Hey Friends, Today I would like to share with you what I like to call THE BEST home style sausage and gravy. It has quickly become my absolute favorite weekend breakfast. Not low fat by any means ;) but oh so worth it!
The gravy is packed full of flavor and the perfect consistency. It's incredibly simple and quick to make and if you pre-cook your sausage the night before ( along with your homemade biscuits if that's what you fancy) then you can have this delicious , home made breakfast on the table for your family to oohh and ahhh over in about 20 minutes! Told ya, simple! :)
Here is the recipe
Home Style Sausage and Gravy
1 pound of breakfast sausage hot or mild (any brand of choice, I prefer Jimmy Deen)
1/3 cup of all- purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt
3 cups of whole milk
1 teaspoon of black pepper, more to taste
Biscuits (homemade or store bought Grands)
Directions
Tear small pieces of sausage and add them to a large skillet. Brown the sausage over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Sprinkle on half the flour and stir until the sausage seems dry then add more little by little. Stir and cook it for another minute or so, then pour in the milk, stirring constantly.
Cook the gravy over medium-low heat stirring frequently, until it thickens. (This may take 10 minutes or so) Sprinkle in the seasoned salt and pepper and continue cooking until very thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Spoon the sausage gravy over warm biscuits, serve immediately and enjoy!
Today I want to share with you my evening skincare routine. For the past couple of months I have been following this routine of products I have mixed up using homemade all-natural ingredients found in my kitchen. I decided to make the switch to natural ingredients rather then use store bought lotions, scrubs and washes because 1. coconut oil and apple cider vinegar are so much better for your skin then the chemically made products out there. 2. it's a lot cheaper! This being my year of less (more on that later) I figured this would be a good area to start saving.
I have been using my baking soda/coconut oil scrub 1-2 times a week (I don't recommend using it more than that just because of how abrasive it is) followed by the apple cider vinegar toner then applying coconut oil. The other nights it's just the toner first then coconut oil to wash my face (no need for following it up with the coconut oil after, but if you have really dry skin ( like me!) then feel free to reapply a little extra.
So you're probably wondering how well these products work right? Well, I am hear to tell you that they, for me have been working amazingly well! Before switching over I was getting breakouts often, my skin was dull,dry and showing signs of aging. At the time I was using store bought products that I figured should be helping my skin when in fact I think may have been making my skin worse!
It was around 2 months ago I came across an article online that talked about applying apple cider vinegar to your face and how it can do wonderful things for your skin. Such as giving your face a brighter complexion, healing, getting rid of and preventing acne, and evening out my skin tone.
After reading all that I figured it was worth a shot. I had apple cider vinegar in my pantry so I gave it a go. I was noticing results within a week!
Next up I figured I should also change what I am using to wash my face.
I have used coconut oil in the past to remove eye makeup (it works amazingly well for that!) so I figured why not use it all over my face? I know what you must be thinking... the horror! Wouldn't smearing oil all over your face cause you to break out big time? The truth? No! It really does work!
I have actually found that using coconut oil on your face tricks it into thinking it's producing enough oil to slow down the production of it and in return leaves you with moisturized skin that's not too oily. Awesome huh? I think so too!
One thing that is important in buying coconut oil for cleansing your skin is buying good quality coconut oil. Organic,unrefined, 100% real coconut oil is best. You can find this at many different stores, from Walmart to Whole Foods, just make sure it's the good stuff. I usually buy a big tub of it and take half for my face and use the other half for baking.
So do I have you convinced yet? Well just incase your still unsure here's a few facts about both coconut oil and apple cider vinegar.
Coconut Oil:
-Antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial (to help with those breakouts!)
-It is gentle on the skin and not laden with chemicals and ingredients you need to look out for.
-It keeps the skin's connective tissues strong, which prevents sagging and wrinkles.
-Coconut oil also helps in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.
-Coconut oil also helps in preventing premature aging and degenerative diseases due to its well-known antioxidant properties.
Do I even need to go on? ;)
Apple Cider Vinegar:
-Psoriasis sufferers praise apple cider vinegar for reducing inflammation.
-Apple Cider Vinegar is the by-product of fermentation of apples. Apples are loaded with potassium, pectin, malic acid and calcium.
-It balances the natural pH of the skin, clears away excess oils and breaks up the bonds between dead skin cells (exfoliating) to keep skin pores open.
-Lightens sun and age spots, and can improve acne and acne scars.
Remember when using Apple Cider Vinegar you want to get the raw, unfiltered kind.
So there are the facts now if your ready to give these all natural, homemade products a try then here are the handy dandy recipes.
Apple Cider Vinegar Toner
For Sensitive Skin: 1 part ACV to 4 parts distilled water
For Normal Skin: 1 part ACV to 2 parts distilled water
For Oily Skin: 1 part ACV to 1 part distilled water
Apply with a cotton ball, cotton pad (or if your forgetful like myself and forget to pick up cotton pads at the store then a wash cloth works just fine)
The smell may be a bit overwhelming but have no fear once the vinegar has dried the smell will disappear.
Green Tea Version: Replace the distilled water with green tea and store toner in the fridge.
Coconut OIl/Baking Soda Scrub
For Sensitive Skin: 2 parts oil to 1 part baking soda
For Normal Skin: 1 part oil to 1 part baking soda
Apply gently to skin and wash off with warm water
Use 1-2 times a week
To apply the coconut oil as a moisturizer only about a teaspoon is needed. To soften up the oil just rub in the palm of your hand for a few seconds then apply to your face.
NOTE:
I am not a Doctor so these products may not be sutible for everyones skin type. I recommend starting with the mixtures for sensitive skin to see how your skin will react.
And there you have it, my nightly skin care routine.
Check out my YouTube Channel to see a video of me using these products.
