 

 I really figured this planning would help get me started in the Holiday season and take a bit of stress off what's for supper. 

 

 

AND... I made a blank one for you.  Just in case you want to get in on the fun.  Just copy and paste it or right click and print... however your fancy pc lets you do it.

 

 

By the way, I am on an "eat what's in the freezer" kick, so I told Shaun this morning.  So the majority of the meals are planned around what we have on hand.  We have four deep freezers and three refrigerators and could probably eat for two months without going to the grocery except for bread and milk.  We keep deer meat in one, our pork in another, garden vegetables in the third freezer and the rest in the upright.  You would think we fed a huge family.  But, we like to eat what we grow and raise and it's time to stop buying anything but fish and chicken and who knows, we might just become fisherman to avoid buying fish!

 

 



Checked Out: Martha's Favorite Family Dinners



Ok, not really checked out so much as I bought it at the book sale at the library.  Had I known how much I would come to treasure these videos, I would have checked it out long ago.  It was total book sale fate.  This dvd of my sister Martha's (not really so much in reality... her being my sister and all) is fantastico!  It is full of quick cook meals and side dishes and pasta dinners and chicken and meat and fish dinners.  You will love it. 

 

Funny story, I was making Lemon Chicken Cutlets in a perfect lemon sauce with capers and Shaun came in the kitchen asking if he could help me do anything... aaawww... I turned and said "not really... hold up... pause the tv... now unpause.... pause.... unpause."  This went on pretty much until i was finished and Shaun got to help make supper to boot!

 

I so far have made (bear with me on the names, I left the dvd at home and am blogging during nap time) Lemon Chicken Cutlets, Squash Casserole (with guest, master chef from Belle Meade Plantation) Spicy Flank Steak, Crusty Mustard Chicken.  But each of them require minimal ingredients and you end up with minimal clean up and a dish ready in about 15 minutes.  I love it and tonight... Chicken and Dumplings!

 

Here is the amazon link MARTHA

Nashville Library still has it if you'd like to rent it.

I'd lend you mine but I can't bear to part with it until I've made everything!

 

 

 

Checked Out Rating 10!

 

Venison Stroganoff

Today I have a fantastic recipe for you.  This is a supper for those gals who love their deer meat and love to pat the man (or woman) on the back that got up early during deer season and brought it on home to you.  Unless you shot it yourself... in that case.. You do it girl!  Even if you don't eat deer meat you can use beef or turkey and I promise you will still love how easy it is and how much you will love to hear the other eaters at your table say "oh... oh... thank you!"  Just please don't pour the boiling water from the noodles on your hand like I did this evening!  That web part in the middle of your fingers is tender I tell ya! 

I typed up this recipe and loaded it like a picture so you should be able to right click and print it with ease.  I like it like that... easy.  This recipe feeds my man and I with a serving left over for lunch the next day.  I also slap up some green beans and bread to go with.  Make it easy on yourself now!

Now a note on deer meat.  There are a lot of sceptics on venison out there.  That it has too much of a gamey taste, and that can happen.  For instance if you shoot a buck in rut or a deer in mid run when all the blood is flowing into the muscles and all, that can give it a stronger taste.  But a good doe with a little fat on her, you can't beat that one bit!  And I always say, if you don't like deer meat, then it ain't been cooked right!  Do not be afraid of deer meat.  I will admit, when I first began cooking with venison I over seasoned thinking it wouldn't taste right.  But some years later now I want the taste up front and center of a good deer.  And deer meat is good for you!  I promise, unless some little woodland elf has been shooting steroids into deer while they sleep, there are no man made hormones or anything like that AND they have less fat than beef or turkey.  Just try it or get over it already!  You will fall in love and become very sad when the freezer is empty and deer season seems so far away.

 

 

P.S. Happy Birthday Mama and Tracy!

3/23

Yes... one of my sisters was born on my Mom's birthday!  She got the boobie prize that year!

Love you both! XOXO

 

 

******Recipe Correction******

I noticed this morning that I put 3/4 Chardonnay!  That's funny. 

I meant 3/4 cup not 3/4 of the bottle of wine!  I am sure it would still turn out well... a little runny unless you really let it cook down.

Let The Inspiration Begin

I have created a new journal to lug around!  In addition to my normal journal, that lacks about six pages of being full, I have made myself a different kind of journal.  The kind of stuff I will be saving shows up in my journal already, but there's a lot of talk in between.  So I have dedicated this journal for pictures and ideas for decorating, lifestyle and crafty things.  So whenever I see pictures in magazines I can cut them out or when I come across inspiration on blogs and pictures on the internet, I can print them for my use.

