Grits, please!

Contrary to popular belief, not every southerner eats grits.  In my neck of the woods, which is almost as far south as you can get in the United States, grits are almost unheard of (well, at least not part of the usual cuisine) .  In fact, I'm not really sure when I first learned of grits...definitely not something I grew up with.  Popular breakfasts in South Texas consist of some common basics: biscuits, all sorts of sugary cereals, eggs, bacon, sausage, and the like.  And, then, some regional faves such as Migas, Huevos al la Mexicana, Huevos Rancheros, Taquitos, refried beans, Chorizzo & eggs, etc.
Well, since I'm not accustomed with "all things grits", I'd like to ask my readers to share their experience/recipes on this blog. 

"Why bring up grits?", you ask.  I think it goes back to my idol, Paula Deen; she made "Breakfast in a Cup" on her show, the other day, and I've been wanting to try grits out ever since.

As of to today Bebe and I tried our first bowl of grits.  I started out simple, just maple syrup and a pat of butter, but I'll soon be on to bigger and better things.  Shrimp and Grits pops up on the Food Network radar, often, so maybe I'll give that a try (good recipes welcomed).  If you have other suggestions, feel free to add 'em in.  My husband would probably say grits are the same as polenta.  If you could explain the differences I would be most appreciative.  His mom is coming to visit from Romania next week and will be staying with us for a few months.  She makes polenta from scratch and was kind enough to prepare some for us when we visited last year.  Since I don't grow my own corn  to turn to meal, as she does, she may scoff at my "quick grits", but hopefully she can teach me some classic Romanian ways to prepare them.  All in all, I'm interested in learning more about this versatile ingredient and can only add that I've procrastinated doing so thus far because of my uncomfortableness with the unknown.  I find that I steer clear of cooking with unfamiliar ingredients, a lot, and know, I need to get over it! : )