Grits and Gravy

Somehow I'm stuck on breakfast blogging lately. Perhaps because summer's laid back schedule allows time for things other than Cheerios and rice-milk.
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Grits, though not exactly a familiar food in the Pacific NorthWest, are, ironically one of my kids' long-time favorites...
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For the uninformed, "grits" (or "traditional white hominy grits") are somewhat different than cornmeal.

Alton Brown explains it best:

"Cornmeal (like you'd make polenta with) is made from ground dried corn. Grits are made from ground, dried hominy (which is still corn, but treated slightly different). To make hominy, you start with field corn that's dried. Then the dried corn kernels are soaked in a solution of baking soda, lime, or wood ash ("lye water") for a day or two. (Sounds yummy, huh?) The kernel's shell pops off, and the kernel swells to twice its size. Kernels are rinsed more than once, then dried again, and finally ground into grits."

The directions for grits are on the box.

Go buy a box, try them. I have no special words of wisdom there. Just follow the directions on the box.

Very warm, creamy, homey "comfort food" sort-of stuff, but with more texture and character than, say, Cream of Wheat....

And for the best breakfast ever, top them with gravy.

Whatever gravy YOU like. But by all means have some gravy. I am completely smitten with gravy.
My gravy recipe here is nothing special, just the is the same-ol', same-ol' stuff I make to smother just about every breakfast item I can think of....

COUNTRY GRAVY from a past post, with some of my smashed up, and browned HOMEMADE SEITAN SAUSAGE added in. Sausage is optional, it's good without too!

I'll leave you with this hilarious picture of our cat contemplating life from atop HIS precious pot of fresh catnip... of which he indulges in fairly often!!
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Have a great weekend.

I'm headed to "Vida Vegan Con" tomorrow. The premiere Vegan Blogger's Conference held in Portland (vegan mecca of the world!). Stay tuned, as the next few posts will be ALL ABOUT the conference!!!