Ripping seams

There is a very special boy who has just been adopted from Ukraine and is coming home to the USA today. He was once Theo's roommate and was the last orphan to get out of Crimea. His passport didn't make it out though, so that caused a big delay.

I'm working on a comfy, raggy quilt for him. I just put the last piece together and spread it out to take a look. Oops. It's all wrong. If I had looked more closely at this photo I took yesterday when I was getting started I would have seen it. The strip on the left is upside down. 

Out comes the seam ripper. It's got to be right. After years of ripped and patched sheets, communal clothing and no one to give a hoot, he's getting a well done blanket. It's not nearly perfect, my old sewing maching is giving me fits, but it's got to be my best. 

What does your Sunday afternoon look like?

FB made me a lazy blogger...

Last week I heard from a friend, a dear friend, a really grown-up friend who is taking a break from Facebook. She said she would be keeping up with me through this blog. Ouch!

Let's face it, FB has made me a lazy blogger. 

FB is a great tool for connecting. I have contacts all over the world that I interact with daily. I get instant feedback and validation. I get a lot of work done but it can be like a drug!

Here I feel like I'm writing to a big empty space. I see that there are page views but rarely get comments. NOT complaining! It's just a different experience and I got sucked into the quick-fix, easy feedback world of FB. 

My spring resolution, in honor of my sweet friend, is to keep a better blog. I can make spring resolutions, can't I?

Comfort Food

We are expecting snow today. The sky is heavy gray. It's the perfect morning for some comfort food...biscuits and gravy!

I can't believe I have never really been intentional about the way to make B&G. This morning I found myself pondering which to start with first. If I try to make both at the same time, something would definitely get scorched!

I thought for a few minutes and it suddenly made sense. I prepared the biscuits first and I let them sit while I make the gravy. It gives the baking powder a little extra time to get started and I get fluffier biscuits. I sometimes make drop biscuits, but I almost never regret the extra work it takes to knead and cut them. Who doesn't love all those yummy layers?!

Lately, I have been using this recipe: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/jps-big-daddy-biscuits/

I use half butter, half coconut oil in place of the shortening. I also use half unbleached white and half whole wheat flour. 

For the gravy, I use 1 pound of Jimmy Dean sausage. You can use less if you are cooking for fewer people. It's easy to adjust on the fly. I add a little coconut oil to the crumbled, browned sausage because the Jimmy Dean is not too fatty. Dump some white four into your greasy meat and stir. Keep adding flour until the oil is completely absorbed and then add a tablespoon or so more. Pour milk over your meat/flour mix. It's great, and quicker, if your milk is at room temp. (Quick, throw those biscuits into the oven now)

Stir and stir and stir while you bring your gravy to a boil. Don't walk away!! Season with salt and lots of pepper. I like to use poultry seasoning or sage and thyme also. My boys like eggs cooked over-easy on top of their B&G. The biscuits (I make mini sized ones) and gravy disappeared almost faster than I could get a photo!

We really enjoy comfort food on snowy days like today. What is your favorite snow-day comfort food?