Southern English

[Bird]

I guess our likes and dislikes depend a great deal on how we grew up. My parents both used sugar in their coffee and in their tea when I was a kid, so I started growing up using sugar in my tea. But I still remember going to a banquet at the school when I was in the 4-H club when I was about 12 years old. There was absolutely nothing to drink except unsweetened tea, and I hated it. Then every October we used to go to an all night gospel singing in Overbrook, OK, that was started at a little Indian country church as a memorial to the Indian soldiers killed in WWII. (After midnight we'd be the only non-Indian family there, but these were people Dad grew up with, and some that I went to school with). And besides water, there was nothing to drink except very hot, very strong unsweetened coffee. So I decided at a young age it might be best to learn to drink those things without sugar.:laughing: And I learned to like tea without sugar as a kid, and didn't acquire a taste for coffee at all until I was 24 years old. I've tried coffee with sugar, and with cream and sugar, and I guess it's OK, but my wife and I don't put anything in the tea or coffee either one.

 

[jinman]

I have a neighbor who was born and reared in Minnesota. In the winter, she orders a cup of hot water. That's it. She doesn't put anything in it, but just sips the very hot water. I think I'd want a squeeze of lemon in mine, but she doesn't even do that.

IslandTractor: Ed, I posted a reply earlier, but maybe didn't hit the "post" button. I'll do a photo essay to show the steps of making sausage gravy. I could write out a recipe, but I don't know anyone who makes good gravy without seeing the process first so they understand. Sausage gravy is hardest to make because patty sausage does not produce many drippings. I have to add a little bacon drippings (saved in the freezer) or a little olive oil so the flour is not too dry while browning. I also chop up two or three patties and put them in the gravy for an additional taste surprise. I don't do that with bacon gravy. Bacon bits just don't seem to add that much to the gravy, especially when you are serving bacon on the side.

 

[Bird]

Jim, I can remember my paternal grandmother always drank a glass of very warm water first thing every morning. Now I could handle some cold water, but when I was a kid I thought I'd be seriously ill at my stomach if I tried to drink warm water before breakfast. But of course now I start the day with a big mug of hot coffee.:laughing:

 

[buickanddeere]

In Ontario iced tea is cold sweetened tea. "tea" is hot tea with the option of adding sweetener and dairy.
I was in rural NY and ordered iced tea and nearly spit it out at the restaurant table. It was only plain hot tea that had been chilled........blah.
When visiting friends in Mississippi , they asked what kind of tea. I said hot tea in a mug. Their response was frosty and restrained but they seemed offended and disgusted ??? They brought out a glass of chilled sun tea moderately sweetened with a hint of lemon. I'll admit it tasted good and was refreshing. Just not as a breakfast beverage.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have a neighbor who was born and reared in Minnesota. In the winter, she orders a cup of hot water. That's it. She doesn't put anything in it, but just sips the very hot water. I think I'd want a squeeze of lemon in mine, but she doesn't even do that. IslandTractor: Ed, I posted a reply earlier, but maybe didn't hit the "post" button. I'll do a photo essay to show the steps of making sausage gravy. I could write out a recipe, but I don't know anyone who makes good gravy without seeing the process first so they understand. Sausage gravy is hardest to make because patty sausage does not produce many drippings. I have to add a little bacon drippings (saved in the freezer) or a little olive oil so the flour is not too dry while browning. I also chop up two or three patties and put them in the gravy for an additional taste surprise. I don't do that with bacon gravy. Bacon bits just don't seem to add that much to the gravy, especially when you are serving bacon on the side.

Much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[jerrybob]

I guess our likes and dislikes depend a great deal on how we grew up. My parents both used sugar in their coffee and in their tea when I was a kid, so I started growing up using sugar in my tea. But I still remember going to a banquet at the school when I was in the 4-H club when I was about 12 years old. There was absolutely nothing to drink except unsweetened tea, and I hated it. Then every October we used to go to an all night gospel singing in Overbrook, OK, that was started at a little Indian country church as a memorial to the Indian soldiers killed in WWII. (After midnight we'd be the only non-Indian family there, but these were people Dad grew up with, and some that I went to school with). And besides water, there was nothing to drink except very hot, very strong unsweetened coffee. So I decided at a young age it might be best to learn to drink those things without sugar.:laughing: And I learned to like tea without sugar as a kid, and didn't acquire a taste for coffee at all until I was 24 years old. I've tried coffee with sugar, and with cream and sugar, and I guess it's OK, but my wife and I don't put anything in the tea or coffee either one.

Bird.....couldn't resist.....

A man went to his psychiatrist and said, "Every time I drink my coffee, I get a stabbing pain in my right eye," The psychiatrist said, "well, have you tried taking the spoon out?"

 

[IXLR8]

don't know if it's a southern saying, but my Dad used it...katy bar the door. When he (my dad ) said this I knew I was in trouble
World Wide Words: Katy bar the door This is all I could find on the use of the phrase.

Anyone else ever hear it ??

I grew up in Conn, 5th generation, my dad said that on occasion.... I knew I was in serious trouble when he did.

 

[nwltruck]

I have never used drippings for sausage gravy. Our family has always ground our own sausage ( very lean). Instead I opt for a stick of butter.

