breakfast blogger

I have no doubts that I will be hit of the neighbourhood when my kiddo gets older. The kids are gunna love me.

After watching an odd chinese cooking show on mute where they were soaking boiled ducks eggs in all kinds of crazy saucy stuff, I got a brilliant idea. On this show they used a technique where they cracked the eggs shells before they soak the eggs in the sauce, leaving the shells on l. After an overnight soaking in the brine, the eggs were peeled and there was a pretty pattern where the cracks had let a brine seep through. Having watched it on mute, I had no idea what was in this mystery brown liquid, but I couldnt help but think that it would be just as easy to make eggs like that at home, but using food coloring, making bright pretty crackled eggs. So I tried it.

Step 1:

Boil eggs for 8 1/2 min. While eggs are boiling, fill a couple glasses with water and add a different color food coloring to each glass.

Step 2:

After eggs are cooked, run them in cool water till you can handle them and dont burn your finners. I learned that the hard way. I was too excited and didnt consider that something that just came out of boiling water might be hot. Ouch.

Step 3:

Crack the egg shells by hitting it with a spoon or cracking it on the counter. Just be gentle and try to keep it in one piece. The magic is all about the cracks.

Step 4:

Put one egg in each glass and let it soak. The longer you leave it in, the more color will be on the egg.

Step 5:

Remove from the food coloring and peel the shells off. Stand back for a moment and let the awe sweep over you, then eat. MMmmMMmm Dino-licious!

This was my first attempt. I only let it soak for about 20 min. The colors are there, but I was hoping for something a little more vibrant.

Attempt number 2 was more successful. I let it soak for about an hour and used more food coloring this time. More is definatly better in this instance. Either way, I thought it was a fun way to add some color to breakfast. Add some fosselized grain toast, some jurassic orange slices, a monsterous McCain hashbrown patty and a bowl of molten oatmeal and you have a perfectly prehistoric brekkie!

Enjoy!

*burp*

With my trusty bag of Krusteaz by my side,

I have set out to make ordinary pancakes extrodinary! Im willing to try just about anything (within reason) and am totally open to suggestions.

This mornings brilliant idea was to add a couple tablespoons of Ovaltine

And some frozen strawberrries the I threw in the food processor to make frozen strawberry powder (handy for mixing in pancakes, muffins, yogurt and the like)

Mix mix mixity mix….

Add some scrambled eggs with cheese, some apple juice and orange slices and voila! You have some kick ass eggs accompanied by some rather uninteresting ovaltine pancakes.

Im not really sure what it was about them, they weren’t bad by any means.. just not nearly as good as I had invisioned. But after a quick repair of plain yogurt, banana slices and a little brown sugar, they were most scrumptious.

Im not sure if I would be in a hurry to try Ovaltine in my pancakes again, but after the quick patch job, they did go down quite nicely.

Ca-Ching!

*burp*

I have recently learned that the addition of a cuppy thing of Mott’s applesauce makes regular Krusteaz super moist and delicious. Todays addition was raspberry-apple which turned my pancakes pink.

They were very good, but confused the heck out of my one year old son. He just kept looking at his pancakes and looking at me, then back at his pancakes then back at me. The pink pancakes were not a hit. I think he was too manly to eat pink pancakes. Sheesh, kids these days.

This is a pretty typical breakfast for myself and my spawn. I even tried to hide the offending pink pancakes under some vanilla yogurt and some banana slices. My attempt was thwarted and I was punished by having to clean yogurt, banana and pink pancake off the floor and walls. I have learned. Oh boy have I learned.

Sir Inland of Shipwreck a.k.a. Will, planted a bug in my mind the other day. He was telling me all about having an omelette for breakfast. I quickly realized that it has been a long time since I have prepared an omelette in my kitchen. I realized even faster that if I did prepare an omelette, I would have some new blog material for breakfast blogger!!! YIPPIE!!
So here I go. My blog on the making on an omelette.

