The other day I had a doctor's appointment. Afraid I was going to get lost (again) out in the West End ... I left early, really early. I ended up getting to my doctors office an hour early actually, plenty of time to fill out paper work but my doctor switched to computers so I had the whole hour to myself ... I picked up the paper.
After my appointment I needed to stop by the mall for a gift AND pick up my prescription before work. SO since I had to kill more time to wait for the mall to open I decided to go to Ukrop's, a local chain grocery store to fill my 'scripts and get breakfast.
OK normally I don't wake up in time for breakfast, normally I don't wake up in time for anything except to hit my alarm screaming obsenities about being late, showering, the ten-minute key search and then hitting up Starbucks for my coffee(sorry it's right on my way to work) and if we're lucky I'm in before 9:15. But my eyes were opened. As hard as it was for me to drag ass out of bed, get up and out in the cold, and be at my appointment an HOUR EARLY, it was totally worth it. For a good four hours I was retired -- and I didn't have to be someplace warm to enjoy it.
I woke up early, went to the doctor, filled my prescription, read the paper and found the quietest spot to have breakfast for cheap, just a bunch of other retirees reading the paper and sipping coffee too. Ukrop's is not the happening stay at home mom meeting spot like Panera or Starbucks, it's not greasy Mickey D's McMuffins and the best part there's GRAVY! Like I said -- a local chain ... in the South gravy's a must, and this is chip-beef gravy ... on biscuits ... it's got another name when it's on toast ... I won't go there but it's got shingles in the title. The other thing about my breakfast it cost like 3 dollars and change. Crazy right! Yup, if this is how all days start in retirement sign me up for a bridge club I am ready! I already knit and watch Law and Order re-runs like I'm sixty -- let's take the next step, who's with me? If we get enough we can hang out and play euchre while I watch my stories.
By the way I don't normally do chip-beef gravy -- normally I do sausage gravy ... and I make a mean gravy, and I normally make a lot of it ... always good after long nights out. I eyeball my gravy but I found a recipee that's got some measurements of the same stuff I use for mine from Rene1959 on Allrecipes:
Ingredients:
- 1lb. ground pork sausage (sage or spicy is best)
- 3 tbsp. bacon grease (optional ... it's southern we use bacon grease in everything)
- 1/4 c. all-purpose flower
- 3 c. milk
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper (I use more)
- Brown sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Set aside leaving drippings in the skillet.
- Mix bacon grease into the sausage drippings (optional you might have plenty of grease to get you going just from your sausage ... or add some butter). Reduce heat to medium, combine with flour, and stir constantly until the mixture turns golden brown.
- Gradually whisk milk into skillet. When the mixture is smooth, thickened, and begins to bubble, return sausage to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Serve over biscuits. (I'm a big fan of the frozen ones honestly). Doesn't re-heat well and they have a nifty measurement tool on Allrecipes to reduce if you're bad at math like me!
- I recommend grabbing the paper and listening to some talk radio if you want to get the retiree feel I was getting at Ukrop's. The Today Show will possibly give you the same feel ... but turn it up way loud.
