Portobello Mushrooms with a Mushroom Garlic Gravy

At the first of the week our local grocer discounts produce that has just simply not sold, such as over ripe bananas, veggie/fruit dips, and overstock produce. One of our favorite buys is the overstock mushrooms, so now the fridge has a beautiful pack of large sliced portobello mushrooms and a big imagination plus a stocked fridge. So why not veggies covered in a gravy, yum! The lemon juice used to saute the mushrooms adds a nice acidity to balance the rich butterness of the gravy, extra yum!

Portobello Mushrooms with a Mushroom Garlic Gravy
1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms, preferably portobellos
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
Butter or fat drippings
1 Tablespoons Minced Garlic, I used a pre-minced refrigerated tube version
Milk
Flour
Salt

1. Saute the mushrooms in about 1 tablespoon of butter or drippings, lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Saute on medium-high until browned yet still firm. Drain mushrooms on a napkin and set aside.

2. In pan add a little extra butter, about 1 table spoon more to the leftover browned bits. Add the rest of the garlic and about 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour. Whisk until fully incorporated and all lumps of flour are broken down. Add about 1 cup of milk and continue to whisk until the gravy comes to a boil. Add salt as desired, about 1/2 teaspoon. Boil until the gravy is to desired thickness adding milk for a thinner viscosity. Allow the gravy to cool slightly and it will continue to thicken.

3. Serve gravy over drained mushrooms for a savory meat free dish.

Part of the Homestead Barn Hop

Farm Girl Friday

Lil' Suburban Homestead

A Walk Through the Woods & the Story of the Passion Flower

There are many things to see when walking through the woods. This evening I took a short walk to look for new blackberry patches; I found some great berries and a few other beautiful things.

 Passion flowers are often seen along the sides of roads and in overgrown fields. They grow as vines and bear sweet fruits.

 God defiantly put a lot of detail into the Passion Flower, which will only bloom for one day. After a little searching I found a neat story behind the plant similar to the story of the Dogwood. The Passion Flower story was created to describe the days before and during Christ's Crucifixion.

*The ten petals stand for the ten apostles of Christ that were loyal to Christ, excluding the other two Judas and Peter whom betrayed Christ.

*The tendrils of the vine represent the whips that were used to beat Christ before his Crucifixion.

*The row of filaments represent the crown of thorns shoved upon Christ's head.

*The three stigmas represent the three nails and the five anthers stand for the five wounds Christ received (four nail wounds and one from a lance.)

*Lastly, the colors represent purity and heaven.

Crumpled wood most likely deteriorated by a wood pecker or old age.

Beautiful un-ripe jewels, soon o become blackberry jelly. 

Butterfly Weed is a type of Milkweed that attracts many butterflies and other beautiful flying creatures. These are commonly seen along the back roads just like Passion Flowers.

Queen Anne's Lace is a beautiful fluff flower that umbrellas bugs and protects them.

Part of the Homestead Barn Hop

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Farm Girl Friday