Sunday Breakfast

On Sunday mornings my girlfriend and I wake up and make breakfast for each other. She makes the omelettes while I cook the potatoes and pancakes. I love her omelettes. Her omelettes consist of maple wood bacon, original smith field home pound sausage, ham, fresh shrimp, lemon pepper seasoning, and eggs. She begins by setting her pan to medium. Next she slightly coats her pan with olive oil. She then places the fresh shrimp on the pan. The shrimp begins to cook and she seasons the shrimp with lemon pepper, nature seasoning, and Adabo. While this is cooking she get another pan to prepare the sausage. She saute's the sausage on a pan set to medium. At this point she grabs another pan to cook the bacon. She usually places about 5 pieces of maple wood bacon on the pan. As the bacon begins to sizzle and pop the shrimp and sausage are now finished and ready to be cooled down. Once all the meat is cooked she mixes it in a pan in preparation of the omelette. She cracks 5 eggs and put them in a bowl. She whips the eggs together until the yolk is well blended.

In preparation of the omelette she, first, coats the pan in olive oil. Then she pour some the egg in the pan. As the egg began to cook she slowly add the ingredients mentioned above. Once the egg is cooked well on the bottom half she folds it in half, covering the ingredients. After a while she then flips the omelette and let's the other side sit. Then she takes the omelette out the pan to allow it to cool off. 

When cooking my potatoes I use about 3 large red potatoes. I dice up the potatoes into squares. I then season the potatoes with Lawry's seasoning salt, pepper, and salt. I place a pan of olive oil over the medium heated stove. I then place the potatoes in the pan and let them cook for 10 minutes and flip them periodically. Once the potatoes are cooked to a golden brownish color I then take them out and let them cool off.

I make my pancakes with Aunt Jemima pancake mix. I pour it into a bowl or cup. I then add a cup of water to the batter and stir the mix. Once I see the batter thickens up I then add a cap full of vanilla. I mix it all together to make sure the ingredients get into the batter. I turn on the stove with my pan on it and put some butter in the pan so the pancakes don't  stick to the pan.

Once the pan is heated up, I pour the batter into the pan in circle shapes and let it sit for about 5 minutes. I know when to flip the pancakes when I start to see little holes or bubbles start forming on the other side. The cooked side should be nice and golden. I put butter on the cooked side to give it some more flavor. Then I wait for another 4 minutes and flip the pancake again knowing both sides are golden brown. The house starts smelling like a breakfast diner, this is when I start to get really excited. Once my pancakes are done I take out a plate and stack them.

There no breakfast better than my girlfriend and I breakfast on a Sunday morning. 

Pancakes are apart of my childhood. My would pancakes in the morning and at night. Whenever she was to busy to make them my big sister would make them. Don't tell my mom this but my sister's pancakes has a slight edge over my moms. My mom would kill me if she heard me say that. I remember a time when I was little and I was begging my family to make pancakes before church. I would cry until I got what I wanted, and I ended up getting the pancakes. Ever since then my family would make pancakes at least 3 times a week, mainly on the weekends. My love for pancakes are unmatched. I believe in pancakes. In the morning, the smell of fresh pancakes will have my mouth watering. When I go to sleep they are what I can look forward to in the morning; knowing that when I wake up I will dive into the golden fluffy pillows topped off with warm butter and maple syrup. I can make them however I want to make them, that's the beauty of pancakes. Strawberry pancakes, blueberry pancakes, chocolate chip pancakes, even plain pancakes have the key to my heart.

My favorite type of pancakes to make in the morning are cinnamon pancakes. I can make cinnamon pancakes every single day of the week and not get sick of them. I walk into the kitchen and whip out the Aunt Jemima pancake mix and pour it into a bowl or cup. I then add a cup of water to the batter and stir the mix. I do not know how to make pancakes from scratch but I will learn in the near future. Once I see the batter thickens up I then add the cinnamon and a cap full of vanilla. I mix it all together to make sure the ingredients get into the batter. I turn on the stove with my pan on it and put some butter in the pan so the pancakes don't  stick to the pan.

