motherless heathen casserole

now i know all of you non-motherless folks are gonna get all depressed and feel sorry for me when i post this, but that's really not the point. the point in posting this is to show how us motherless heathens (i'm kidding, i'm kidding) manage in our own trailblazing way - whether it be in raising a child, whipping together a brunch casserole or making a life. (besides, it's a damn fine casserole recipe and worth posting in its own right.)

this evening, got an email from a friend who lost her mom while we were in college:

Hey M -
I am accepting a position as playgroup coordinator in our MOMS group and they are having a new members brunch on Friday - I have to bring an item - any suggestions/recipes? Remember - I am cooking impaired so it would have to be pretty simple!!!

I actually enjoyed a mother's day for the first time in a long while - sad and happy at the same time. sure miss her - wish I could get some damn advice sometimes! :)...

from me:

hey love...

i'm so glad to hear that you had a good mother's day this year! i absolutely adored the photos you sent of the baby this afternoon - i was giggling out loud at work. he is just the damn cutest child, andi can't decide who he looks most like - you or your hubby.

so weird...this was one of the hard ones for me. i haven't had much of a problem with them in the past - they usually just whiz on by and i wake up a couple of days later and go, "oh! mother's day. guess i shoulda been sad." not so this year. i was blue. not horribly so, but just sad. i think it definitely has something to do w/ me getting closer to the age my mom was when she died. i'm closer now to that age than i am to the age i was when she died. i dunno. it's weird. i also had my period, so that never helps w/ maintaining sanity.

i get what you mean about needing advice! i SO want to call my mom all of the time, and ask her advice...about anything and everything...my menstrual cycle, my career, guys, the cups equivalent of a pound of flour. that sorta thing. it just sux. period. i can't imagine what it must be like to have a child and not have a mom to call. i do think about that. thing is, j, i know that you are amazing mom just as you are. you're mom's probably up there going, "sheesh. she's doing a great job. i couldn't give her any advice anywhoo."

so. a brunch item. yes. i have a great recipe. it's from some ancient copy of southern living. it's a sausage and grits casserole, and it is simple and DEEEEEEEEELISH. i'll attach it in word.

i love you, dearheart, and you all look so very happy, and i am so very happy to see it.

xxxxxooooo
mx.

Southern Living Sausage and Grits

2 cups water
½ cup quick cooking grits
4 cups (10 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 pounds of hot & spicy sausage, cooked and crumbled.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil water. Stir in grits and return to a boil. Cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine grits and cheese until cheese melts. Combine all other ingredients except for sausage. Add a small amount of the grits to the egg mixture and stir. Do this over and over until all combined. Add sausage. Pour into lightly greased 12” x 8” dish. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes.

You can prepare the dish and refrigerate overnight. If you do so, let stand for 15 minutes, and then bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes.