In the Kitchen: Sausage Gravy

I have a guest chef in the kitchen today as my fiance, Tyler, exposes his roots and shares his hand-me-down Sausage Gravy recipe with us! There are no fancy ingredients and it's not hard to make, but the key to its deliciousness lies in the technique and, most importantly, the pan you use. Put away the non stick teflon, pull out the stainless steel and get ready to clog a few arteries! You will find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook time: 20 - 30 min | Serves about 4 - 6

Ingredients:

1 lb pork sausage (we use the kind that comes in a tube)

3 cups of milk

heaping 1/2 cup of flour

salt and pepper to taste

Cut the sausage into 1" slices and begin cooking over medium heat in a stainless steel skillet. A NON STICK SKILLET WILL NOT WORK! You want the meat to stick to the bottom of the pan so just let it sit.

In the meantime, pour the milk into a mixing bowl and add the flour.

Mix with a whisk until well blended. We use a glass bowl so it's easy to check for lumps that may be hiding on the bottom!

Now back to the sausage… continue cooking over medium high heat without stirring or moving the sausage until a thin layer sticks to the bottom of the pan. You will then begin to break up and brown the sausage, leaving a thin layer stuck to the bottom of the pan.

As the rest of the sausage is cooking, move it to one side of the pan, letting exposed grease simmer and brown onto the surface of the skillet. Move the sausage again and repeat until most of the skillet surface is covered with browned grease. This is where you get most of your flavor and the grease will not simmer down while under the sausage, it needs to be exposed in the pan.

Once the sausage is cooked, add the milk and flour mixture along with salt and pepper to taste. Cooking over medium heat, scrape the burnt sausage and grease off the bottom of the pan as it softens up. Continue cooking and stirring until gravy thickens to your liking.

If it is too thick or you would like more gravy, you can add more milk.

Serve over biscuits or toast with a side of Hashbrown Casserole and cinnamon rolls and you have a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that is sure to please! It's also delicious over scrambled eggs, omelets and potatoes.

> Click here for a printable recipe card.

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Zebra Brownies

We're back to the best part of any meal this week, dessert! An easy, delicious twist on the classic brownie, cream cheese lovers get your aprons on because you are going to love this one. You will find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep Time: 20 min | Bake time: 30 min | Serves 24

Filling Ingredients:

2 pkgs cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

Brownie Ingredients:

22.5 oz pkg fudge brownie mix

1/3 cup very hot water

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

Heat oven to 350°. Generously grease the bottom only of a 13x19 pan.

In a small bowl, blend all filling ingredients.

Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside. But I first recommend a little taste test :)

In a large bowl, combine all brownie ingredients, beat 50 strokes with a spoon.

Spread half of the brownie batter in prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter, speading to cover.

Place spoonfuls of remaining batter on top of cream cheese and marble with a butter knife.

Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for about one hour before serving.

If you have even the tiniest lack of self control, I recommend you turn your eyes away from the brownies and forget you ever saw them, because I dare you to eat just one! Otherwise, eat up and enjoy! I'd love to hear what you think if you give this yummy treat a try.

> Click here for a printable recipe card.

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Cheesy Shell Lasagna

I've mentioned this recipe a few times and finally, here it is! I thought 

it was a little odd the first time I was cooking it but the results were surprisingly delicious and now I crave it. I'm not a fan of traditional lasagna, ricotta cheese kinda freaks me out, plus it's such a pain cooking those noodles, so this easy variation was perfect for me. You can modify the ingredients to suit your tastes (or make it meatless) and will find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep Time: 30 min | Cook time: 40 min |  Serves 12

Ingredients:

1lb ground meat (beef or turkey, meat optional)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced (I used minced garlic from a jar)

1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes

1 jar (14 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce

1 cup sliced mushrooms

8 ounces small shell pasta

16 oz sour cream

10 slices provolone cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large/deep skillet, brown the meat (I use half turkey and half beef), onions and garlic until cooked through. Drain well.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. 

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain.

Place half the pasta in an ungreased 13x9 deep baking dish and top with half the sauce mixture. 

Next spread half the sour cream on top of the sauce and then 5 slices of provolone.

Repeat the layers of pasta, sauce, sour cream and provolone and add the mozzarella last on top. 

Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.

Add a side salad and some garlic bread and you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn't gobble this right up. If you're a fan of pasta and cheese, I definitely recommend you give this one a try. I'd love to hear what you think!

> Click here for a printable recipe card.

