Breakfast: Chorizo and eggs, and biscuits with sausage gravy

I love breakfast foods, but rarely eat them at breakfast time.   About the only times I eat in the mornings, is on the weekends or if I am off for some reason and even then it isn't a usual thing.   Take today, for example, I slept in and got up about 9:30 am.   I piddled around the apartment, but it wasn't until noon that I decided to eat something.   I've been craving chorizo and eggs, and just happened to make a double batch of chorizo last night, so had it in the fridge.   I sliced a small onion, cooked it in a bit of oil, then added about 2 ounces of chorizo.   I stirred it until the chorizo was done and the onions limp and lightly browned.   Next I beat 3 eggs with a splash of milk, then poured it over the chorizo and onions.   I stirred it  until set and the eggs were well mixed with the chorizo and onions.   Next I heated two flour tortillas, sprinkled a tablespoon or so of cheese in them and then filled with the eggs and chorizo, rolling them up into a delicious breakfast burrito.   With a glass of cranberry juice, that was my lunch/breakfast and it was fantastic!

Sometimes Aaron will request I make sausage gravy and biscuits.      First I make the biscuits:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. solid shortening (lard is best, followed by butter and then vegetable shortening)
1 cup butter milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.    Cut the shortening into the dry ingredients until it is well blended, if there are a few small clumps of shortening, that is ok.   Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk.   Quickly stir together using a fork until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.   Dump out onto a lightly floured surface and quickly knead a dozen times, then roll out about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.  Cut into rounds and place in an ungreased pan (a heated cast iron skillet is the best baking dish!).   Gather the scraps together, roll out again and cut more biscuits.   Bake in a preheated oven at 450 degrees about 10-15 minutes or until well risen and brown on top.   Goes good with butter and honey or butter and sorghum, with jelly or jam, or covered with sausage gravy.

Sausage gravy is something my family and Aaron both love.   Where we split is in how it is put together.   My family always fried the sausage in patties and served it along with the biscuits and gravy, but Aaron prefers the sausage fried loose and crumbly and served in the gravy itself.     Being the kind person I am, I usually cook it that way for him.   Gravy is something I usually don't measure carefully, but cook for with my eye.   Here's how I do it:

I crumble the sausage into a hot skillet and if the meat looks very lean, I'll add a bit of oil or bacon drippings.   Fry the sausage until it gets good and brown, but being careful not to burn it.    Remove the brown sausage crumbles to a bowl and set aside.   Eye the grease in the pan and you should have about 4 tbsp.   if more remove some and if less add more oil or bacon drippings.    Add three  tablespoons of flour and stir into the drippings until smooth.   Continue cooking and stirring until the flour/fat mixture begins to brown.  Whisk in 2 cups milk and cook, stirring, until the mixture thickens.   If it looks too thick, add up to another cup of milk.   Boil for 1 minute, stirring all the while.   Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet and taste for salt and pepper.   If too thick you can add a bit more milk to thin it down, gravy will thicken as it cools.   Pour over hot biscuits and enjoy!

If you prefer your sausage on the side, make the loose sausage meat into small patties and fry in the heated skillet, adding some oil or bacon drippings as above.   Turn the patties often and watch for burning.   When well browned and done in the center, remove from skillet and drain on paper towel.   Make gravy as above, but disregard the part of returning the cooked sausage to the gravy.   This is some good eating!

Kool-Aid Pie

There are times when you want something sweet and you want it fast.   Either your sweet tooth gets a craving or you have guests coming and you need something fast and easy.   This makes a delicious dessert and takes maybe 5 minutes to make.   It is also very tasty too!

1 can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk or it won't work)
1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mix
1 bowl whipped topping or 1 cup of whipping cream, whipped
1 8-inch graham cracker or cookie crust

Empty the sweetened condensed milk into a large bowl.   Beat in the powdered Kool-Aid drink mix and continue stirring until it begins to thicken.   Fold in the whipped topping or whipped cream.   Spoon into the graham cracker crust and chill until very firm.   Enjoy!

You can use any flavor of Kool-Aid you wish, but I think that strawberry or cherry taste the best (just my biased opinion).   You can also garnish the finished pie with fruit if you like.   I made one using black cherry Kool-Aid and put it in a chocolate cookie crust, then drizzled some chocolate syrup over the pie when I served it.   Delicious!