FLOUR

Is everything better with gravy or a sauce?  Actually I could have 

eaten this filet that you see on the plate at right without any topping, but it was Christmas day and I decided to splurge.  So I made a peppery, brown gravy for everyone to enjoy atop their entree.  Is gravy or sauce only for those times when we want an added special touch to a meal?  I think not. No, certain meals call for this flavorful addition and would not be the same without it.  Imagine roast beef and mashed potatoes without brown gravy, breakfast biscuits split open on a plate with no sausage gravy, and spaghetti with no red sauce.  What a difficult thing to imagine!  I remember first learning how to make gravy.  My mom made it mostly when we had something that cooked slowly in the oven like roast beef.  She would remove the meat from the pan.  Then she would put the pan with its drippings on a burner of the stove so it could come to a simmer.  If there was an excess amount of grease in the pan she would skim the liquid first.  Once she thought the entire pan was simmering, she would pour in a watery concoction of flour and water that she had shaken in a jar.  I wondered for the longest time how she knew the amount of flour and water to add as she was good at "eyeballing" her measurements.  Once the drippings, and flour/water mixture began bubbling while she stirred constantly (Mama did not own a whisk.), she would then add any remaining seasonings.  After a few minutes the flour would begin to work its magic and the gravy would thicken, until it reached the consistency she hoped to achieve.  I have since learned that the flour and water mixture is called a "slurry."  A slurry is a mixture of equal parts flour and water mixed or shaken together.  Some cooks prefer to use cornstarch instead of flour, but I know flour works.  Another gravy making method is when you start with a roux.  That is how I made the peppery sauce for our Christmas steaks this year. I did not learn about a roux until I was grown and married.  I started by putting olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan.  When I could see the oils getting warm in the pan, I sprinkled in hopefully enough flour to make a paste and began whisking.  The mixture thickened immediately and I moved it around in the pan for a few seconds so the flour could cook.  (My time limit here was all that was needed to make our gravy for Christmas.  However, some people cook a roux longer for a desired color and a different flavor.)  Then I added maybe two cups of chicken broth and two beef bouillon cubes, all the while continuing to whisk.  Once I thought this mixture was combined, I added a generous amount of pepper, a dash of salt, some dried parsley and thyme.  Lastly I added about a one-fourth cup of cream, but before that I will admit to adding a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.  What can I say?  This concoction needed a little taste of the familiar.  Anyway, it all came together and got spooned over coffee-crusted filets.  If you have never made gravy, you must try.  It is just like anything else, meaning it takes practice.  You can do it, and BOY, is it worth it!

  

& FLOWER

     I walk a lot.  I exercise, while at the same time enjoy nature.  I see a lot during my walks;  flowers, plants, dogs, and birds.  What I have noticed just this week are the trees.  In winter they seem like tall, dark, and lifeless shapes, almost sad from their loss of color.  But I have also witnessed a whole lot of leafy nests, now exposed from the lack of leaf cover.  Squirrels!  Those are squirrels' nests!  That's why there are so many more squirrels in my neighborhood!  

Squirrels' nest made of leaves

     I remember thinking just a few months ago in the hottest parts of the summer that someone must have hit a button and an explosion of squirrels occurred.  I saw squirrels running across the street in front of cars, people walking, biking; scampering up and down tree trunks and jumping from limbs to roof tops.  That's when they were building their nests.  Not that I really mind.  I have done some research to try and refresh what I already know about squirrels.  I know they can be a nuisance to gardeners because they like eating tomatoes.  I've lost a few tomatoes.  Actually I've found some with teeth marks, but not that many.  And I'm not really sure if a squirrel would have been the culprit.  I also know they can make their way inside a home and cause problems in an attic or in the walls by chewing on wires and taking up residence.
     But I have to be honest.  Squirrels are cute.  I mean I cannot resist watching them chase each other and climb round and round a tree or numerous trees.  One of the biggest reasons I believe I see more of them near my home is that the trees in which they love to inhabit are older and larger now, providing safety and seclusion from predators.  I have read that there are three types of squirrels in Missouri; the Fox squirrel, Gray squirrel, and the Southern flying squirrel.  The type I see here is the Fox squirrel, you know, the reddish-brown one with the bushy tail.  When I was little every elementary school student drew a reddish-brown squirrel.
     So I learned a little more about squirrels this week.  I am including two websites at the end that I used for my research, if anyone is interested.  I only wish to share knowledge.  Some of you may be like me in tolerating squirrels because of their cuteness and playfulness.  Some of you may not like them at all.  Some people even invite them for dinner...haha, so to speak.  For however you feel about them, I will share this story.  My husband's uncle used to complain about squirrels foraging for food in his garden.  He claimed to chase off one particular squirrel each day.  Being a gardener like him, sometimes I would visit this uncle and aunt as I did one afternoon.  The uncle said he thought he had finally outsmarted that squirrel because he caught him in a trap earlier that day.  I was shocked to hear this.  I continued to listen at how the uncle put the trap in his car and drove 14 miles away to another community to let this squirrel out there.  When the uncle was driving back he was congratulating himself on his plan and how successful it was.  Then as he told his story, he stopped and looked at me and said, "When I pulled up in front of the house that squirrel had beaten me home because there he sat in the driveway looking at me!"
www.extension.missouri.edu/p/G9455 
www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/nuisance-wildlife/tree-squirrels/ 

 
     Something else I noticed this week was this large hornets' nest (at right) hanging from a tree limb in a neighbors' yard.  Wow, I can't even begin to tell you how scared I would be of the thought of a hive in my yard.  I am allergic.  I understand from reading about them that the worker insects die in winter, but the queen will survive to build another colony in the spring.  If you see one, please be careful and consider calling a professional to get rid of the hive.