Aug 232011
 

I don’t usually eat breakfast. I know they say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and they’re probably right, whoever “they” are. But I’m just not hungry as soon as I get up in the morning. My husband never eats breakfast, but he has had brunch from time to time.

Anyway, today, I was in the mood for my sausage gravy and biscuits. I made it a point to buy ground sausage when I went shopping on Friday.

Learning how to make gravy was a process for me. It took years before my gravy was edible. Now, it seems so simple. Practice makes perfect, I guess. I still use canned or packaged gravies, sometimes, for beef or chicken when I’m only cooking for the three of us, and it depends on how much liquid is left in the pan.

But, I have to make sausage gravy from scratch. I make up a batch once in awhile and have it several times during the week.
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Aug 222011
 

Sunday – Last night, I cooked a New England Boiled Dinner, which consisted of corned beef, cabbage, carrots and potatoes. It’s been a long time since I made it, and it was so good. Of course, I never think to take pictures before we dig in, but I did manage to salvage a few leftovers for a snapshot.

A recipe is really not required for this easy meal. It’s a one-pot meal, but you may need to use more than one pot. In a Dutch oven, just cover the brisket with water, add baby carrots (and onions if you wish), and let simmer for about 50 minutes per pound. I like my carrots and onions soft, so I start them early. After 2-1/2 hours, I started the cabbage in a separate pot, and with about 20 minutes to go I added potatoes, quartered. My 4-lb brisket was fork tender in 3-1/2 hours. I threw some biscuits in the oven while I was slicing the corned beef and setting the table. The brisket is a bit fatty, so you need to trim the fat before serving.

This can all be thrown into a crock pot/slow cooker. I like to keep brisket from getting dry, so I place that in first, then add water and spice packet. Make sure brisket is covered in liquid. Then place carrots, potatoes and cabbage on top if it fits. Cook on low for 8-9 hours.


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