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

Crafting: Ruffle Necklaces

I've been swooning over the Candace Ang ruffle necklaces I've seen in magazines, but since I don't have $200 to drop (and you probably don't either), today's project is an easy way to make one for yourself! It's fast, you don't need much and the results are just beautiful.

I used silk fabrics for this project but you could use any fabric that is thin enough to ruffle easily. Once you choose a fabric, you'll need to pick a chain. You can use a chain you already have, deconstruct a piece of vintage jewelry or you can buy lengths of chain from your local craft store, in which case you will also need a clasp and some jump rings.

You will start by cutting a strip of fabric and the size will be dependent on the chain you are using, how many ruffles you want and how big you want them. For the pink necklace, I used a smaller chain and wanted shorter 'tails', so I cut the fabric to 2". For the patterned silk shown above, I chose a chunkier chain so cut that piece to 2.5". The fabric was in half yard pieces so I left the length as it was at about 18".

Once cut, you can seal the edges of the fabric with Fray Block, Fray Check or another similar product, or heat seal them, if desired. I left the pink edges untreated because I don't mind a little fray!

Fold the fabric strip in half and pin in place.

Next you will sew a sleeve for the chain. Be sure to make it large enough for the chain to fit through will a little extra room. When sewing, leave about 6" of thread at the beginning and end and do not backstitch.

To create the ruffles, pull on the back thread (the bobbin thread) while scrunching up the fabric. It takes a little work to get the entire length ruffled but it will happen! I scrunched the fabric down to about a 7" length. Knot the ends of the strings and trim them flush.

Next you will feed your chain through the pocket. You can use a safety pin or bend a paper clip to help feed the chain and it works best to have a rounded edge at the front so it slips through the fabric easier. If you are using a vintage or existing chain, you may need to remove the clasp or closure from one end to fit it through.

Once the chain is through you can attach (or reattach) your clasp. You can find clasps and jump rings in different metal finishes at most craft stores and you just need one or two pairs of needle nose pliers. You then have your finished necklace! 

You can easily modify this design by using different sized fabric strips and different styles and sizes of chains, the possibilities are endless! Use luxurious silks and satins for a fancier look or try springy lightweight cotton prints for a more casual piece. You can also sew on embellishments such as pearls, bead, rhinestones or fabric flowers.

You could wear this necklace with a cocktail dress for a special occasion or with your favorite tshirt and jeans. It looks great worn as a choker like in the very top photo and also looks nice worn longer with a scoop neck shirt or off the shoulder top.

I have a couple more of these in different styles and sizes started that I did not have time to finish, but I will post some photos as soon as they are done. Maybe I'll even give one or two away! I'd love to hear if you try your hand at this project, I hope you enjoy it!

Crafting: Button Bracelets

Love buttons? Who doesn't?! Chances are, whether you are crafty or not, you have a stash of them laying around, or maybe an addiction to collecting vintage ones. Well today I have a simple project that will put them to good use, button bracelets! You can also use new buttons for this project, and these days there are so many cool ones available at your local fabric store, the design possibilities are endless.

What you'll need:

Elastic, 1/4" or 3/8" thick

Buttons

Needle and Thread

I decided on a yellow and seafoam green color palette for my bracelet, using a mix of some chunkier vintage buttons I have collected and a few new ones I purchased to match. You can use a repeating pattern or all one-of-a-kinds and I think it adds interest to stack some of them, so keep that in mind when choosing your buttons. I also chose a gold thread that I thought would be a nice pop, but you can match your thread to each button or even use clear nylon thread.

Start by wrapping the elastic loosely around your wrist where you would like the bracelet to sit. Cut it to size with about 3/4" or so of overlap. Make a small mark on the elastic right past the overlap. I also find it helpful to mark the middle.

With the elastic laid flat as a guide, make a rough layout of your button placement to determine the design and how many buttons you will need. Do not include the end past your mark, see photo above for reference. You want the buttons to overlap each other a little so account for this when setting them out.

Once your layout is ready, you can sew the elastic together securely, forming the bracelet. I did this by hand but you can use a sewing machine if you choose.

Next, begin sewing the buttons in place, one at a time, starting at your marked center of the bracelet. Be sure to securely knot the thread after each button is attached. Above I show a method I find to be really easy and secure. Thread the needle up under the stitches, pulling the string through, then thread the needle through the resulting loop, under the thread closest to you and pull tight. Repeat this a few times.

As I mentioned, you want the buttons to overlap each other a bit so you do not see the elastic when you are wearing it. I find it helpful to just put one stitch through the button and try it on to make sure you like the way it is laying, then finish stitching it in place. As you go, you may also decide to change your button layout.

