Eggs in a Hole - Rethinking a Classic Breakfast Dish

I've been spending far too many mornings lately pulling the covers up over my head and pretending that the world does not exist. I lie there in the dark cavern of the bedroom and listen to the *tink tink* of the baseboard heaters and the hum of the fan until I am immersed within dreamworlds where everything is happy and calm... I lie there, skipping breakfast … and the cold of the morning, until I convince myself that I am ready to brave the day and the impending gray waves of disappointment.

(Gray Day - Acrylic Painting by Lucia Johnson)

The anxiety (of being involuntarily unemployed and uninsured) has taken root deep inside my muscles, making it hard to breathe... and even harder to move forward and push past my own frustration. Slowly though, I am beginning to realize that every transition begins with an ending; An ending, followed by a period of confusion and distress, and then, finally, a new beginning. I hold onto that tiny glimmer of my heart's hope deep into the night, and then, this morning (for the first time in far too long) I awoke hopeful, with a mission to wade through the muck... and find a little happiness.

(Rainbow Path, Photographic Image by Irina Photography)

I know that every path toward survival starts with just a few optimistic steps forward. However small (or insignificant) those first steps may seem, they are often the most important... taking them is like making a promise to yourself that you will in fact....survive. So today I tempted myself out of bed before 8 am with the promise of a delicious breakfast treat, figuring that if I can at least get up to face the day, that is one step closer to a positive change than I was yesterday.

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Inspired by the simplicity of an egg, good bread and butter I recreated a classic dish of my childhood: "Eggs in a Hole" (also known as Eggs in a Basket, Toads in a Hole, and One-Eye Jacks, among other things). This version has a whole lot of flavor, and the perfect balance between sweet and savory. Pair one of these "sandwiches" with a bowl of fresh fruit and cup of coffee and you will be well on your way toward a beautiful day.

Today's Recipe:

Eggs in a Hole
(Serves 2)

4 thin slices of honey smoked ham
4 slices multi-grain bread
4 large eggs
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Maple syrup, for drizzling

In a wide and shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, sugar, salt and cinnamon.

Carefully cut a hole out of the centers of two slices of bread, and then dip each of the four slices of bread into the sweetened egg/milk mixture. Meanwhile, melt the butter on a large griddle or fry-pan and then lay the bread slices into the pan in one layer. Carefully crack an egg into the holes in the remaining bread slices and cook (all slices) until the bottoms are well browned (3 min), flip, and continue cooking (another 2 min).

Note: If you do not have enough room for all four slices to lay flat, complete this step in two batches, cooking the whole slices first and the egg slices second.

Serve by layering, for each sandwich: one whole slice of bread, two slices of ham, one egg/bread slice and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!

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The tunes getting me through the day:

Rain - Patty Griffin
More Time - NeedtoBreathe
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
Let Go - Frou Frou

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How do you make it through hard days?

Ginger-Spiced Chai Smoothie - Happy Monday!

With Thanksgiving finally over, and Christmas right around the corner, I seem to be busier than ever..... and with a steadily decreasing amount of time in which to get it all done....

Every year the holiday season is hectic, what with the getting orders out in time for Christmas delivery, and making (and mailing) my own gifts to family and friends– not to mention all the traveling to see them! I am amazed each year when I manage to come out on the other side of the New Year, having actually completed all the items on my to-do list, and even survived in order to do it all over again next year.

This year though, seems even crazier than usual because on top of all the normal goings-on this time of year, my husband and I are moving some eight hours North-West, to Buffalo, NY – just two short days after Christmas! It has been a colorful juggling act, keeping on top of everything – and keeping track of all the boxes: boxes for customers... boxes for family....boxes for friends...and just boxes on top of boxes on top of boxes, waiting for their trip to a new home.

