Homemade Sausage ~ Biscuits and Gravy Oh My!

I woke up Monday to a warm 63°F and later a high of 87°.  And guess what?  

We started the "resurrection" of the flower beds/rose bed/herb garden on Sunday (no chance in convincing Hubby to break out the chainsaw for wood chores in the heat either), and now we are to get 4 days of possible rain.  I guess the Good Lord thought I needed softer soil to rip those weeds out, ha ha!  

Clean up before the end of the day.  But oh, so much more to weed (like about 60-70 feet of flower/herb beds).

Monday, we labored (again).  Hubby mowed some more, we weeded, and prepped the garlic bed.  Oh that was a joy - windy as heck, and try putting plastic down in the wind.  It took us about 1 1/2 hours or more to pull up old plastic, till, and put the new plastic down.  Now it will sit for a week or so to kill off more weeds/grass before I fall plant.

Laundry was put out.  Dried in seconds with the wind, heat and sun we had.

Pie pumpkins were picked and brought inside.  There are more, and more baby ones just starting.

A few blackberries were enjoyed.

Now about the homemade sausage.... 

In our parts of the world, we can buy "natural" sausage in patties, but it's not organic/non-gmo.  I've been buying organic pork, and making it myself.

It's the next best thing to raising my own pigs, butchering and making the sausage myself (goals). Or some day having a neighbor, like-minded, to barter with some day. 

That's the tickler about homesteading - it's a simple way of living, but so many people confuse "simple" with "easy."

To make the homemade sausage:

I add these ingredients to 2 lbs. of organic/non-gmo ground pork (you could use turkey if you want to cut the fat). 

1 Tbsp. rubbed sage*
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground dried thyme*
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

*I grow the herbs in my herb garden, dry them and store them.  I also make my own garlic powder from garlic I grow. To make "rubbed" sage, simply grind up dry leaves into a powder.  I use a small coffee mill to grind mine.

Mix all ingredients (I used my food processor), then store the meat mixture in the refrigerator over night to  enhance flavors.

Shape into 2 1/2 inch patties, or use as ground sausage depending on the recipe you want to use it in or eat by itself.  Cook patties in large skillet over medium heat until thoroughly cooked. 

Yield:  about 20 patties

The patties are great as a side, or even better as an egg/sausage sandwich with homemade buns or English muffins.

I used half the meat mixture for patties, and the other half I cooked up as "ground" sausage for homemade biscuits and gravy (one of Hubby's favorite breakfast meals).

Homemade biscuits were rolled and baked. 

(breakfast on the porch in pajamas)

Yum!  I sliced up some freshly dug, garden potatoes and fried those to accompany the meal, and added some scrambled, farm fresh organic eggs.  Aside from having to buy milk (missing our goat milk these days) and meat for this recipe, it's a true homesteader's breakfast.

It stormed last night, but only for a few hours.  We needed the rain too.  I love listening to the pitter-patter of rain.