Tag Archives: eggs

how to make world class scrambled eggs

22 Nov

scrambled eggs?  am i off my rocker?  what about turkey, cranberry sauce or harvest rolls?  nah, you’ve got that covered...it’s too late for that.  but what you really need to know is how to make world class eggs.  guys, listen up.  and by that i truly mean guys.  you have an opportunity here to master this art and win over your kids hearts every saturday morning.

at least that was the case with me.  my dad cooked a few things real well.  steak and eggs.  not together.  he was the world class scrambled egg maker.  in his slippers, saturday mornings, MTV blaring in the family room next to the kitchen.  TURN THAT CRAP DOWN!  sorry, i digress.  now, these may not have been the best eggs i ever had but i would never know it.  my dad talked everything he did up.  so when he served the eggs and bacon he’d say “have you ever seen anything more beautiful than that?”  and “you’re in for a real treat today, kids” – always matched with an eye roll from my mom.

now, i’m married to ROF and he really does make the best scrambled eggs.  i would have loved to have a scrambled egg challenge with him and my dad.  that would have been fun.  but ROF cooks me eggs a lot – even during the week! and i have to say, they are the best.  (shout out to my sis who makes the best over-easy eggs and egg sammies in the world!)

watch ROF at work here and how to make scrambled eggs.  oh, and of course, you girls can master this too! 🙂

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poachies poachies i love you

12 May

oh how do i love poached eggs.

takes me all the way back to being  just a sweet young thing with red hair and buck teeth.  i believe we have pictures of me sitting in a high chair eating mushed up poachies (as we called them).  my mom used to make them in a plug-in poached egg machine:

and plop them in a cereal bowl and cut up buttered toast into little squares.  The poachies would be a little runny and the warm yellow yolk would coat the toast chunks.  a sprinkle of crunchy kosher salt would be the cherry on top.  i – love – poachies.

so recently, i bought a $20 poachie machine at bed bath body and beyond or whatever that store is called.

so now i can make my own poachies for ROF.  in fact i’ve made them many mornings since i got the $20 poachie machine!

but now i make them the grown-up way

on a proper plate with a knife and a fork.  we’re real formal round here at the appreciator house.

here are some more glamour shots:

and here is how you make poachies with my pan – love this couple.  pretty funny (when he says to her “is using a huge steak knife proper protocol?”)

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breakfast for dinner, “off-limits” tv shows & kat

3 Nov

breakfast for dinner – the ultimate comfort food

by kathrine glass – friend of the appreciator and wanna-be mayor of her house!

ever have one of those days when you want something for dinner that is really satisfying but not too high in calories; something quick and easy to make with an equally easy clean up; something to de-complicate dinner instead of adding to the stress of your really long day?  oh – and something that the whole family will love? of course you have!

while I fancy myself a pretty good cook, well, recipe follower, i love a good dinner that needs no real recipe and takes me back to my childhood days.  this one is a favorite! my grandmother evelyn use to make me this dish when i would stay overnight with her.  the two of us would sit around her huge dining room table, eat “breakfast for dinner” and watch “off-limits” television shows i wasn’t allowed to watch at home.  two things that felt a little risky and rebellious to me.  what fun!

not only does the dinner conjure up fond memories of being with my grandma, it also really makes me feel good!  kind of like a big bear hug does.  what could it be? grandma evelyn’s breakfast for dinner, of course!  basically it’s canadian bacon, hashbrowns, swiss cheese, eggs and some salt and pepper.  pretty simple stuff but when you put it all together i guarantee it’s an adult and kid pleaser alike!

what you need:

–       canadian bacon or ham slices. now days i often use honey ham thinly sliced.  i like the extra sweetness and think the thin slices of ham are better than it’s thicker canadian bacon cousin.  i usually use two – four slices per.

–       thinly sliced baby swiss, mozzarella, monterey jack or provolone cheese.  i prefer the baby swiss for the little extra bite and it balances out the sweet ham very well.  but it really doesn’t matter. just use whatever light, white cheese you have in the fridge. i usually get the pre-sliced kind and use one and a half slices per.

