Guest Author - Jenny Derden

When you think of southern cooking, you probably think of fried chicken, smothered pork chops or even good ol Texas brisket. However, southern cooking actually starts with breakfast so let’s expand your thoughts to a delicious meal of buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs and strawberry jam on the side.

The following recipes will easily feed a family of 4. I would like to share that this was my husband’s very favorite breakfast of all time!

Buttermilk Biscuits
Difficulty: Easy
2 cups self rising flour
¼ cup shortening
Buttermilk (you may substitute with skim, non or low fat milk.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Blend the flour and shortening until your dough looks like course corn meal. Begin to pour your buttermilk a little at a time to make the flour wet and work together with the other ingredients. You may need to add another cup of flour to knead the dough with. Dust the flour on the dough so that you can easily knead it 3-5 times. Flatten your dough using a rolling pin or long bottle (or your hands if you are really good). HINT: Put flour on the rolling pin or bottle to keep the dough from sticking. Use a biscuit cutter or the mouth of a glass to cut out your biscuits. I also flour the biscuit cutter or glass for less sticking. Lightly grease a cookie tin or shallow pan and place your biscuits about 2 inches apart. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees until biscuits rise and have browned a bit. (Start checking after 10 minutes to see if done,)

Sausage Gravy
Difficulty: Easy
¼ pound bulk pork sausage
2 to 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
**for a special kick, sprinkle OLD BAY Seasoning in your mixture.
1-1/4 to 1/13 cup milk (skim, low or non-fat or whole milk)

Cook your sausage in a frying pan until there is NO pink in the meat. Drain.
HINT: After cooking it, I put the sausage in a colander to wash the sausage, place it on a paper towel, drain again then return the sausage to the pan. Place the drained sausage back in the pan and stir in flour, butter, salt and pepper. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. After gravy has been at a boil for about 2 minutes allow it to simmer while you prepare your eggs.

Scrambled Eggs
Difficulty: Easy
8 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Old Bay Seasoning to taste
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 tomato, diced

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and Old Bay Seasoning together until well blended. Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat until hot; pour in egg mixture. Reduce heat. As mixture begins to set on bottom and sides of skillet, lift and fold over with spatula. (I never stir scrambled eggs while in the pan, I lift and fold). Cook until eggs are almost set; fold in diced tomato. Heat scrambled eggs through; serve immediately.

Stir gravy again and pour gravy over biscuits.
Add strawberry jam to a couple of small bowls for your table.
For a special touch, add a bouquet of flowers in a decorative pitcher or vase for your table.

ENJOY!