Green Egg Scramble

I do so like green eggs and ham!
Thank you! Thank you,
Sam-I-am!

                                                           -Dr. Seuss

 

Now that Valentines Day has become a memory, my mind is now rushing to March and the promise of spring, and St. Patrick's Day. Of all of the holiday's, my two very most favorite are Valentines Day and St. Patrick's day because there are no grand preconceived ideas about what should and shouldn't happen. It is a blank canvas and every year and I have the opportunity to create what I want to with the time and energy that I have.

 

St. Patrick's Day usually involves a green breakfast thanks to our naughty little leprechaun, a large spread of Irish delights (for dinner last year we had Stout Braised Short Ribs, Irish Colcannon and Irish Soda Bread) and discovering the mischief that our leprechaun has gotten into as we were sleeping. Our leprechaun has been known to toilet paper the living room, leave footprints in our hall and on the toilet seat, draw with gel food coloring on our counter and last but not least turn our toilet water and milk green. Our green milk then turns our eggs or cereal green. 

 

With recent news regarding the safety of synthetic food coloring I have been thinking forward to the mischief of our friend from the emerald isle and have decided that it is time to do things a little differently. I have also been thinking about how I nourish my family. I feel like I feed them decently well, but if I really took a step back I have a long ways to go to be able to say that I actually nourish them.

 

All of this was on my mind this morning while I prepared breakfast. I had just gotten home with my Bountiful Basket and my mind was already swirling with ideas of how I would use my basket in the coming week. My sister-in-law had mentioned a while back that she sneaks spinach into her kids scrambled eggs on a fairly regular basis by just blending the two together. Brilliant!

 

When my kids were really little we did an "at home" preschool co-op with some other families in our neighborhood. We followed the "Joy School" curriculum which was a fun adventure for our whole family. My kids have always been adventurous eaters, but I love the encouragement from "Joy School" to help our kiddo's be risk takers and to try things that they wouldn't normally try.

 

Inevitably I got to teach one of the food lessons where the kids would try new foods. I usually opened with "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Suess and we highlighted the fact that the character in the book made his mind up about green eggs and ham before he ever had a chance to taste it. Once he tasted it, albeit reluctantly, he loved it.

 

Parents can go a long way in either encouraging or discouraging an adventurous palate just in the way they present a meal. If you start out telling your child it is weird or that they probably won't like it, you will probably be right. Don't sabotage the experience with your own biases. Present the meal with excitement and maybe a little magic. You could prepare these eggs on St. Patrick's day morning and the thought that a leprechaun had something to do with the reason that they are green may help even your pickiest eater to give it a little try.    

 

 

Green Egg Scramble

 

6 eggs

1/2 bunch spinach, rinsed and trimmed

1 Tbsp butter

1 leek diced and rinsed (can substitute 1/2 onion as well)

2 small or 1 medium zucchini chopped

1 c salsa divided

1 large avocado diced and divided

 

In blender combine eggs and spinach. Blend until frothy green.

 

In a medium deep skillet melt butter and saute leek until it is somewhat translucent and fragrant (about 2 minutes).

 

Add zucchini and stir fry for an additional 2 minutes.

 

Add eggs and cook until they are cooked through.

 

Top with salsa and avocado.  

Nutella Syrup

Forget love ... I'd rather fall in chocolate!

 

We are just a hop, skip and a jump away from my FAVORITE holiday! I love the simplicity of Valentines day. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you decide. There are no expectations of some mystical creature that will magically appear and grant your child's wishes. No hiding gifts or eggs or dollar bills. No need to be sneaky or secretive or aloof.

 

I get to just be me.

 

I get to tell my loves what they mean to me and why I am so grateful that they are a part of my life, in my own way, at my own pace, and with the effort that I am able to pull together at this time of year. 

 

It is all mine!

 

We have very few real "traditions" when it comes to Valentines day. The only constant that runs through the years as a thread that holds them all together is that I cook special meals.

 

Breakfasts are usually heart shaped and decadent while dinners revolve around things that my hubby loves, namely steak and seafood with a big glorious homemade cheesecake for dessert.

 

After several years of trying to go out for Valentines day, arranging baby sitters, finding a restaurant that actually accepts reservations and then waiting around for a sub par dining experience, we decided that eating at home for the actual holiday is the way to go and then we go on our Valentines date a week or two later. Eating at home also allows us to celebrate with our kiddo's. It's a win-win for everyone.

 

So with Valentines on my mind I decided to experiment this morning with a new breakfast syrup concept and we all loved the results. Imagine pairing this with the coconut crusted French toast that I posted just over a week ago for a little Mounds candy bar flavor burst or maybe creating peanut butter pancakes and then drizzling them with this syrup and you've got your morning Reese's. Let your taste buds be your guide and create a fun, delicious and special breakfast for your loves this Valentines morning.

 

Nutella Syrup

 

1/2 C Nutella

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 C milk 

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan. (The syrup will more than double in size when you add the baking soda, so a medium sauce pan is necessary.)

Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until syrup is light and fluffy.   

 



Coconut Crusted French Toast

The waves of the sea

help me get back to me.

                                          -Unknown

 

This is usually a particularly hard time of the year for me. Christmas is over as well as the celebration for the New Year. My "resolutions" are beginning to fade and I am starting to feel like a failure. It is bitter cold and the thought of spring feels like a fantasy at the moment.

 

But, this year is different.

 

With all of the little changes that I have been making and my good friend, the "happy light", I might ACTUALLY make it through this winter in one piece! I have a couple of little trips planned and our big family vacation for the year is mostly paid for, I'm just waiting to actually make the purchase.