Once the pan is heated up, I pour the batter into the pan in circle shapes and let it sit for about 5 minutes. I know when to flip the pancakes when I start to see little holes or bubbles start forming on the other side. The cooked side should be nice and golden. I put butter on the cooked side to give it some more flavor. Then I wait for another 4 minutes and flip the pancake again knowing both sides are golden brown. The house starts smelling like cinnamon, this is when I start to get really excited. Once my pancakes are done I take out a plate and stack them. I grab the Aunt Jemima syrup and pour it all over my pancakes. There is no better smell in the world. I make sure my pancakes soak up the syrup before I take that first bit. I cut my pancakes into three and the first one is heaven for me. I just love my cinnamon pancakes.





Image from: https://www.laurafuentes.com/cinnamon-pancakes-recipe/

Breakfast Quiche

I was never a huge fan of Quiche, but in my home, my family loved it. It always looked good but it just wasn’t my favorite thing to eat. My dad was the one who would make it for the family. He said he learned this recipe from grandma. Every time he would make it he would say, “the proper Quiche should be rich, custard filled, and luxurious, not similar to a dense omelet. It should consist of the perfect amount of eggs and yolk to hold things together. You must let the Quiche cool off before serving to fully enjoy the experience or it will just fall apart”. This is a family tradition on certain holidays, such as Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Cool off Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients:

- a 9 inch unbaked pie crust

- 8 strips of turkey bacon cut into little pieces

- 3 brown eggs

- 2 egg yolks

- 1 cup of heavy cream

- 3/4 cup of milk

- 1/2 cup of chopped leeks

- 1/2 cup of chopped onions

- a teaspoon of chopped thyme

- salt

- pepper

- cayenne pepper

- shredded Mexican cheese

Direction for Breakfast Quiche

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Roll up the pie dough to fit a 9 inch pie plate.

3. Place the bottom crust in the pie plate and let it cool for at least 20 minutes before placing in the oven.

4. Line the cooled pie crust with foil and fill halfway up with dried beans, rice, or baking weights.

5. Place in the preheated oven and let it bake for 7 minutes.

6. Remove foil and weights and bake until it is golden brown or about 5 minutes.

7. Turn down the oven to 325 degrees F.

8. For about 8-10 minutes cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until cooked thoroughly.

9. Remove the bacon from the pan to drain the left of grease.

10. Drain some of the oil from the skillet, but leave 1-2 teaspoons of it.

11. Add the leeks, onions, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to the skillet.

12. Stir and cook until tender and browned or for about 5-7 minutes, then place to the side. 

13. Mix eggs, egg yolks, cream, and milk together in a big bowl.

14. Add thyme when mixed well and stir to combine. 

15. Sprinkle ⅓  of the onion leek mixture on the bottom of the crust. 

16. Top it off with ⅓  cooked bacon and ⅓ shredded Mexican cheese. 

17. Pour in half of the egg mixture. 

18. Drizzle with ⅓  of the onion-leek mixture, ⅓  bacon, and ⅓ Mexican cheese. 

19. Pour in remaining egg mixture and top it off with the remaining onion-leek mixture, bacon and Mexican cheese. 

20. Bake the quiche in the preheated oven until it is set and brown, but with no jiggle in the center. Approximately 40-45 minutes. 

21. Allow to cool a little before serving.  

Image from: https://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/bacon-crescent-quiche/73230fd2-7064-4ef0-a9e1-745d5ca7a00b 

Grandma Jan's Breakfast Potatoes

Growing up my family would take a trip up to Michigan at least 2 times a year to see my Grandparents. My Grandma Jan would makes these amazing breakfast potatoes everyday we were up there. She said they were easy to make but they are just made out of love. "All you need is a single skillet my recipe and a drizzle of maple syrup, which makes the potatoes pop. They were so good that when we were leaving to go back home we would ask for a container for the road.

Important Steps to making these Crispy potatoes:
- Give yourself some time to let the potatoes soak in cold water for at least an hour before you cook them. This removes a lot of the starch and allows the potatoes to get crispy.
- Make sure that the potatoes are dry after they are washed. If not the remaining water will not allow the potatoes to get crispy, defeating the purpose of soaking the potatoes.
- Use red potatoes because they hold their form best when they are being cooked.
- Used a non-stick pan because this controls heat the best.
- Let the potatoes cook without tossing them around. Tossing the potatoes doesn't allow them to get crispy and get to that golden-brown color that everyone loves to see. 

