Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

Every year on Christmas we go to my parents' house for brunch and Brett's parents' house for dinner.

This year was different because Nat and Dave are coming tomorrow, so we are having Christmas with my family on Tuesday the 28th.  Ask me how excited my kids are that we are doing Christmas all over again.  So excited.

So my parents came to our house for a big Christmas breakfast.

We had waffles, sausage, scrambled eggs, orange slices and biscuits and gravy.

As much as I love biscuits and gravy, I don't make it very often because it just isn't a very healthy way to start out the day.

But on Christmas we aren't concerned with healthy.

I decided it was time that I made real biscuits from scratch, so I got out my Cunningham family cookbook and used one of Brett's grandma's recipes.  You can't go wrong with her recipes.

Biscuits:
2 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter)
2/3 cup milk

*Put dry ingredients together in a bowl and mix really well.  Cut in cold butter with a fork until mixture is fine and crumbly.  Stir in milk and turn dough onto a floured surface and knead gently 10-12 times.  Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut out biscuits (I used a glass).  Place on cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Makes about 16 biscuits.

Sausage gravy:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
half and half
milk
salt/pepper
1 lb. sausage, browned

*Melt butter on stove.  Mix in flour and stir for a minute or so.  Add about a cup of half and half, and then as much milk and as you need.  I think I added about 3 cups.  Season with salt and pepper and then add sausage.  Stir on heat until thickened.  Serve over biscuits.