Breakfast Adventures: Baked Eggs

A small part of the fun of this breakfast adventuring has been making something in a new way, and sometimes that requires accessories.  Breakfast accessories.  Fun!

This recipe called for 10 oz casserole dishes.  I have NEVER heard of, nor seen such a thing.  I perused the shelves of baking goods and nothing was even close.  There were huge ones, 8x8, 20oz and 6oz, but no 10oz.

But ages ago, I had bought, for Cora's little kitchen, a small casserole dish.  And then I promptly removed it from her care because she liked to throw it, but nonetheless, we had one thing that MIGHT fit the bill.  So it was off to Old Time Pottery to look for more of these things!  

Each kid (the verbal ones, anyway) got to pick their own style and color and since they were a buck and some change each, I got one for everybody.

These little things are just so stinkin' cute!  So are these kiddos.

So is this guy.  Mr. He Who Must Be Entertained During Cooking!

Little hands grease little dishes.

Little hands crack eggs.

Or in Judah's case, crush eggs.  He gets them started and then crushes them.  And then we pick out bits of shell.

After cracking, they get a little water bath in a larger dish.

 and some fresh chives, salt, and pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, add cheese (optional) and then back in the oven for 5 minutes to finish baking.

Lovely!  These were nearly the easiest eggs so far and quite possibly my personal favorite to date.

Even though these were warm and lovely and cheesey with the yolks just set enough, they were not a big hit.  Even Matt gave them a star kind of begrudgingly.  

Final rating: 2.5 stars.  The kids are KILLING my star rating, but only the adults truly liked them and ate them, Judah only ate a bite, Peter and Cora ate some, but said "Meh", (In spirit.  Peter isn't talking yet and Cora doesn't know that word yet.) so each contributed 1/4 of a star.  (I decided to add in that for the sake of these, since I like them! :)

In the end, even breakfast accessories, could not redeem the baked eggs.  Alas.  Such is life.  Good in theory, not in practice.   Perhaps I will request them for the next Mother's Day.  :)

Super Kids

Rainy Day. 

Messy Playroom.

Super kids.

 

 

 

 

Even Super Kids get grumpy sometimes.

Breakfast Adventures: Fried Eggs, Fried Eggs, Cheese and Bologna

OK.  No cheese or bologna, but Fried Eggs.  Plain ol fried eggs.

The usual gang of helpers. They REALLY just like to hold eggs. Really. Strangely so. Is this a thing?

Cora is big enough to crack a few into the pan.  Fatal flaw of too many eggs in the pan pictured here.

You would think that this one would be easy.  I have MADE fried eggs before.  And they turned out fine.  Good, even!  But I have never made this many fried eggs in one pan.  Fatal flaw.  Next mistake: the butter browned too fast and they were hard to get apart from each other.  In addition to those rookie mistakes, I have never made sunny side up eggs, as were requested.  I wasn't sure how to make the top cook and not be snotty.  (You know...when the whites don't cook all the way and they have the consistency of snot?  Don't tell me you never thought it!)  My gang is typically an "over medium" kind of gang.

I was tempted to call this a "Do-Over" and take better pictures, but this is reality, folks.  Often I set out with a plan and somewhere about 2/3rds in, something goes awry.  Like too much heat on the pan and eggs cooking too fast, and not sure what to do about egg snot, and trying to figure out why some of my eggs had frozen.  Yes, FROZEN EGGS.  Too weird.  The carton was in contact with the back of the fridge and a row of eggs froze.

Aside: Isn't this just like me?  Just like life?  Just like parenting?  Starting out with a plan, things going awry.  Too much heat (my temper, frustrations, arguing kids), too many eggs in the pan (too many things to do, not taking time for the moment and filling the day with activities), distracted by frozen eggs (social media, phone calls, whatever drama is in my own head), perplexed by egg snot (coming up against things I've never faced that I don't know how to overcome - like pestering and hitting.  It's a new thing that is happening here between siblings and it burns me up!)

 Over cooked butter makes for a nasty looking display, but not too bad of a flavor, in everyone's opinion. (Except Matt.  Brown butter is burnt butter to that man and he may be right.)

Final verdict, Judah liked the "crispy edges" but the yolk cooked too hard for him.  Cora liked them OK, but wanted something to eat them with and we had no toast.  Peter ate a few and didn't spit them.  Matt was late for work and left without breakfast, but fried eggs are on his list of ones he likes a lot. 

For this attempt, I would rate us 3 1/2 stars but I know that's not a true reflection of how my gang feels about fried eggs.  However, I am letting the rating stand.  It's good to know one's limitations.

Aside:  And just like me, just like life, just like parenting, I let go of the final result and just admit that I fail at a lot of things, but I keep at it, until the eggs cook right, or not.  But we eat them anyways.


Have a great weekend.  I will see you on Monday!

p.s.  Edited to add: I went back and re-read the instructions.  COVER the eggs.  Oh.  Now it makes sense.  Good grief.

Breakfast Adventures: Huevos Rancheros with Friends!

My sweet friend plus her family, former Nashvillians who have moved north, were visiting in Nashville and I jumped at the chance to get some time with them where I didn't have to share with the hoards of other people who love them.  Since she is food blogger and I know she and her husband (to say nothing of their sweet babes) love some good food, I invited them to both eat and cook with us.

