How about MawMaw Myra's Gumbo

Not to be left out.  Here is the recipe I use to cook gumbo.  Like I mentioned before, this may not be exactly what was on her card, so if it isn't as good as hers it is not her fault. And if it is good, then all the glory goes to the original creator.
You have to know this. I don't ever make it the same way twice. Everytime I make it I am afraid that I ruined it an no one is going to like it and I am always wrong.
Things that can go wrong:
1.Watch the roux when you make it (you can buy it by Savoie's in some stores) stir it pretty much constantly for plus or minus a half hour. Use equal amount flour and oil, maybe a little less oil, and mix them together in your gumbo pot stirring constantly as they get well blended and the color starts to turn darker and darker shades until it is a just a little more brown than black. You can burn the roux, your kitchen will not like that it will smell like burned flour for a while. Stir it constantly. It cooks faster as it gets closer to done so start with the heat at med-high and turn it down over time to low-med. Try 1/3 cup of each oil and flour
2. Some sausage is more greasy than others. I always use smoked sausage and have bought whatever is on sale or included in the HEB meal deal but Hilshire farms beef smoked sausage has been pretty dependable. I also like jalepeno sausage from costco but Lucas won't eat it at all if I use that. Otherwise all he eats is the sausage. Better of you can actually get andouille sausage.
Basically this awesome warming soup can get greasy a couple of ways. That is not desirable, BUT it does still taste great either way.

General Ingredients:
2 cups onion chopped,
2 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped bellpepper
2 cups frozen okra
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups water
1 lb. smoked sausage chopped into wheels (ofcourse if you can get andoullie you should use that)
1 lb. chicken breast or 2 chicken breasts
These quantities are for when I feed my family twice. Cook 3 cups of rice to go with it (6 cups cooked)
1. Make the roux as I described above. For this recipe I would use 1/3 cup flour with 1/3 cup oil. If you bought it use a couple of tablespoons and skip to step 2. When your roux is done add your spices. I add different stuff everytime. Some Tony's, some garlic sometimes the cajun seasoning I have from Zatterans. I don't really know but better to add it here right before the water.
2. Add the water and keep stirring until it becomes a well mixed solution.
3. Add the chopped sausage and chicken breasts and turn the heat back up to med-high. Make sure you are using a large pot, the chicken and sausage are cooked inthe roux-broth. Check after 10 minutes to see if the chicken is cooked through. It if is it should shred easily. If not put it back in for about 5 and check again. IF it is shred it, put it back in the pot. (most gumbo recipes us a whole chicken with bone, I just don't like bones)
3a. While the chicken is cooking start your rice. IT take about 20 minutes for the rice to cook.
4. Add the vegetables, generally onion, bell pepper and celery but sometimes I add whatever veggies I have including corn, squash or green beans. Add also the chicken broth or stock. (The frozen okra will bring the temp down again so add it later). Cook it until the temp comes back up to boil then turn it down to simmer until the rice is done nearly done. Simmer for atleast ten minutes so the veggies can soften.
5. Add the okra about 6 minutes before the rice is done.  this will be just lng enough to cook it and bring the temp back up after adding the frozen okra.
6. Add gumbo file last and stir.

Cooking in the Family

I originally posted this on March 3rd, but when I tried to update the post with keywords for searching later all of the text was deleted.  Agh!!!!
In my post I talked about Emaleigh recovering from illness that started on morning of my birthday.  She and I were staying home from church and she was resting contently quietly and without need of attention from me.  So I was cooking some gumbo for our family lunch on a day with a bit of a chill in the air. My gumbo and jambalaya recipes that I cook are beth derived from MawMaw Myra's recipes.  She is not my grandmother though. She is grandmother of my dear friend Zac Tureau.  He and I along with Kari L'huillier lived together in Las Cruces for a while and we used food to make friends.  We started with a pot for 6 people but before long we were cooking for 30-50 and it was something I continued even after Zac left Cruces.  Food has always worked for me to bring people together in a happy way.  Eventually, in one of those cooking for many occasions after Zac moved, I captured Kevin with a pot of Jambalaya.
Here is the recipe for Jambalaya incase there is some out there you think worthy of capturing with a warm meal:


MawMaw Myra’s Jambalaya
1 lb smoked sausage sliced into wheels
2 chicken breast boiled and shredded
1 large white onion chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
some tobasco not too much
2 cloves garlic minced
2 cups rice
4 cups water

Cook sausage in an uncovered large. pot on med-hi heat until it is very done, burned really, trust me.  Drain fat and add chicken, the bell pepper and onion and cook until onions are clear and mushy.  Add garlic, salt, pepper, tobasco or other hot sauce and stir before also adding rice and water. When mixture comes to boil and rice is about even with water turn heat down to low, cover and wait 20 minutes.  In 20 minutes uncover fluff rice and serve.  Serve with sliced white bread and white beans and ham.  Serves 6 unless my father in law is there.  In that case it serves 3