What’s more American than apple pie? Well, with that being said, apple pie is actually from Western Europe but given that many of the settlers that came to the United States were from there, it makes perfect sense. Do you remember when your mama or gammy would bake apple pie, that aroma would fill the air and it seemed like forever until it was time for dessert after you smelled that sweet cinnamon all day long. Imagine the settlers, they came to America and all we had were tiny, tart crabapple trees so they had to plant apples and wait for the trees to mature and produce fruit, kind of dwarfs the few hours you had to endure to get your slice. Continue reading “Apple Pie”
Desserts
Biscuits & Gravies
Yes, you read that right . . . gravies! Plural, because we are going to do two different gravies.
The first gravy is a staple in the South, sausage gravy. Here in the South sausage gravy is a standard in most households. It is served not only at breakfast time but lunch and supper too. Sausage gravy is great on mashed potatoes, fried chicken, chicken fried steak and of course, biscuits. If you are like me, I can eat sausage gravy on its own.
Sausage gravy starts out with, you guessed it, sausage! You want a good quality breakfast sausage, like the ones that come in the big roll that you slice into patties. The problem with most of the pork sausage at the grocery store is that they are high in fat. Ah, so you think the logical substitute, turkey sausage but the problem with most turkey sausage is they are lacking the fat that you will need to make the gravy. Another problem is that many manufacturers of turkey sausage sell them precooked and you need it raw. What do you do? Simple, make your own. I know it sounds too complicated but it is really no more complicated than browning ground beef with seasoning. Continue reading “Biscuits & Gravies”
Banana Nut Bread
What smells better than the fragrance of banana nut bread baking in the oven? That sweet delicious aroma penetrates every room of the house. Banana bread was created in the United States and gained popularity in the 1930s with the increasing use of baking soda and baking powder.
Banana bread is great for breakfast, brunch, dessert or just as a snack. It is a very versatile recipe that you can add other ingredients to. I add walnuts to make banana nut bread but you could add any nut of your choosing. You can add other ingredients such as oats, raisins, peanut butter, chocolate, etc., the possibilities are endless. Continue reading “Banana Nut Bread”