 

When winters are hard though, I have found that if I trick my mind into believing that I am somewhere tropical I can usually take off the top layer of sadness, even if it is only for a couple of moments. This usually involves listening to my Israel Kamakawiwo’ole station on Pandora and making something yummy to eat that reminds me of the islands. 

 

Nothing says Aloha to me in a more beautiful way than Coconut Crusted French Toast with Coconut Syrup. The warm toasted coconut is nestled nicely in a bed of thick sliced French bread that has been dredged through a mixture of eggs and coconut milk which enhances the flavor and gives a lighter feel to the whole meal.  

 

So turn up the music, warm up your griddle and blast the furnace. We are going to make it through this winter, one delicious bite at a time!

 

 

Coconut Crusted French Toast

 

1 loaf French bread cut into 1 inch slices

6 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 of a 13.5 can of coconut milk

1 tsp coconut extract

2 1/2-3 C coconut flakes

 

Warm griddle to medium heat and prepare with cooking spray or melted butter.

 

Mix eggs, coconut milk and coconut extract until well combined.

 

Dredge sliced French bread through egg mixture and then through coconut flakes.

 

Place on griddle and cook, flipping several times to ensure that it cooks evenly, until egg coating is cooked through and coconut begins to toast. 

 

Coconut Syrup

 

1 stick butter
1 C sugar
1/2 C milk 

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan. (The syrup will more than double in size when you add the baking soda, so a medium sauce pan is necessary.)

Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until syrup is light and fluffy.   



Gingerbread Waffles with Buttered Rum Syrup

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world,

and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.        

 

                                                                  -Norman Vincent Peale

Oh Norman, though I love this quote, I chuckled a little thinking, "man, he must have a REALLY good wife". Yes Christmas is beautiful and soft, but unfortunately it doesn't come with a wave of a wand. It comes from the painstaking, list writing, hand wringing, stress inducing insanity of that lovely woman beside you. I don't think a Christmas has passed since I have "grown-up" that I haven't longed to be a kid again and just "show up" to the magic of Christmas.

 

I always intend to simplify things, but back when I was creating our Christmas traditions I didn't really have an idea of what reality would look like with 4 kids, a hubby, a dog, a big-ole house that I still haven't figured out how to keep clean and a part time job that becomes increasingly busy around this time of year. I always plan to cut back on the "unnecessary" things until the kids ask about those things and they suddenly become necessary, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Our traditions create a warm and safe place for our families when the world around them can feel so harsh and uninviting. 

 

So, I suck it up and let other things go during the holidays. I may indulge in an afternoon of candy making with my kids and then bring home take out to help balance the mess in the kitchen. Looking back, I think the thing I let go the most are dinners. I am so grateful that other people are willing to cook for me during the holidays! 

 

This morning I wanted to fill my families bellies with a new memory that will now become a tradition. I also knew that I was short on time, so I took what I had on hand and Gingerbread Waffles were born. 

 

Confession time. I will never be the mom who makes pancakes or waffles from scratch. I may find a recipe that I will try from time to time, but on REAL days that include schedules and deadlines you will see me reaching for my Krusteaz mix every time.

 

So with that in mind, here is a yummy treat to serve your family this Christmas morning that is quick and easy so that you can get back to celebrating with those you love most.

    

 

 Gingerbread Waffles

 

Waffle batter of your choice. Enough to make 6-8 waffles.

1/4 tsp cloves

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 C molasses

 

Prepare waffle batter and stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into prepared waffle iron, the molasses will make the batter a little more sticky, so use the back of a spoon to spread the batter around to the edges. Cook and enjoy.

 

Buttered Rum Syrup

 

1 stick butter
1 C sugar
1/2 C milk 

1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp rum extract

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan. (The syrup will more than double in size when you add the baking soda, so a medium sauce pan is necessary.)

Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until syrup is light and fluffy.



Eggnog Syrup

Gifts of time and love

are surely the basic ingredients

of a truly merry Christmas. 

                                                                  -Peg Bracken
 

When I think of Christmas, I am immediately transported to the flavors that make up the season. Those treats that are special and unique to this time of year. Growing up that meant: pfeffernusse, a German Christmas cookie that was a sweet gingerbread ball rolled in powdered sugar, it was crunchy on the outside and chewy in the middle; stollen, a German Christmas bread that hallmarked the candied fruit made famous in fruit cake, something I still haven't acquired the taste for; and everything pepperminty or eggnoggy.

 

Since breakfast is probably my very most favorite meal to prepare, I knew this holiday season wouldn't be complete without mixing up a new syrup recipe that incorporated some of these flavors. I have long been a sucker for eggnog. It is just one of those treats that I can't pass up this time of year.

 

This syrup recipe has been adapted several times to meet the season and my current craving. It started out as a simple buttermilk syrup recipe with a splash of vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. My friend Holly shared it with me almost 10 years ago, and my life hasn't been the same since. I have used the basic recipe to make coconut syrup, rum syrup, lemon syrup (which is delicious over ginger pancakes) and so many others. If I have a breakfast craving, I know how to satisfy it!

 

This is a great way to share a gift of time and love with your family. Serve up this delicious, quick and easy syrup drizzled over hot, crunchy waffles and breathe in all that the season has to offer.

 

 

 

Eggnog Syrup

1 stick butter
1 C sugar
1/2 C eggnog
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla 
Dash of nutmeg and cloves

Combine first 3 ingredients in a medium sauce pan. (The syrup will more than double in size when you add the baking soda, so a medium sauce pan is necessary.)

Bring just to a boil over medium heat.

Remove from heat and whisk in remaining ingredients until syrup is light and fluffy.