Good Gravy Recipe

With the season on us it occurs to me that gravy is important. Looking around the interwebs I find gravy recipes that call for everything from ketchup to cream of mushroom soup??? Really people...

So here is my incredibly simple (if I can do it, it must be) fool proof gravy recipe.

Begin by putting one tablespoon of flour in a cup of milk. The best way to mix these together is by shaking it vigorously in a sealed container. I use a small mason jar for this. Then once you remove meat, be it a roast, turkey, meat ball from the pan stir the milk mixture with the pan drippings over a low flame. You can add a second cup of milk/flour mixture if you have that much drippings. Salt and pepper to taste. You're done, I told you, easy!

This yeilds perfect lump free gravy every time and really could not be easier. It's how both my grandmothers made gravy and they probably got it from their grandmothers, so more than 100 years of gravy making can't be wrong.

Hope this reaches you in time for your christmas dinner.

Thanksgiving, Paul Simon, SNL, Turkey, Still Crazy

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I wanted to share my favorite clip of Paul Simon on SNL dressed as a turkey singing Still Crazy After All These Years. It's great. It's hysterical. But it is not available online????

That's right every lead led to a note that said this video has expired or nor longer exists or was removed by the owner.

Annoying yes. But in my frustration I did find the intro into the song which is also quite funny. It features George Harrison, Chevy Chase, and of course Lorne Micheals..

So let's all be thankful for the vastness of the web. Hopefully, someday it will also have Paul Simon in a turkey suit.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Earthquake in Turkey: Be Prepared

After seeing all the terrible destruction and loss of life in Turkey from their 7.2 earthquake this weekend, I'm reminded to update my earthquake supplies.
The Los Angeles Fire Department Earthquake Guide is an excellent and comprehensive guide to all the things you should know how to do and have on hand in case of earthquake.

Several years ago I took the C.E.R.T.(Community Emergency Response Team) course and learned a lot of important things. Everything from how to triage the injured to where to keep your earthquake kit. I highly recommend taking the classes.

Here are some less obvious things I learned that really stood out for various reasons:

1. Keep a pair of comfortable shoes, sweater, and flashlight in your car. Not to mention a little food and water. You may have to walk home if streets are impassible after a quake.

2. Keep shoes under your bed. If objects have fallen during a quake and the lights are out you may need to walk across a lot of broken glass in the dark. I remember the teacher saying some huge amount of people after a quake come into the hospital with badly cut feet.

3. Have a 5 gallon bucket with a lid and lots of kitchen plastic trash bags. Should you loose water this will be your toilet.

4. Now this wasn't in the class but I think any good earthquake kit should have at least a little booze, for medicinal reasons of course.

Please leave your best disaster tips in the comments