Yummy Time: Southern Gravy Style

So... those of you who know me, know that I have been doing Weight Watchers in an attempt to lose 45 lbs before my cousins wedding this coming Summer.

This recipe defies all Weight Watchers logic.... Hah! I apologize, but I could not keep from sharing this recipe with everyone. It is just THAT good!

Another thing that I did over the New Years weekend was learn how to make Southern Style Sausage gravy.. This is what you will typically see when you go to a restaurant that serves country fried steak or chicken and bisquits with gravy.

I know not every state has Bob Evans and understands its glory, but I am sure we have all been to an IHOP or something of that nature... and if you haven't [seriously??]- definitely try this recipe!

To Serve 6:

Courtesy of Paula!

In in large saute pan or cast iron skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat until browned and crumbly. Reduce heat to medium and add flour to sausage; mix thoroughly. Cook until flour browns, about 4 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk slowly and increase heat to medium-high. Continue to stir. Add [Paula add's Hot Sauce-owOw!] pepper and salt. As the gravy comes to a boil, it will thicken.

If too thick, add additional milk.

If you visited Paula Deen's recipe- you know that these beautiful buttermilk bisquits (above) were also included in the instructions! I will be trying a bisquits recipe out this weekend with a honey and butter topping!

Weight Watchers friendly version......coming soon!:)

1 pound Breakfast Sausage (not heat and serve links or patties...Get the real stuff =-P)

3/4 cup flour

4 1/2 cups milk

1/2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

Salt to taste

Yummy Time: Here is to a Red Velvetty 2012!

That title alone, how can you go wrong....?

This New Years Eve I got to hang out with my family and my younger brothers from Ohio. It was fun! We made nachos and had pizza and stuffed ourselves with these Red Velvet & Cream Cheese cupcakes. 

This was my first time making Red Velvet cupcakes( I totally cheated and used the Betty Crocker mix that was on sale at the grocery store: don't judge:), but I was working with a brand new conventional oven that I got for Christmas.

The recipe calls for Vegetable Oil- but have no fear- you can substitute with Canola (that's what I had to do- Whoops!) and it actually resulted in a much more moist cupcake and wasn't greasy at all!

and I figured with the theme of NEW YEARS EVE and sparkles- I would start with silver and white cupcake foils (Reynolds Wrap style!) decorate my Red Velvet cupcakes with the traditional Cream Cheese frosting and design with Blue Icing!

They came out a little bit too- *Independence Day*- but tasted yummy all the same!

Next time I will try making these from scratch ( without burdening my family and bullying them into being the taste testers)...haha!

Wish me Luck and a Happy (Belated) New Year to ALL!