To keep it all straight, I have resorted to an almost manic use of neon-colored Post-Its and Sharpie markers. Everything labeled – color coded – for my sanity's sake. Keeping a firm foundation in my daily routine doesn't hurt either – which is why I am adamant about starting my day at the same time each morning, eating my meals at the same time each day, and maintaining a regular rotation of household chores. I find comfort in the monotony of these little things...

And, as you all must know by now, one of those little things that I love is my morning smoothie!

I know, you think it CRAZY that I am still making my icy smoothies each morning, even though outside, the dew has turned to frost, and the daily temperatures are no longer rising above fifty degrees....

But, it seems that, when I sleep, my body temperature rises dramatically. My husband calls me his personal radiator, and sometimes I even get so hot that I must crack the window... even deep into the winter when the air is frigid and dense.

So, each morning when I awake, I still find the cool beverages to be quite soothing. This gingery-spiced beverage is one of my favorites. It is sweet, but also spicy, and so has a bit of an illusion of warmth despite its chill...

Ginger-Spiced Chai Smoothie
(Serves 2)

1-1/2 cups hot water 2 bags Celestial Seasonings Chai (Vanilla-Ginger-Green Tea)

2/3 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1-1/4 cups soy milk (vanilla or plain)
1 tsp. fresh grated ginger
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

First, steep the tea bags in the hot water for 3-4 minutes. Remove the tea bags and transfer the liquid to a small ice cube tray and freeze. Combine these cubes with the remaining ingredients and blend until frothy and smooth. Enjoy!!

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An Enchilada Breakfast Creation

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a family of four spends $80 more a month on groceries than they did two years ago.

Ok. So $80. You think, that does not seem like so much.
But.... Let us take a look at that within the current economic context.
American families today are also feeling the burden of increasing energy prices, housing market uncertainty, and growing health care costs.
And, in an alarming reversal of past progress, real household income for the typical family has declined over the last seven years!
So, how are families able to actually shop healthy but still afford what they are buying for their meals!?

Well, first of all, take a cue from the $5 Dinner Mom, and start cutting coupons, following sale trends at your local grocer, and optimizing savings with her strategic planning techniques.

Then, start making better use of your left-overs by creating new dishes, instead of just reheating the same old thing two days in a row.
Usually when you think about a meal your focus is just on that one meal.
But wouldn't life be so much easier if thinking about one meal.... led to another meal with less work?

Yes - it would!
(Plus, being more creative with the food you already have will most certainly save you more money on groceries.)

So, here is one of my favorite left-over creations: An Enchilada and Baked-Egg Breakfast. It is so simple, and totally satisfying.

Baked-Egg Enchilada Casserole
(Serves 2)First, start with two left-over enchiladas.
(Use my Mostly Mushroom Enchilada recipe or my Black Bean Enchilada recipe as a base.)
Split the servings and layer them over a bed of rice inside two serving-sized baking dishes. Now, using the back of a spoon, make an indent into the center of the enchilada and then crack a single egg into each crevice. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes (or until the egg whites have just set). Serve immediately and enjoy!!

Per serving: approximately 469 calories, 27 g fiber and 23 g protein. Also high in calcium and iron!


Check out our RECIPE ARCHIVES for MORE BREAKFAST IDEAS!

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What do you do to make the best use of your leftovers??

A Very Veggie Breakfast

Despite our very different ideas of what constitutes a “fabulous meal,” I can always rely on my husband and I to agree on what to eat for breakfast. Whether I am just fishing for compliments on my cooking, or I am just too tired to want to argue, I can always count on a good omelet (or egg sandwich – or breakfast burrito – or, yes, even pancakes) to have us both leaving the table sated and smiling.

I suppose that is how we adopted our weekly, Sunday morning “breakfast in bed” routine. No matter what else is going on in our lives, we make sure we have that time together, just the two of us. While some couples have a “date night” routine, my husband and I prefer to sleep in late on the weekend, then whip up breakfast in our pajamas and crawl back into bed to watch cartoons. This weekend was no exception, and we may have even out-done ourselves with this super-veggie-stuffed, cheesy masterpiece of an omelet– served with a simple side of sauteed garlic potatoes and three episodes of The Venture Brothers.