I have a little area on my PC here where I keep these items now.  And I know a lot of people "pin" things, of which I am not into.  I just can't get the hang of it.  This journal and way of keeping inspiration that I want to go back and look at any time where I can put my hands on it and look back.

As I said before, I already keep tidbits in my regular journal, but this idea came from the blog herlibraryadventures.  I get really inspired by her vignettes and pictures and also their sister blog.

I made my journal with, of course, ModPodge.  A product of which I am dedicated to.  I covered the outside of a composition notebook with floral pictures from the Burpee seed catalogue.  Then I started glue stickin pictures and making notes.  Also leaving room on certain pages for future inspiration on the same subject.  It is going to be a lot of fun.

Baking Tip

Granny and I were talking the other day about baking and how instantly forgetful we can be.  You know you've done it!  When you get ingredients out and begin tossing them in a bowl and lose count on the sugar.  Was that six-quarter cups full to make one and a half cups of sugar or was that five?  Or a half panic as the decadent Hummingbird Cake goes into the oven... I forgot to put the pecans in the cake mix! 

While I am sure there is some fancy ingredient ap on those fancy phones everyone but Shaun and I own, I obtained my tip from the one and only Julia Child.  I received The French Chef (one and two) DVD series for my birthday and pop them into watch while I am in my kitchen at least twice a week.  A week or two ago she was baking her Queen of Sheba chocolate cake and threw a tip at me.  Place all of your ingredients out on a tray or cookie sheet before you begin baking.  Go ahead and measure out the flour and other dry ingredients in separate bowls.  I know these steps take more time but really it adds to the fun and I know for sure I have everything out and measured before I begin. 

I tried this last weekend when I made a cake for the BBQ place.  And Lord knows I look for any excuse to use my enamel trays I adore so much!  I have mentioned my enamelware fetish haven't I? 
Anyway, I did just as Julia said and guess what... the pecans were in the cake this time.  Just as the recipe calls for.  If you are going to bake, try not to get in a hurry and enjoy the entire process and if you make the proper preparations you shan't forget or mis-measure a thing! 

The next step in this baking tip is to remove the ingredients from the tray and put them away as you use them.  Put the empty bowls in the sink and the vanilla bottle in the cabinet.  That way when you think you are done and you look over at your tray and something is still there..... guess what?  It's not too late to add it because the cake has not entered the baking zone yet.  Brill Julia... brill.

This tray is stained from another place in time before I got it.  But it is old and I love it!  I hadn't exactly premeasured at this point nor does it look like I had the flour out.  But I promise you, it did happen and it took a teeny bit of stress out of the whole process because I knew I wasn't going to forget a thing. 

A Quick Marinade

So, Sunday when we got home from church we laid out some venison steaks from the deep freeze to allow them to thaw in the sink in time for supper. Long about four o'clock I got the steaks apart, which were still a tad frozen in the middle, and put them in a cold water salt bath to get any excess blood out. This also takes the "strong" taste out if there is any. While they were soaking I realized that I was out of our normal "go-to" marinade that we like to use. It's a store bought bottle brand that I can usually mix a little water with and get two, maybe three soakings out of.

Now, I've been highly addicted to a couple of sets of The French Chef with Julia Child over the last month that I rented from the library. J.C. drops mention of wine in every show that she does. From using it in dishes to what wines for with the dish that she made. Well.. maybe not the baking, Queen of Sheba cake episode... I'll have to watch it again and see.

Needless to say.. she got me thinking. I drained and rinsed the steaks and put them back in the bowl. I added a generous helping of red wine to the bowl and sprinkled the tops of the steaks with fresh cracked black pepper. YUM. After allowing the steaks to rest for a good half hour, I flipped them over and peppered that side of the steaks. At this point I felt like they were missing something. I wanted a bit of bold taste outside of the red wine and pepper. I looked in the refrigerator and pulled out the Worcestershire sauce, poured in a tablespoon or two and swished it a tad to blend. After about another half hour the grill was hot and the steaks went on. Shaun took it from there. I did tell him it was OK to add a touch of seasoning, McCormick's Garlic and Onion medley, to each side. He likes to chef it up when he's at one with the gas grill.

When the first bite of these steaks went into my mouth I knew I had done something right that day. I absolutely love the smell in my house when I have included wine in a recipe. This marinade didn't exactly fragrance the entire house but it was fantastic. Juicy, elegant, magnificent.