Today's recipe was Huevos Rancheros.  I know there are some variations on this, but we are sticking with the recipe in the cookbook, so instead of fried and served on a tortilla with a tomato concoction on top, these were actually poached IN the tomato concoction and served with the tomato concoction on top.  And cheese.  Because when is there ever not cheese.  I'm getting to be pretty handy with the egg poaching, by the way.  It was pretty intimidating the first time I tried it, but now...I got this!

With help, of course.

Cora rinsed the chilis.

Judah attempted to open the can of diced tomatoes. 

Yes.  A can.  I'm just following directions here, people.  Pretend I canned these last fall, if you want.  That's more "East Nashville" than a good ol' store brand can of tomatoes.  The cool/hipster/urban farmer kind of East Nashville anyways.  Pretty sure the lovely folks who are being gentrified out of their post WWII shoe box size homes would use a can of tomatoes.  This is a hot topic around here as the developers move in and demolish homes in my neighborhood to slap up giant houses.  I digress...Besides, I got 8 people to feed!  (today, anyway) Priorities, people.  Priorities. 

Even Matt jumped in when the butter (for the onions) threatened to burn, nd he wasn't even going to eat these!  (He doesn't like cooked tomatoes) That's my man, y'all!

Cora helped keep Peter distracted as he emptied out the pantry and she put it back again....

 

...as we got the tomato concoction to this stage and awaited our guests.

Then it was hurry up and make the grub!  Served on crispy corn tortillas with the tomato mixture on top, plus some Montery Jack cheese on top, with avocados on the side.

Sweet children, eating up their breakfasts.

So my friend's hubs doesn't do eggs, Matt doesn't do cooked tomatoes, but the rest of us, even one of the babies (the other one was napping) ate the heck out of these.  If we are going by stars to # of eaters, I would say this is a 6 Star recipe, but for my family, it's just a 4 Star.

No final plate picture.  We were having too much fun over breakfast.

These two are old pals and fell right back into their way of being together.  Cora the boss leader and L goodnaturedly going along with whatever plan she came up with, because he is so very sweet. (by the by, I love how she is so effortlessly lovely.  How does she do that? Where does she get that from?)

A final farewell to sweet friends, the McDonnell family, as they head off to a final Nashville adventure before heading north.  We miss you guys!

Sweet Third Child of Ours

Peter is quickly leaving baby land behind.  He has begun standing in the middle of the room and just waiting for us to notice.  With a smile on his face.  A few tentative steps here and there, but nothing captured on film yet!

Today, in the playroom, there was a giant free for all with bouncy balls flying around, all five of us involved.  And then I took the older two to the kitchen to get their dinners and just Matt and Peter played for a few minutes.  While in there, Matt noticed what I have been noticing for a few months now.  Peter loves time alone with just one other person.  He does fine in the rabble, but he sparkles when you get him by himself.  I have noticed that he often leaves the main room where everyone else is and crawls off to play in the playroom alone.  I find him lying on his belly, quietly engaged with playing with a toy of his older brother or sister, one that would surely be snatched away with a cry of "MINE!" (in spite of consequences that discourage this type of behavior) if they saw him with it. 

I used to think that these traits my children displayed were just baby traits and then, as they grew older, I realized that these are the beginnings of who they are.  Yes, to be guided and molded and nurtured, but in a way, who they are is who they are.

And this one, unless I miss my guess, has the makings of being an introvert like his Papa.  Only time will tell.

Like Papa, like Son.

Breakfast Adventures: Crab Eggs Benedict and Deluxe Eggs Benedict

It was bound to happen.  And I am sure it will happen again.  These eggs, at least the Crab Eggs Benedict, got awarded the lowest rating so far.

After some debating, we came up with our own rating system and here's how it works. Each person who eats can give it a star or not and since there are five of us, it can get up to 5 stars.  Kinda like a fancy restaurant, but it's Mama's home cookin'.

So:
No eating or putting it in your mouth and spitting or throwing it (only allowed for the baby) = no star
Taking a "no thank you" bite and not continuing = no star
Trying it and eating some and/or eating all but deciding it is just OK = 1/2 star
Liking it and/or putting a considerable dent in your meal = a star

Crab Eggs Benedict got a 1/2 star rating.  Deluxe Eggs Benedict got a 1 Star rating.  That one star and that 1/2 star were from me.

It began innocently enough.

Toast some English muffins with the cutest girl in the world.

Distract the baby with a banana.

Simmer the water.

Poach a mess of eggs.

Then saute the veggies for the Deluxe E. B.

And open a can (can?!!) of crab meat for the Crab E.B.

First of all, canned crab is not the best.  I didn't even know it came like that and why, if it is canned, must it remain refrigerated?  Seems fishy...or crabby...to me.  And perhaps that is where we went wrong.  I blame the cookbook.  It is, after all, one from the 90's and any cookbook that regularly includes 3/4 cup AMERICAN cheese and/or a cup of margarine in a recipe, isn't right up there with Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  Am I right?  But I digress...

All served up.  Deluxe on the left, Crab on the right. 

Everyone else got English Muffins with theirs.

Matt's reaction was much like this.

The kids were a little braver, but no one really liked it at all.  So it was scrape off the crab and do your best because Mama is not making another breakfast. 

I ate most of mine, but even the red peppers and onions, which I usually like, weren't doing it for me.

Better luck next time!

Final Rating = 1/2 star