Your Guide to Lump-Free Gravy

This is the last in my series of Thanksgiving Day posts, so I hope the previous articles have given you some new ideas to try. The following gravy is flavored with the dripping from your turkey and is not made from the giblets. I hope you all have a terrific Thanksgiving.


What you will need...

Turkey drippings
Flour
Butter...unsalted, please
Cardamom...To taste
Salt or 1-Chicken Bouillon Cube (crushed)...To taste
Pepper...To taste
For adding the flour and the butter (making the roux), I use a 1:1:1 ratio...1 Tbsp of butter to 1 Tbsp of flour to 1 Cup of liquid. I will be writing this recipe to accommodate 3 Cups of turkey drippings...


Putting it together...

• Try and separate the fat from the turkey drippings
• In a sauce pan over medium heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter
• Once melted, add 3 Tbsp of flour and whisk to combine
• Now is decision time. How dark do you want your gravy, because the longer you stay at this step, the darker your gravy will be. I like my gravy to be somewhat lighter, so I will whisk over medium heat for about 5 minutes. If you want your gravy darker, keep whisking. For a very dark gravy, as in a gumbo, you will be at this step for about twenty minutes
• Once you reach your desired color, slowly add the 3 cups of turkey drippings; whisking constantly
• add salt or crushed bouillon, pepper, and cardamom (cardamom has a rather strong flavor, so I like to start with this small amount and continue adding until I reach the desired flavor...start with a ½ tsp
• Continue adding the pepper and cardamom, until you are happy with the flavor.
• Continue whisking until the gravy boils (This is when it will reach its full thickening potential)
• You should end up with a very tasty, lump-free gravy
• If you need to delay service, take some plastic wrap and set it directly on top of the gravy. This will help prevent that wonderful "skin" from forming

Troubleshooting...

Gravy seems to be "missing something"...I usually crush a chicken bouillon cube and add it to the gravy. This seems to correct the problem. If not, try adding some chicken stock or experiment with a little crushed sage or a very tiny amount of mace. If the gravy has too strong of a turkey flavor, you might want to dilute it with water or, if you don't mind a white gravy, add milk or cream.

Gravy is not thick enough...In a separate bowl, spoon-in about a half cup of your gravy and whisk an additional Tbsp of flour. Once well incorporated and no lumps visible, add it back into the main gravy and whisk well. Bring to a boil. If this does not thicken it to your liking, grab a bowl and place a tablespoon of flour in it. Then, take some of your hot gravy and mix it with the flour (if you add the flour directly into your gravy, you will get lumps, so we take this extra step). Once the flour is fully incorporated, mix it in with your gravy. Repeat until you get the your desired consistency.



Something else you might want to try...

• Replace the cardamom with a spice called Grains of Paradise

Originally published as...My Thanksgiving Gravy

Fixing a Squeaky Garage Door

So, how do you fix a squeaky garage door...

• Get a can of silicon lubricant, such as the one pictured here...

• I know you will be tempted to grab a can of your all-purpose WD-40, but try to resist the urge. WD-40 attracts dust and over time, tends to "gunk-up" what you are trying to lubricate.
• Spray the lubricant on the main spring (this is located in the middle, above the garage opening)
• Spray lubricant on all wheels and hinges
• If you have an automatic opener, pull the red cord to disconnect the door from the opener
• manually open and close the garage door 4-5 times. This will allow the lubricant to penetrate and do that thing it does so well
• If the squeaking still continues, you may need to re-apply in those areas
• Reconnect the garage door to the automatic opener
• At your favorite home improvement store, purchase the special lubricant that is applied to your opener's chain or screw

This is the type of product you will be looking for...

• If you do this during the summer months, be advised that the lubricant has a tendency to liquefy when it gets hot (90+ degrees), which can cause it to drip onto your garage floor or even worse, your vehicle

• Apply, as per manufacturer's instructions
• Open and close the garage door 4-5 times to allow the lubricant to work its way into the chain or screw
• This is also a good time to check and make sure that your tracks are level and plumb. Just grab your level, place it on the tracks, and adjust if necessary

This maintenance should be done at least twice a year. Please let me know if you have any questions and I will be more than happy to help.

I've Dugg my Last Digg: Part-Two

Yes, traffic to my site increased dramatically, but it was not quality traffic. I was guilty of the same thing. I had so many Shouts to respond to, I found the only way to get through them would be to just click the button and move on. I had no time to read any of the articles. This is not how I envisioned Digg when I joined. When I start to dread opening my email, then something needs to be done.

So, you need to ask yourself what type of traffic you want to generate: Quality or Quantity? If you just want quantity, then by all means go to Digg and have at it. However, if you want to generate quality traffic, then avoid Digg and find other avenues. What are those other avenues? Well, you’ve heard them all before, but let’s go through them again.

First, write quality content; make people want to stick around and read what you spent so much time writing. Second, submit those article to online publishing sites such as SearchWarp, GoArticles, or eZine. Next, join some social networking sites such as BlogCatalog, MyBlogLog, MySpace, or FaceBook and become involved in the communities. Finally, join forums that are on subjects that interest you (most forums allow you to put your website address in your signature) and be sure to contribute worthwhile comments.

There are other ways, but my fingers are getting tired, so I’ll talk about them another time. Good luck in your adventures!

See also...

I've Dugg my Last Digg:Part-1

Spring has Sprung

Spring is in the air and that means it's time, once again, to begin the outdoor ritual of: The Mowing of the Lawn. Although it conjures visions of woe and dread, it is something that must be acknowledged, nigh, embraced. However, before you can begin a new year of this annual ritual, you must first be sure that your lawn trimming device is in good working order. Proper lawn care begins in the garage. I am assuming that, as seasoned lawn manicurists, you properly winterized your mower. No? Did you remove the gas and drain the oil? No? Well, here is your chance to redeem yourself in the eyes of Lawn Maintenance Engineers everywhere.
Before tackling the jungle that is your lawn, let's take a few moments to make sure that your mower is healthy and happy. First, make sure that the mower is nice and clean. We don't want last years' weeds infecting this years' lawn. Second, let's get that blade sharpened. Nothing makes a lawn look worse, then to have it torn instead of cut. Third, change the oil. Forth, change ALL the filters: gas and air. Fifth, change the spark plug and make sure it is gaped properly. This will save gas and help extend the life of your $200+ investment. Finally, make sure that your deck is at the proper height (2 and 1/2 to 3 inches).

Now, you are ready to don your Pith Helmet and journey forth into the jungle that is your lawn.

The Decision

You may be wondering how I got into this position as a stay-at-home dad. Well, let me take you back in time some 12 years and I'll tell you.

Even before we began to start a family, my wife and I decided that one of us should stay home and raise our children. We didn't want to have our kids raised by a daycare worker. We wanted to be able to see them take their first steps; hear them say their first words, etc.

When it was discovered that my wife was pregnant, we had a decision to make. We both had good jobs that paid well, so who should stay at home? Well, the decision came down not to salary, but to insurance coverage. My wife's insurance covered 100% of the doctor and hospital bills, while my insurance (even though I had been employed with the University for over 4 years ) considered it a pre-exisiting condition and would not cover the costs (insurance companies...go figure).

So, the decision was made and preparations were made for the birth of our first child and a drastic change in my lifestyle. My career, my life, and the way I saw myself would be forever changed.