Biscuits and Gravy: It's All About the Timing!

This is a photo of my epic stove, the flagship of all my cooking adventures. A 1954 Roper Bakemaster. Yes I purposefully sought out an antique stove when we moved into our own home 2 years ago...not everyone thought this was a good idea! But I wanted something with history and charm. She is a gem, and amazing at cooking my gravy. I believe that the dial on the back is a timer, but it no longer works. That's OK, I am linked to the oven and do not need a timer! Friends have asked me, how long does this or that take to bake, I have never used a timer so my answer is... til it's done! The stove and I are as one. She tells me when food is done. Occasionally this does not quite pan out. I.E. I burnt my pie crust at Thanksgiving because I got distracted! My fault, not hers...But as with many recipes, gravy is especially sensitive to timing.

You better have all your gravy needs nearby and ready to go before you begin! When that grease gets hot that flour goes in with one hand while you constantly stir with the other. Then the milk, salt and pepper...perhaps more flour, perhaps more milk. All while never stopping the whisk! Your goal is smooth, creamy gravy. But sometimes, you get lumps. Lumps happen. No one enjoys lumps. It's a cooking endeavor filled with adrenaline! Gravy making can feel a little chaotic, so does parenting!

As a mom of three it is not possible to always have my needs for the day ready to throw in the pan. Sometimes I'm searching for what I need while things are burning or getting lumpy! I have wished that I was the type of mom to have gourmet lunches packed every night for the next morning, homework done before dinner and calming bath time before bed. But literally most days I scramble to throw lunch together in the 10 minutes before the bus comes, homework gets fit in whenever possible and bath time is usually a monsoon of water and whining. But it all eventually gets done. I have learned to revel in the times when I get is right. My Mom, who taught me how to make gravy, said that you can usually fix it if it goes wrong. Add this or that to get it right. Same goes for mom hood. Like gravy, my kids are forgiving. But some days I'm left yelling aloud, "Jesus take the whisk!"