I'm now an official member of the Gravy Club!

So today I have reached an important milestone in my life. I have made old fashioned cream gravy. Although I feel quite proud of my achievement, my husband doesn't seem to share my joy quite as much. He just must not understand how truly hard it is. :)

My dad (hereinafter referred to as the "Gravy Master") is an exceptional gravy maker. He can make it on the stove or over a campfire and it always comes out perfect. So this morning (Matt's day off) I decided to make biscuits and gravy, and who did I call for instructions? Of course, the Gravy Master. He graciously took my call even though he was at work.

Now he's always said that gravy takes a lot of practice beofre you get it just right. My first attempt was many months ago, and it came out tasting like flour. It was thick and disgusting, and even though it looked like gravy, it tasted nothing like it. We threw it out right away.

My second attempt was this morning shortly after the conversation with Gravy Master. He said, "Cook the flour and oil until it starts to smell like baking bread." Well, I forgot to put the lumps of meat in the concotion, first off, and I also managed to forget the seasonings. Apparently these ingredients contribute greatly to the "baking bread smell" because my first attempt this morning - I kept waiting and waiting for that smell. The mixture kept getting darker and darker, and finally it DID smell like bread - but burning bread. I figured that must have been the thing I was waiting for, so I took my now dark brown goop off the stove to wait for it to cool and add milk.

Just to make sure, I called the Gravy Master again and ask if it's supposed to look like diahrreah? He says I might have burned it a little. Hmmm .... Well I added the milk anyway, hoping the milk would turn it to the right creamy color. Nope. It wasn't supposed to be the color of beef gravy, was it?

I made the decision not to posion my family with this "crappy" batch and threw it out. (Meanwhile Matt comes by and says, "So they'll be ready by lunch then?") Haha! Then I started my second batch. I remembered to add the seasonings and the meat, and VOILA!! After a few minutes of cooking, it certainly did smell like baking bread! The rest of the process went by smoothly, and the gravy came out excellent. Not even a lump. :)

So, thanks Dad, for the advice and directions. I am now an official gravy maker. :)