Monday, January 18, 2016

Another Reason to Love Breakfast: The Muffin McEgg


I love breakfast food.  I love eggs, especially, and I could (and often do) eat them every day of the week.  My love for eggs started my freshman year in college.  I used to schedule my classes as early in the morning as possible so I could get them over with and have all afternoon to study (or walk into town for some shopping.)  That meant I was usually able to make it to the cafeteria in time for breakfast, which always featured piles of perfectly-cooked eggs over easy.  They were so pretty and appetizing, I was never tempted by the sugary pastries.

Between eating sensible meals in the school cafeteria and walking to and from my classes, instead of gaining "the freshman 15," I actually lost a few pounds that year.  Here is a candid shot of me circa 1981, snapped by a photography student who was trying to capture, not just my image, but my phone number:


Did I give it to him?  I'll never tell.  (And stop laughing at my hairstyle.)

But anyway, that's when my love of breakfast began, and to this day I never skip it.  I also never eat anything sugary or carb-y first thing in the morning.  Usually it's just eggs over easy (still my favorite) with a slice of buttered, gluten-free toast or a veggie-stuffed omelet.  Once in a while, though, I whip up a special treat my svelte and beautiful (and breakfast-loving) daughter turned me onto:  We call it a Muffin McEgg.

Monday, December 28, 2015

Salmon Rösti



So, not long ago I was approached by a scout from a major food network, looking for undiscovered culinary talent.  I was asked to show my mettle by presenting an appealing recipe that makes use of only common ingredients found in the average household pantry...

I am sooooo lying!  What really happened was, I forgot to plan dinner (again,) and I was scrambling around at 5:00 trying to find anything whatsoever to cook.  Not so much as a thawed hamburger in the fridge.  Pasta?  No, we don't eat that any more.  Omelets?  We had that for breakfast.  Chinese takeout was starting to look like a dangerously good option, when suddenly I stumbled across a couple cans of wild Alaskan salmon.

Dinner is saved!

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

12 Days of Christmas



It's December, and the countdown to Christmas has begun!  (Hooray!)  

Head over to Crafty Allie every day to see what 12 crafty bloggers are sharing for Christmas.  

You might even run into someone you know there... (hint hint!)

It's time to get our Christmas on!


Friday, November 20, 2015

Scotch Eggs

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I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to think about on the morning of a big holiday like Thanksgiving or Christmas is what I'm going to make everyone for breakfast.  In fact, when I'm elbows-deep in giblets and potato peels, I'd prefer that the rest of my household just fend for themselves.  How do they feel about that?  Excited, actually, when they find out one of their favorite treats is waiting in the fridge...




Wednesday, November 18, 2015

My Granny's Chair


No matter where I live, how old I get, how rich or poor, sick or healthy, no matter how happy or tragic the events of my life may be, at the core of my being I know this:  I have been loved.  Deeply and unconditionally loved by two people in my life, and those people were my grannies.


Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Candy Fixes Everything

Marriage can be tricky in the best of circumstances.  Two people from different families, possibly even different countries, regions, genders, races, socio-economic status and political leanings start living under the same roof and attempt to merge their individual existences into a shared life.

For example, my husband and I couldn't be more different.  One of us is rather liberal, and the other leans towards the conservative.  One of us is the child of a successful business owner, and the other is the child of a tough-guy union ironworker.  One of us is a Star Trek-loving super nerd, and the other has developed a keen interest in biker tattoos.  One of us is a cat lover, and the other has never lived without a dog.  One of us rolls the toilet paper over... well, you get the idea.  But love conquers all, right?  Well.....

One of us graduated from the University of Michigan, and the other attended THE Ohio State University.  Whaaaaat?  A Buckeye.  Married to a Wolverine.  How do we resolve that?


Well, recently my husband took me on a lovely weekend trip to Ann Arbor to help me to better appreciate his alma mater, so different from where I went to school.  I thought the university was really lovely.  We had a very nice time there.



And then for my counterpoint, I made him these: