Monday, October 19, 2009

Monday Memories—Making Gravy

(photo courtesy of google images)

One thing I appreciate about my mother is she expected a lot from us. One time when I was 11 or 12 years old, my folks were gone and my older brother and sisters were bringing home BYU’s rodeo team for a competition in our town. My brother, several of his college friends, and their rodeo coach were coming for supper and my mom expected me to fix it for them. I decided to fix my favorite—mashed potatoes, fried cube steak, white gravy and corn. I knew how to mash the potatoes, I knew how to fry the steaks, but I had never made white gravy. However I had seen it done many times so I figured I could do it, and besides, my mother expected me to fix supper. I set the table and started cooking the potatoes and meat. When it was time to make the gravy, another brother who was just older than me came into the kitchen and asked, “Have you ever made gravy?”

“Nope.”

“Do you know how to make white gravy?”

“I think so.”

He stayed in the kitchen to watch the miracle. I began making the gravy as I’d seen mom and my sisters make it. I took the meat out of the pan, added a spoonful of Crisco, got the grease hot, scraped the crusties off the bottom of the pan, and stirred in flour. Lastly, I added the milk. Glob. It was much thicker and chunkier than it should be, but it did have a resemblance to gravy so I suggested to my brother that we strain it; he suggested we beat it. We did both.

It was a proud day when I could finally make gravy that didn't require a strainer or beaters.

Do you like white or brown gravy best?

16 comments:

Derek-Jenny-Kaitlynd-Ethan-Dylan said...

Mmmm, white gravy is best! Although, there is a time and a place for brown!

Making gravy is an art. I am still learning!

Lucy said...

I really stink at making gravy. It always tastes like corn starch (since I can't use flour). Then I add so much salt and pepper to mask the corn starch taste, I don't really like to think about what we are eating on top of potatoes. So..Lately, I've just added a lot...and I mean alot of butter and sour cream to the mashed potatoes and leave the skins on to make them look gourmet sans gravy:)

You were young! I didn't even know how to do laundry until college.

Unknown said...

You mean gravy doesn't come from a pouch or (wince) a can????

Cassidy said...

I love gravy. That's a tough one. I think I'd have to go with a nice brown gravy. A roast gravy. YUM.
Gravy is one of the few talents I think I was blessed with. Or at least Bo and the kids think so, otherwise they are excellent liars.

Lyle and Mary: said...

I strained and I used a blender on more than one occasion in my early gravy making days. Now that Ive mastered that skill any gravy is good, it just has to match what its going on top of. (But the thought of swallowing white gravy with bits of sausage in it over a homemade biscuit could make me seriously happy right now)

Deidra said...

I'm not really a gravy girl at all. I can't remember the last time I made any. I never think about it; poor Chris, I know he likes it.

When I do think of it, I'm a brown gravy kind of girl.

Barb said...

I was going to vote brown gravy, but the truth is I've never had white. What is white gravy?

Danielle said...

I am a white gravy fan. I am actually pretty good at gravy, which is a blessing, cause I am the queen of dry meat. Something has to help it slide down.

Tiffany Fackrell said...

i LOVE gravy, but I am a pretty poor gravy person, it never thickens for me, i make David make it!!!

Anonymous said...

Yum, that's one of my favorite meals, too, but my absolutely tip-top favorite is fried chicken with milk gravy. Like Lucy, I never peel a potato. I tell my children it's so that they get all those nutrients present right beneath that fiber-laden peel, but mostly it's because I'm lazy.

BRENDA

Alisa said...

I love this story!
I think I like white gravy best- not really great at making it myself, but my family doesn't complain!

abe said...

I like both! Luckily I got your recipe for gravy and it worked out great! Before Abe and I tried making it on our own and put way to much pepper in.. it was STRONG!

abe said...

I accidentally used Abe's name.. ha ha.

Cali said...

I LOVE your white gravy... and ABHOR anyone's brown gravy. Mom, did you know I also LOVE Monday Memories. I learn so much about by reading them. Thanks for continuing to teach me about you.

Cali

Kathy’s Korner said...

I love this trip down memory lane!!!!! Your mother was amazing to think that you could do that. I would have opened a can of Pork and Beans,a can of corn and made some toast. Even if I was 18. Definately when I was 11.

michelle said...

Oh, Jane. Please don't ever stop remembering!

I enjoy both kinds of gravy.

I really need to expect more from my kids...