My awesome Fennell family of ten that I grew up in really loves each other and man, do they love to group text. Do you have a family or friends that love to group text? If we’re being honest, I think most of us find it a bit of a blessing and a curse :)

I really love that my family does this because it is a fun, easy way to share projects, family photos and happenings, and one of my favorite things: recipes. A lot of times the conversation will turn into “What are you guys having for dinner tonight?”

These ideas are such a true gold mine for me. I am not a great meal planner and consider myself a real super hero when it comes dinner time because I swoop in at the last second and help get everyone fed and happy, whether that be my hands that do the cooking, or it might be left to the professionals :) Either way, it gets done. Just like Batman does.

I really love getting these ideas from my family because most of them make fantastic, easy, quick meals that everyone loves. Then it’s often really adorable because several of us are sharing the same meal that night, whether we are in California, Utah, Idaho, or Arizona. I think that is kind of fun.

The other night my sister Stacy said she made the most delicious lemon pepper chicken in her crockpot that made the house smell so good all day, and on the side she had roast asparagus, and fluffy white rice with chicken gravy. Yum yum. Then it got me thinking, Good golly. I’ve been married almost 11 years and I have never made gravy once!! How can I say I’m my mother’s daughter?! I always just get gravy from cardboard boxes or powder packets that are just ready to go and I’ve never thought that much about it.

I asked her how to make it and she texted it right over. It’s very easy! I whipped up a batch to go with our lemon pepper and rice and I was so excited and proud. It’s like a whole new world has opened up for me! One where I can just nonchalantly whip of gravy here or there or everywhere whenever I please like I own the place! I feel like this just ups my chef status (the chef status I have in my brain. That’s really the only place anyone considers me “chef Mary”). It makes me feel like I can fool people into thinking I really know what I’m doing in the kitchen :)

Then things just progressed to where I sat up that night thinking about gravy philosophically. There’s the saying “It’s all gravy”. Gravy is the luxurious finish to perfect mashed potatoes. It’s what brings your (let’s be honest--sometimes dry) Thanksgiving turkey and stuffing to life. It’s the extra stuff in life that’s the good stuff.

And hey, just because I get take-out a little more than I probably should or make my kids macaroni and cheese instead of a wholesome square meal every now and again, anything extra you do in life is just gravy. I’m not gonna beat myself up that I’ve never made gravy from scratch until now, it’s just gravy! My little family knows how hard I try to be my best and the rest is just gravy :)

I hope you are getting through this busy but beautiful holiday season and are having time to slow down and enjoy that luxurious gravy in your life. Pat yourself on the back for the “gravy” you are bringing to you and yours. You are amazing. You are everything you need to be and more.

Are my philosophical gravy thoughts a bit of a stretch? More than likely! Ha! That’s just the way my brain likes to put a positive spin on things in life :) So thanks for always bearing with me. Please share any and all thoughts on your favorite gravy and or “gravy” moments going on in your life right now in the comments below.

Easy Chicken Gravy

1 chicken bouillon cube

1 ½ cups water

2 spoonfuls flour

Salt and pepper

Add 1 chicken bouillon cube to ½ cup to 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and dissolve chicken bouillon cube. In a separate cup, combine a couple of large spoonfuls of flour with water until it is watery, just past paste. Once the juices are boiling, add the flour water to it until it is thickened. Season with salt and pepper as needed. It is easy and takes 2-3 minutes.

Add Recipe to Cook'n