A roux by any other name is still a roux, but maybe that other name should be "fat and flour paste thickener", because the fancy French name seems to put people off.
Getting a large amount of coffee into one's body in the morning is of the utmost importance, which is why -- according to Rhoda Boone of Epicurious -- you should be having your morning coffee and eating it too.
Real gravy usually calls for your own stock and the drippings of whatever meat you're roasting. If time is short and that's not an option, you can easily whip up a batch of gravy that tastes way better than any canned or powdered versions with just a few basic ingredients.