The omelet, which was executed beautifully, if I do say so myself – was incredibly filling. In fact, I found it impossible to finish my portion – and my husband, after the fact of course, said he surely shouldn't have finished his... The completed dish could easily feed three - maybe four - adults (with a side of potatoes and toast). By cooking up the onions, peppers, mushrooms etc. ahead of time, their distinct flavors are made more vibrant and cohesive. The filling develops this harmonic blend of sweet from the onion and bell pepper, pleasantly pungent earthiness from the mushrooms, with a lingering hint of spice from the jalapenos and peppery cheese.

I dare you not to enjoy!

Cheesy Vegetable Omelet
(Serves 2-4)

4 large eggs + 2 large egg whites
(beaten with a splash of half and half)
3/4 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded
4-5 white button mushrooms, finely diced
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely diced
1 small red pepper, finely diced
8-10 grape tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
Olive Oil, to cook

First, I sauteed the diced vegetables in about one tablespoon of olive oil.
Start with the peppers and onions for 2 minutes over a medium heat, then add the celery, and lastly the tomatoes and mushrooms. Cook for another 7-8 minutes, or until the entire mixture has softened and browned.

Now, everyone has a different technique for creating that perfect omelet, but in my kitchen, I always have the most luck with a large cast iron skillet and an evenly heated oven.

I'll lightly grease the skillet with a touch of oil, pour in the scrambled eggs (they'll cook more evenly if you have let them warm while you were preparing the filling), and cook, until just set (about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees). Once the egg mixture has set, pull the skillet out of the oven and layer the cheese and the filling on one half of the omelet shell. Finally, use a spatula to gently loosen, and then fold over the other half to create that perfect omelet. Cut in half (or thirds - or quarters) and serve with a side of potatoes and toast! Enjoy!

TIP: Loosen the edges of the omelet with a knife before attempting to flip the omelet to prevent breaking.


Per serving (assuming 3 servings): approximately 420 calories, 6 g fiber, and 30 g protein.
Also high in Vitamin A, C and Calcium.

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FIND MORE OF OUR BREAKFAST RECIPES HERE!

Banana Pancakes - A Splendidly Sweet Morning

Yesterday I spent more than half of the day meddling in the kitchen. I put together dinners for the next four days (just into the oven and 40 minutes later, voila, a home-cooked meal), breakfast items (because I can't live off of smoothies and hard boiled eggs forever) and even a few snacks (to fight off my mid-day munchies, without spoiling dinner).

Yes, it was a busy day in my kitchen... But I enjoyed every minute of it, and now, even if I don't feel like cooking, there will be something in the kitchen ready to eat...

This morning, it took just 10 minutes to throw these pancakes together (since the batter was already made), and my husband and I got to enjoy a splendidly sweet little breakfast together before he had to go to work (working for the third full day this week, which is a small - but definite - improvement).

Banana Pancakes
(Makes 8-10 Pancakes)


2 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup white whole wheat flour (I like King Arthur brand flour)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 cup soy milk
1 tbsp. maple syrup
(and you add walnuts, pecans or even chocolate chips... extra yummy...)

First, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add the flour mixture to the mashed banana and stir until the flour is moistened. Then add the milk and syrup and stir until the batter is smooth. Cover and set aside for 1 hour (or overnight in the refrigerator).

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat and melt a small amount of butter into the bottom (this will give you those nice crispy edges on the pancakes). Cook the pancakes in small batches, using 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes (or until bubbles begin forming on the surface), and then flip and continue cooking for another 3 minutes.

Serve drizzled with maple syrup (unless you used chocolate chips, and then that should be sweet enough even for kids).

Enjoy!

Per serving (2 pancakes): Approximately 200 calories, 5 g fiber and 7 g protein.


FIND MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES HERE