Good Gravy I'm Known For My Food

Most of you know by now that I'm called the "cookie lady" at my husband's work place because each week that he is there I bake a batch of about 5 dozen cookies for soldiers.  But did you know that I'm now stopped in the commissary and asked for my recipes for gravy?

I have no problem sharing my recipes, including the uber secret family ones.  I have no children to pass them on to and I want the world to enjoy food as much as I enjoy making and eating it myself.

I was a little surprised to be asked by one of my husband's co workers, when we saw him at the commissary, for my gravy recipe.  The reason I was surprised was that this soldier had never eaten at my house.  Must be my husband has been bragging about my food.  Okay so my head swelled.  I asked him what one in particular he was looking for and he said a white sauce.

White sauce is so easy to make and is a basic staple for the beginnings of many a delicious dish including a cheese sauce it could very easily be turned into.

All you need to start with is:
3 TBSP of butter that you slowly melt in a sauce pan on low
3 TBSP of flour that you added into the melted butter forming a paste
1-1 1/2 cups of milk that is added to the flour butter paste

Add salt and pepper to taste as you low boil and continously stir the sauce until thickened which should take less than 5 minutes, more likely 3.

For the cheese sauce, add in 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your favorite grated cheese.  But just make sure you watch how fast the sauce cooks and continue to stir or else it will burn!

My husband isn't a big pork eater but now that I've made for him two pork dishes he's changed his mind.  I would usually make him a beef dinner but I'm not able to easily digest beef without repercussions.

I pan seared pork chops, added in sugar, salt and water, let it all boil down until it formed a gravy and voila' I've got yummy pork chops and a gravy to serve over my home made garlic mashed red skin potatoes.

I've even convinced him that a pork roast made with an Island sauce is to be enjoyed.  My own sauce creation of course.

The other night I had him eating the wild mushrooms from the chicken barley soup.  He never liked mushrooms before.  He was used to those grey rubber eraser type canned mushrooms that his mom cooked with, well so did mine.  No wonder he hated mushrooms.

So yes, I'm a bit vain about my cooking.  I just can't understand why more folks don't cook from home.  Recipes are easy to follow with the internet being so handy so that one can look up the unfamiliar cooking terms to make sure its done right.  Eating at home is so much less expensive than eating out and if you eat at the table with family it can help form bonds.  Just shut off the television, put cell phones on vibrate, and make the hand held video games banned from the table.  Good food should be enjoyed without distractions.