Step 1
Preheat your oven to broil.
Grab a couple eggs, cheese, pan lube of your choice and tools of omelette construction. If you are like me, you need a mixer. I’m kinda lazy. I’m not really into beating egg whites by hand. I could be doing other things, like watching the butter in my pan melt, or chasing my cat around the kitchen with chopsticks.

Step 2.
Separate the white into the mixer and the yolk into another bowl. Be sure to pick the big white chunk of under developed chick embryo umbilical cord off your yolk. Eeeeeww. I hate that bit.

Step 3.
Beat the living *&$% out of your egg whites. Give your yolks a good whoppin’ too. Feel free to add your seasonings to your yolks while you are massacring them. They like that. Then, when your whites are nice and fluffy and stiff, fold in your yolks gently, very gently, they have been through a lot, be nice. You can throw in some over junk too if you like. Things like shredded ham, peppers or herbs are nice, but I was lacking in appropriate fillings today. I had some wieners in the fridge, but somehow, I can’t see that working so well.

Step 4.
Pour your still fluffy puffy eggs onto a preheated frying pan, greased with your lube of choice. Let them cook there for a little while, but just until the sides are starting to look like they are dry and the bottom is browning.

Step 5.
Add cheese. LOTS of cheese. Man do I love cheese!! WOOOO! Then stick it under your broiler till cheese is all gooey. Mmmmmm cheese.

Step 6.
Cut yourself off a slab of your fluffy puffy omelette and enjoy with the usual breakkie sides.
My sides of choice today consist of: Bacon (cause you can never have too much bacon!), a banana muffin with some butter (which went oddly well with the bacon), some strawberry yogurt with banana in it and a glass of apple juice. Yum. Well balanced and nutritious. Oh.. and some Frank’s hot sauce on the omelette. Life is just better with a little Frank’s.

I did learn a few things this morning tho and I’d like to share with you.

First of all, I’m a poor judge of cheese. I used a little too much and my fluffy puffy omelette went PPBBTT. The cheese was a little heavy. It was still pretty awesome, just not as fluffy and puffy as it usually is.

Secondly, I need some new place mats. I’m getting bored with these one.

Thirdly, I should stop bothering to put a knife out. I never use it… I just use the side of my fork. I only really put it out for B.B. pics and that’s just silly.
But then again, I’m a silly gal.

And last but not least, I need to clean my oven. The light burnt out a long time ago and I didn’t realize how dirty it looked until I looked at the pic. The flash really lit up the crusty burnt goodness inside. MMmmmMMm

MONEY SHOT!!

Burp.

One of the staples in our home has always been the egg sandwich. It has taken many forms and reflected personal preferences, but the basic concept is always the same: Bread of choice, egg, cheese, and bacon if the mood strikes. This is how I like to prepare mine:

Toast 1 (or 2) english muffins, butter if you feel the need.

Add one slice of Kraft singles processed cheese food. Normally I don’t enjoy these weak excuses for cheese products, but on a McAzwich, it just seems to work. Don’t question it, just go with it.

Fold up corners of processed cheese food slice to keep things neat. Too many times have I had those corners melt off and end up down my shirt. I’m just sparing you the humility of picking cheese outta your cleavage.. well those of you with cleavage anyway.

Add one over easy or over medium egg on top of processed cheese food slice. Salt and Pepper to taste. I recommend a little hot sauce for interest.

If you feel your arteries are a little too free flowing, add a few strips of bacon. Mmmmm bacon.

Then cap with other half of english muffin and be sure to smoosh it. Smooshing makes every sandwich better. Enjoy!

            BURP..

Simple yet effective.

On the menu this morning:

-Whole wheat bread toasted to perfection and lightly lubed with some becel margarine.

-A quarter of cantalope, soft, juicy and bursting with fresh summer taste.

-A half cup of creamy strawberry yogurt generously sprinkled with honey almond granola.

-3 grade A, large, Omega 3 eggs, boiled for 10 min. The perfect hard boiled egg.

Much yumminess was had.