It has been a long time since I was able to write for purposes of a family update so this recipe has a wee back story that I will quickly share... This past year has been crazy busy and quite challenging as Tricia entered Junior Kindergarten a couple of days a week and we welcomed a new family member.
Here is the summary... The Fall was a whirlwind of running a small daycare and helping transition Tricia into school. But, then in late November a 3 day old baby girl came home to live with us!! We are this little lady's family to permanence (FTP) meaning we are her foster family and we will be adopting her if she becomes legally free. I can't post pictures or anything else fun because of confidentiality issues but let me tell you she is now six months old and has been the greatest joy and delight imaginable... she is cute and funny and happy and practically an angel baby. So I love having two girlies in my house andmost importantly, they love each other.
The biggest challenge this year has been with Tricia "learning to like school". It has been anything but straight forward as we have navigated our way through behavioural challenges, partial attendance, regressions, IEP's, psych assessments and so on... A wonderful moment was when we started working with a dietician specializing in children's behavioural issues in relation to their micro nutrient levels. Through working with her we not only found out that Tricia was anaemic but also that she is practically allergic to sugar in all it's forms (yes, even fruit!). So, we have been a sugar free house for over 3 months now and the difference has been profound.
In an effort to ensure Tricia has a complex carb and an animal protein at every meal I wrote the following recipe. Having easy to cook frozen sausage patties has been awesome for breakfast sandwiches too. They are easy and delicious and taste like McDonald's (in a not gross, but rather amazing way).... Just try them for your yourself!
Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties (sugar free of course)
makes 12-16 patties
2 lbs ground lean or medium pork (no extra lean please)
2 rounded tsp salt (I use kosher so back that up to 1 1/2 if you use sea salt or fine salt)
1 tsp dry rubbed sage
1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp dry thyme
large pinch dry rubbed marjoram
large pinch ground clove
small pinch chili falkes (optional)
Instructions:
1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix very well.
2. Spread a long piece of plastic wrap out on the counter (about 3 feet long). Then place the sausage mixture in the middle of the sheet. Using your hands, shape the meat mixture into a long log about 4" wide and 1 foot long. The shape doesn't need to be perfect.
3. Now bring the short sides of the plastic up around the meat leaving the long tails out on either side of the log. You want to make it pretty snug with as few large air pockets as possible. Next, taking one end at a time, start twisting the end like a candy wrapper to form a tight roll. Work on the end other side simultaneously to achieve a snug round sausage about 3" in diameter and 10" long (approx).
4. Freeze until almost solid but not quite firm all the way through (about 1-2 hours). With plastic wrap still intact, slice through the roll into 1/2 " rounds and lay on a tray. Once the whole log is sliced freeze all the rounds until solid. Once they are frozen through you can transfer them to a Tupperware box and keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
5. To cook: Simply fry sausage patties in a non stick or lightly greased skillet at medium high heat until dark golden brown on one side. Flip and brown the other side and voila, the best breakfast sausages...
I like wine in all it's forms, Red, white, sparkling, dry, crisp, light, full bodied, imported, locally produced, fortified, even home-made... And I really like mulled wine. Remember, you're spicing and heating this wine so don't use your best bottle... go for a big grape flavour for a good price (think Argentina, Italy or Chile)
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