Brown sausage.
Melt butter in cooked sausage.
As the butter is browning on high add a couple table spoons of flour.
Stir until all of the sausage is coated and the flour starts to brown.
Add milk to desired consistency.
I prefer to leave mine just runny enough to run through a fork. This way it will still soak into the biscuits. Nothing worse than sticky gravy flavored jello on top of your biscuits.

Works best in a cast iron skillet. A big one.

 

[IslandTractor]

I have never used drippings for sausage gravy. Our family has always ground our own sausage ( very lean). Instead I opt for a stick of butter.

Brown sausage.
Melt butter in cooked sausage.
As the butter is browning on high add a couple table spoons of flour.
Stir until all of the sausage is coated and the flour starts to brown.
Add milk to desired consistency.
I prefer to leave mine just runny enough to run through a fork. This way it will still soak into the biscuits. Nothing worse than sticky gravy flavored jello on top of your biscuits.

Works best in a cast iron skillet. A big one.

When you say sausage, are you referring to patties, links, or disemboweled links? I don't get to have southern gravy much but kinda recall small chunks of ?sausage in gravy.

 

[kenmac]

When you say sausage, are you referring to patties, links, or disemboweled links? I don't get to have southern gravy much but kinda recall small chunks of ?sausage in gravy.

We sometimes use pre made patties and cut them up we have sometimes deer sausage & sometimes ground straight from the local processer to make the gravy... Does everyone do it differently???? Probably so

 

[nwltruck]

When you say sausage, are you referring to patties, links, or disemboweled links? I don't get to have southern gravy much but kinda recall small chunks of ?sausage in gravy.

Bulk ground sausage. Whole hog sausage is best. I use 1# package and feed a family of 5 and still have left overs.

 

[IslandTractor]

Bulk ground sausage. Whole hog sausage is best. I use 1# package and feed a family of 5 and still have left overs.

I realize I need to research what type of sausage I can get here. Most of our sausage is Italian hot or sweet or Polish Kielbasa or the national branded breakfast links or patty type. Never heard of bulk sausage. Is that different than ground pork?

 

[dave1949]

I realize I need to research what type of sausage I can get here. Most of our sausage is Italian hot or sweet or Polish Kielbasa or the national branded breakfast links or patty type. Never heard of bulk sausage. Is that different than ground pork?

Best thing you can do is buy pork shoulder or Boston butt from a butcher. Trim the fat to your taste and grind your own into bulk. Then you can flavor it the way you like, or leave it plain. Make patties and freeze them, etc. You won't be sorry.

The ground pork for sale here is in those gas-filled packages. Lord knows how old it is or how much fat is in it.

 

[buickanddeere]

When you say sausage, are you referring to patties, links, or disemboweled links? I don't get to have southern gravy much but kinda recall small chunks of ?sausage in gravy.

I must confess. I've only had biscuits and sausage gravy once and that was at a Mississippi McDonalds. Some terrible high calories but tasted pretty good.

 

[kenmac]

Some terrible high calories but tasted pretty good.

What's wrong with calories ??? I burn those every day

 

[Gunny]

Don't know about what they do with sausage up in IT's area, but it always seemed to me that the sausage served in the restaurants around the Poconos (PA), just didn't have enough sage in it. Tasted more like plain ground pork, and I thought it was a regional thing. That wouldn't make very good gravy.

Then you'd have learn how to make good biscuits, a dying art from what I've seen. Thank goodness my wife knows how, cause biscuits and gravy ain't much eating when all you've got is hocky puck biscuits. There's only two kinds of biscuits: good ones and them other things.

 

[buickanddeere]

There are scones as well as biscuits. The definition blurs around the country. The scone is richer with sugar, eggs, oil and dairy.
To to England and a biscuit to them is a cracker or a cookie.

 

[nwltruck]

I realize I need to research what type of sausage I can get here. Most of our sausage is Italian hot or sweet or Polish Kielbasa or the national branded breakfast links or patty type. Never heard of bulk sausage. Is that different than ground pork?

Holy high jack. Sorry.

I'll stop after this one. You could always get sausage seasoning on line then buy ground pork and make your own sausage. Here in the widwest we mix ours pretty light compared to other places.

 

[IslandTractor]

Don't know about what they do with sausage up in IT's area, but it always seemed to me that the sausage served in the restaurants around the Poconos (PA), just didn't have enough sage in it. Tasted more like plain ground pork, and I thought it was a regional thing. That wouldn't make very good gravy.

Then you'd have learn how to make good biscuits, a dying art from what I've seen. Thank goodness my wife knows how, cause biscuits and gravy ain't much eating when all you've got is hocky puck biscuits. There's only two kinds of biscuits: good ones and them other things.

Thanks for the tip Gunny. Unfortunately when I entered "sausage seasoning" into Amazon, I got 146 different types of sausage seasoning. Who knew. Some are easy to dismiss (Italian, bratwurst, kielbasa, andouille etc) but I don't even know if there is a generic name for typical Southern sausage used to prepare gravy or if there are lots of regional variations. I will make sure sage is present but am still wondering if there is a generally agreed upon spice mix for Southern sausage.

I'm thinking of ordering ACLegg #10 Pork sausage seasoning. Anyone used it?

 

[YesDeere]

I've made it with regular Jimmie dean patties and it turned out good. Put it on a cathead and you're ettin man.