–       hashbrown patties. i prefer ore ida but i am sure any will do. i use one and a half per.

–       two eggs per.

–       salt and pepper to taste or use paula deans house seasoning, which i prefer. it’s good on just about anything.  that recipe to follow.

–       and feel free to make yourself a mimosa or go with your usual red or white wine.  it is dinner, after all!

what to do:

–       begin to cook your hashbrowns according to the package instructions. make them crispy so they can stand up to the layers of ham, cheese and eggs.

–       heat your oven to 450.

–       about 3/4ths through the cooking time of the hashbrowns start cooking your eggs. i like mine poached with the yolks a little runny.  i have these great little things called poachpods which have made my life super easy when cooking eggs. no more egg whites all over! and the more pods you have the more eggs you can cook at one time.  they won’t stick together!  love those little pods!

–        your hashbrowns should be done just a few minutes before your eggs.  take one of the hashbrowns and cut it in half.  lay one full hashbrown with the half hashbrown to make a supersized hashbrown. season to your liking.

–       take one piece of cheese, cut it in half and layer both pieces on top of the hashbrowns so that it connects the two pieces.

–       layer the ham on top of the cheese.

–       take the extra half of slice of cheese and layer on top of ham.

–       put into the oven until the cheese begins to melt.

–       gently place the two eggs on top of the hashbrown stack.

–       i usually pop it back in the oven for a minute or two just to make sure everything is heated up nicely.  seems like my timing is always just a little off so a last minute touch up works well.

–       season with salt and pepper and/or paula deans house seasoning.

–       add a bowl of fruit, apple sauce or other favorite side and serve! i try to always keep pre-packaged fruit in it’s own juices and natural apple sauce, both with no sugar added on hand for busy days and exhausted nights!

Paula Dean’s House Seasoning

–       1 cup salt

–       1/4 cup black pepper

–       1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months

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eggs, morning music and the joule

28 Jul

hello thursday, right?   couldn’t get here any faster for me.  today is our day we talk food and drinks.  a favorite subject of mine.

if you read my profile (you can read it here) you know that i have a pretty strong point of view on things.  not saying that is good or bad or that mine is correct.  it is what it is.  one of those views is pretty dumb, admittedly, but it’s mine.  i believe in keeping things in their proper time slot.  to me, there are morning things to do, eat, listen to, watch and there are afternoon things and there are night- time things.  still not understanding this, let me explain.  don’t like listening to “getting ready to go out” music in the morning, don’t watch movies in the morning, eating things like steak for breakfast.  dumb, i know.  the only exception to that is breakfast for dinner.  love that.  I’ve put together a little morning music for you.  Click here and take a listen, but it only makes sense if it is before 10am.  it’s that climbing out of grogginess to happiness music.  listen while you make this egg dish.

this is fun to make.  i did not invent this recipe and i’ve seen it everywhere.  i’m sure you have your own version of it and i’d love to hear about it.  all i know is that mine turned out like this!

as you can tell, i’m not a professional photographer

so i didn’t wipe down the tray and stylize this shot.  but who cares – yummy.  these pop right out and it is like a piece of toast, cheese, an egg, crispy bacon and some chive goodness rolled up in one.  the funny thing about this morning is that i woke up super early on a saturday.  like 5am.  found this recipe and waited until 7am to make it, thinking that ROF and Bill would soon to rouse from their slumber.  This was done by about 7:30am (it’s easy) and i sat staring at it for a good 15 minutes, drank coffee, cleaned the kitchen.  they were not coming out.  they were getting cold! so i called my best sis katie and told her “hurry up and come over.  wait to you see these little buckets of love”  so she came over and she ate two and i ate two.  now whoever woke up first got the last two.  bill came out first saw these and ate them up.  unfortunately, ROF wasn’t too happy he missed out so i think bill shared.

 

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