A to Z Challenge - G

Totally NOT my gravy! But, makes me hungry-link to this below.

A to Z Challenge – G

G is for Gravy! I don’t think I have ever mentioned how much I love gravy! Brown gravy, biscuit gravy, turkey gravy and the king of gravies – Sausage Gravy! I don’t even need the toast, biscuit or mashed taters for it – sausage gravy you can eat with a FORK!

I remember my Grandpa Roy talking about gravy wasn’t gravy unless you could eat it with a fork, and I would have to say that man was right! Every so often I will get a craving for gravy and if I am going to breakfast I will order it – and most of the time I am woefully disappointed!! Lately, I have been making my own…YUMMY!!

I am not going to sugar coat this at all – it is pure fat, flour and my one concession to being healthy, skim milk. Oh yeah and SAUSAGE!! I have used turkey sausage and it works just fine – but good old fashioned Owens is the best. Do I do this often….NO! I haven’t worked hard to lose all this weight only to eat bowls of gravy and gain it back again (I would save that for Cherry Garcia bars!).

I am not really sure what it is about gravy that I love so much. Maybe it is remembering my Grandpa  and Grandma – fried food, gravy in the morning, homemade biscuits on weekend visits; ice cream at night watching TV while Grandpa let me comb his hair; catching bumblebees in mason jars to earn money to spend at the General Store. I think it is a memory thing for me…and lately I have really been missing my family.

Not just the family that lives away and I don’t get to see nearly often enough, but my Mom and Dad, my husband and kiddos. Maybe I am trying to recreate and create memories with them by making cookies, by molding toys, by making gravy on a Sunday morning…small things, little traditions.

Don’t ask me for my gravy recipe unless you want to have a coronary while you are reading it – haha – not only that, but I swear to you I never, never make it the same way twice. It all depends on what I have in the cabinet – one thing I will tell you straight up – DO NOT make gravy with WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR!!! UGH, EWW, NASTY!!! Probably one of the first times I EVER threw gravy in the trash, the dog would not even eat it.

Anyway, off to bed…my work week has not ended for either job. One has an event this weekend that I have to finish getting together tomorrow, thank GOD ALMIGHTY for the amazing, wonderful woman who I am so proud to call a sister who helps me with this! The other I will not have a day off until next Friday – But, I am going to ENJOY that Friday more than any other Friday ever, because I am looking forward to it so much!!

Live, Laugh, Love ~

Vanilla Mama

BTW - If you want a gravy recipe - check out this blog, where I admit it, I stole the picture from!

Another Type of Baked Good

While my little man was sick a couple of weeks ago, we pulled out a DVD that we had not watched in a LONG time!! Wall-E! It is such a wonderful movie – I love that little robot to pieces and honest to God, I cried when he got smooshed by that evil Auto-Pilot.  I think it is a sweet, poignant movie about love and how we must take care of this planet. This Disney/Pixar movie is full of messages about being good stewards of our world and our bodies – I mean seriously look at them in their recliners speeding by and never looking at anything but a screen!

Of course, I am sure that these are the thoughts that are running through Jackson’s mind while he is watching Wall-E soar through outer space using a fire extinguisher. And I am positive that he is thinking about these lessons when he is giggling at the little cockroach getting run over and it pops back up…But, maybe in some way those lessons are being programmed, doubt it!

SO – anyway, I bring this up because since watching the movie basically about the problems of mass consumption of foods and goods, my Gabbiano becomes obsessed with finding his Eve toy. This poor little sick child is combing through his horde of toys searching for this one little toy – that has broken TWICE and when his interest in the movie waned last time we threw it away. We took the search to a toy store, NADA! We took the search to the Disney Store, NOTHING!! Ebay – GOOD GOLLY MOLLY!!! I am NOT spending $30 on a toy that cost $9.99 when it came out!! No way, No how, Ain’t Gonna happen!! Tears are flowing, begging has ensued…jeesh! I will point out, the child is no longer sick – can we PLEASE move on to another obsession?! Please?!?! But no, once this little man gets an idea in his head – it will not go away.

So I break out the Sculpey – now, I am going to make a MAJOR disclaimer – and I DO MEAN MAJOR!!! Despite the fact I occasionally bake and will break out clay – I am NOT crafty. I do not plan out arts and crafts, I am not a decorator – I am just a desperate mother whose husband knows such clay exists at Hobby Lobby and patient enough to attempt it. I have in the past made the whole slew of Yo-Gabba Gabba toys and also a rocking cool Larryboy – but again, not crafty, so do not be looking for some kind of instruction set to follow to make this pitiful Eve toy on your own. Also, unless you are as desperate as I am for an Eve toy and will accept anything that looks like it could pass for her – don’t ask for one.

Last night, I broke out the last of my white clay and molded an Eve – I think she turned out ok….

I baked her while he was in bed last night and this morning woke up to a VERY HAPPY child! So totally worth it! He took Eve to preschool with him this morning, so I am PRAYING, PRAYING that she makes it home in one piece (considering she is basically a SOLID piece of clay that took an hour to bake, I think the odds are good!).

I am including the pictures of the rocking cool Larry Boy as well – he was much more complicated to make – and the GabbaGabbas. The GabbaGabbas are not baked clay, just regular clay so they are smooshed now. -Sigh-

My smooshie Gabbas!

- So NOT a good picture, he was really happy!!

Before baking in front of my model!

No, I did not make the Car, but I made sure he fit.

Make it an awesome day! Maybe next will be my own little Minion from Despicable Me!

Live, Laugh, Love ~

Vanilla Mama