The Tale of Two Breakfast Sandwiches

Growing up we were always told that breakfast was the most important meal of the day.  As an adult, I truly believe it.  If I skip breakfast, I feel sluggish all day and actually tend to make poor eating choices during the day.  On the days when I do eat something in the morning, I eat a lighter lunch and seem to have more energy.

Charlie has never been a breakfast eater.  As a goal for this year and to hopefully reduce his blood sugar, I am trying to get him to eat earlier and spread more food out during the day.  This week when I packed his lunch, I packed less lunch type food and gave him something from breakfast and a snack.

Since I always try to pack something he can eat in a hurry, you may think that some of the lunches are the best choices but he likes to have something hot and something he can eat within a few minutes if work is demanding.

These were the lunches hot dogs with kraut, chicken quesadilla, chili, hot dogs with relish and onion and a chicken sandwich.  While the snacks were simple but filled with protein.  I gave him cheese with summer sausage, celery and peanut butter, turkey wrapped around pieces of swiss cheese, apples with peanut butter and a piece of bread with bacon and tomato.  I know I should have taken pictures but my mind is going so fast in the mornings that I can rarely get things together enough to snap a picture of snacks.

Back to breakfast though, I always rely on these two standby for breakfast along with oatmeal and a quick peanut butter sandwich.  One I love and it is one of James' favorites is a take on a Breakfast Jack (from Jack in the Box).  It's quick and simple.  A bun, lunch meat ham, cheese and a fried egg.  You have to burst the yolk when you fry the egg or it will drip everywhere.  I add onions to Charlie's since he loves onions.  And I always smear a little mayonnaise on them.  They are quick, easy and full of flavor.

My other go to sandwich isn't really a sandwich it's a taco.  No meat on this one but it is still full of flavor.  Scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, onions, tomatoes, and a few bell pepper pieces on a flour tortilla.  Once again, quick, easy and all thing that you probably have in your kitchen.

It's the tale of two breakfast sandwiches.  What's your go to breakfast that completely satisfies you and makes a great start for your day?

Pork Chops and Grits

Wow, what a week! 

Can you feel my pain?  Nothing bad happened, it was just an incredibly busy week.  I travel in our area for work.  I have alot of windshield time.  This is how the week went:

                        Monday - Houston

                       Tuesday - Beaumont

                       Wednesday - New Orleans

                       Thursday - New Orleans                and Galveston

                       Friday - Houston

I had a productive but satisfying week.  And that makes me happy.

While in New Orleans, I was lucky enough to eat at Drago's.  Co-workers and customers convinced me to try the charbroiled oysters.  I am so glad I did.  They are absolutely wonderful.  I didn't have my camera so there are no pics but this one is on their website.

They sprinkle cheese on top and oh, they are so delicious.  I chose shrimp and grits for my entree.  Wow, I couldn't stop eating it.  It was a special and it certainly was.

Knowing that I couldn't recreate what I had in New Orleans, I opted for one of Charlie's Favorites, Pork Chops and Grits.  At the far end of the restaurant spectrum from Drago's is Waffle House and Pork Chops and Grits is Charlie's order every time.

Nothing spectacular to do.  Sear the pork chops on each side then let them cook through.  Prepare the grits according to the package directions.  Fry eggs.  Don't you love it when the yolk just blends into everything else and you get to run your toast over your empty plate to get all of that goodness.

It's good to be home.

Frittata with Ham, Cheese and Mushrooms

Making my menu for next week made me hungry.  So I ate some cornbread dressing.  It was 7:00 in the morning but ya know, cornbread dressing and coffee go together pretty darn well. 

However, I couldn't get the frittata off my mind that I had put down for Sunday.  I usually cook one large meal, generally dinner and we eat sandwiches or left overs or whatever for the rest of meals.  Sundays though, I cook a bigger lunch.  Usually something like a brunch item then we'll grill in the evening.  And I still can't get that darn frittata off my mind.

So I gave into my madness, said to heck with my good intentions of finally making a menu and walked right into that kitchen to put this nagging to rest. Random Thoughts...Great way to use leftover Thanksgiving ham.

Flying without a recipe this is what I ended up with.



What I used:

8 Eggs

4 green onions, chopped

4 slices of ham, diced

1 portabella mushroom cap, chopped

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 teaspoon paprika

4 teaspoons of butter

1/4 cup heavy cream - decided at the last minute so it didn't make the picture

In an oven proof pan, melt butter.  Add mushrooms.  After they get some lovin' from the butter, add the green onions.  Saute.  While that's happening, Mix the eggs and the heavy cream in a medium size bowl.  Salt and Pepper.  Add cheese, ham and paprika.  Stir together.  Pour into pan.  Give one quick mix to get mushrooms and onions incorporated into egg mixture.   Let it sit on low to medium heat for about 3 - 5 minutes.  You can look at it and see that it is beginning to set.  This is when you put it in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. 

This what you have when it comes out of the oven.  You want it to be pulling away from the sides a bit.

This is what you have when you are ready to eat.  Yum.  It was everything I wanted it to be.

Now if I can just stop thinking about brownies!

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich

What could be better?  A simple BLT is great but this is an amped up version.

French Toast
     Make it your usual way.  Use sandwich bread and not the thick sliced bread. 
     Eggs and little milk.  Dip both sides of the bread and put in a warm pan with a little melted butter.  Don't get the pan too hot or it will be soggy in the middle.




Bacon
    Here's the kicker.  Take a jelly roll pan and a wire rack.  Line up the bacon and sprinkle with light brown sugar and red pepper flakes.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.  The smell from the oven will drive you crazy.

That's all the cooking.

One piece of toast.  I added a little mayonnaise but don't I always?  James added a little syrup.  Add romaine lettuce, a slice of tomato and bacon.

You can try to fold it over or just give up and use a knife and fork.  Yes, it is good.  Satisfies the urge for something sweet and spicy and it has bacon, so it's got to be good.