Continue adding buttons until you cover the bracelet and you're done! It may take a bit of adjusting to get them to fit properly toward the end, but just be flexible with your design. You can always move or replace a button pretty easily if needed since they are all sewn on separately.

I love this project because it's easy, inexpensive and a lot of fun. I also think these bracelets would make really sweet gifts, so if you're on my christmas list, you'll be getting one of these and some teabags! 

If you try your hand at this project, I'd love to hear about it! I'll also be starting a flickr group soon for sharing your own craft project photos, so I'll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, have fun crafting your own button bracelets!

In the Kitchen: Banana Pineapple Cake

As promised, here is this week's recipe just a few days off schedule! Today I have a delicious cake that I especially love during the warmer months because it is light and refreshing and a bit tropical. Most of the recipes I share with you are very easy to make, but this one really takes the cake. Yep, pun intended. You'll find a link for a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep Time: 20 min  |  Cook time: 30 min  |  Serves about 18

What you'll need:

1 box yellow cake mix

3 bananas

1 large can crushed pineapple

1 tub cool whip

Prepare the cake mix as directed on package and bake in a 13x9 pan. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes or so. You can also put it in the fridge to cool faster, if you are impatient like me.

In the meantime, drain the crushed pineapple well, reserving the juice in a bowl.

Slice the bananas into thin strips. I find it easiest to cut the banana in half first. You should need about 3 bananas but if they are smaller or you like thicker slices, you may need 4.

Soak the bananas in the pineapple juice (they don't need to soak for long). This prevents the bananas from browning. (This also works on other cut fruit, too, as does lemon juice)

Lay the sliced bananas in a single layer across the cake. You can cut them or tear them into pieces to fill gaps if needed.

Next layer the crushed pineapple on top, followed by the cool whip and you're done! Easy, right?

And since I've had such incredible luck lately (italics = sarcasm), I lost all the lovely pics I took of a finished slice of cake, so all you get to see is this whip cream. The inside shall remain shrouded in mystery, so you'll just have to make it yourself!

This cake is perfect for a summer picnic and stores well for some time in the fridge. I actually find it gets better over time as the juices soak down into the cake. It's also fun to make with the kids because its so easy. If you're really adventurous, you can make this as a double layer cake with the fruit and whip cream in between and on top. Whoa doggy. I hope you give it a try and enjoy! Find more easy and delicious recipes here.

> Click here for a printable recipe card.

Crafting: Reusable Tea Bags

Last time I showed you two ways to make homemade tea bags perfect for gifts and favors, and as promised, here is part two, reusable tea bags. They are quick and easy to make, though you do need a sewing machine. These tea bags are great for the eco-friendly tea drinker and also make a great gift set when given with a few bags of loose tea.

What you'll need for each tea bag:

4" x 3" piece of lightweight untreated fabric (muslin, cotton, etc)

14" piece of cotton string (I use size 10 crochet thread)

With the fabric flat in front of you (back side facing up if patterend),

4" wide x 3" tall, punch two small holes on either side about 1/4" in and 1/2" down. You can use an awl, exacto knife or other sharp pointy object. Thread the cotton string through the holes as shown above. Fold the top fabric over the string and pin in place. Stitch along the edge as shown, this forms the drawstring.

Next fold the rectangle in half, inside facing out, and pin in place. Stitch along the bottom and the up the side, about 1/8" in. Be sure to keep your drawstring ends toward the inside folded edge of the bag so you do not sew over them.

Flip the bags right side out and you're almost done! The next step is to add a bead to the end of the drawstrings to keep them from coming out and to weight the tea bag.

I love using these metal tag-like beads I found at my local craft store but any bead with a large hole will do. First, loop the two strings over loosely, as if to tie the bag. Thread the two ends through your bead and double knot to secure. Trim any extra long ends.

Now you're ready to fill with your favorite tea and enjoy! Here I'm brewing a homemade blend of green tea, chamomile and bee pollen.

When you're done with the bag, loosen the draw string and hang it on the edge of your sink or elsewhere to dry. Once dry, you can easily dump the used tea and rinse if needed, though I often find it's not necessary. It's nice to have a half dozen or so on hand for company or to use while another is drying.

Aside from enjoying them yourself, a set of these with a few bags of loose tea and some homemade 'recipe cards' for blending suggestions would make a fantastic gift.

I promise one day soon I'll have myself together and get some PDF instruction sheets available for download on all my Crafting posts, and I'll be sure to let you know when they are ready. In the meantime, enjoy making some tea bags (I'd love to hear about how it goes!) and you can find other fun Crafting projects here.