Ingredients:
- 5 red potatoes
- Pepper
- Salt
- Lawry's Seasoning Salt
- Teaspoon of Garlic Powder
- Teaspoon of Cajun Seasoning
- 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 1 red onion (diced up)
- 1 green onion (diced up)
- 1 lb. breakfast sausage link (cut up)
- Half pound of red peppers (diced up)
- 1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cool off Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Instructions:
1. Dice the potatoes into evenly cubes. Approximately 3/4 inches wide. The larger cubes will take a longer time to cook
2. Season the potatoes with pepper, salt, Lawry's seasoning salt, garlic powder, and Cajun seasoning. then set them aside.
3. Grab the olive oil and non-stick skillet and place it over the stove at a medium heat.
4. Place onions and red and green onions into the skillet for about 5 minutes or until the onions soften up.
5. Place sausage links and cook them for about 10 minutes. Dice them as they cook to let them cook thoroughly. Once they are cooked take out the onions and sausages from the pan and set them to the side.
6. Turn the heat to medium high.
7. Add the red potatoes to the skillet.
8. Grab a metal spatula to scoop up the remaining flavor from the sausage.
9. Do not touch the potatoes for about 7 minutes to let them get nice and golden. Tossing them around too much won't give them a chance to get golden and crispy.
10. (Optional) add another tablespoon of olive oil, if the potatoes are sticking to the bottom of the skillet.
11. Check a few potatoes to see if they are crisp and golden on the bottom.
12. Toss the potatoes a few time to allow the other side to cook.
13. Leave them untouched for another 5 minutes.
14. Mix in the red and green onions, sausages, and red peppers.
15. Once the red peppers soften up, place the potatoes in a container or bowl.
16. Let the potatoes cool off for about 5 minutes.
17. Add your maple syrup and toss the potatoes one last time.
18. Serve and ready to eat.

Image from: https://www.savorytooth.com/breakfast-potatoes/

The Importance of Breakfast

Breakfast is an important, if not the most important meal of the day because it affects how the body performs mentally and physically. Breakfast foods consist of whole grains, meats, fruits, dairy products, and vegetables (which are good sources of vitamin C and D. After sleeping for a long period of time the body needs to be refurbished through the levels of blood glucose which will increase your energy level. If you are performing physical activity in the morning the body needs more carbohydrates to fuel your muscles and you brain. Breakfast also helps your metabolism, allowing your body to burn calories throughout the day. A morning meal allows your body to have plenty of energy to carry you throughout your day, whether at work, school, or participating in physical activities. Missing breakfast is costly because it provides this provides the body fewer calories during the day, causing low energy.

Breakfast is critical for the youths growth because they need fuel and nutrients to help them concentrate in school. Breakfast provides kids with more vitamins and minerals that they need. Kids that eat breakfast have low body mass index than kids who don't eat breakfast. Skipping breakfast affects the youth's ability to concentrate and perform task. Eating breakfast helps with a healthy body weight by curbing hunger and regulating blood sugar. My mom always used to stress to me the importance of breakfast. She would tell me that if I wanted to be strong, fast, and perform at the highest level I needed to eat breakfast everyday. She provided a well balanced breakfast for our family almost everyday. From pancakes, eggs, bacon, to grits, potatoes, and biscuits we were always satisfied. The days she didn't cook my siblings and I would eat cereal, toast, and either a bowl of fruit or a blended smoothie. We did this because it was a quick meal but it also was the nutrients our body needed to start our day. I always had a lot of energy going to school and sporting events because of my well balanced breakfasts.

To me breakfast is the tastiest meal of the day because you can practically eat anything you want. From your basic Fruit Loops to a seafood omelet it can there are no rules to breakfast. Your breakfast can be sweet or salty and can also be eaten for dinner. My mom used to make breakfast for dinner at least once a week, and that was my families favorite day of the week. I remember the smell of pancakes while doing my homework at the kitchen table. There was no better smell in the world.

I know as a student the last thing you want to do is to start your day off on an empty stomach. This makes learning 10 times harder because you are not focused on your work. You are more worried about your stomach growling and howling as you wait for lunch. Even just a bit of fruit will make the difference in your level of energy in the morning. Breakfast can also help you lose weight, as long as it is a healthy breakfast. This is because breakfast helps reduce hunger throughout the day. My dad recently wanted to lose weight. He decided to eat a healthy breakfast and then he wouldn't eat until dinner. He ended up losing 20 lbs. of body fat. He barely in took any calories throughout the day and it helped him decrease in weight. Breakfast is the key to your physical and mental success.




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Breakfast Enchiladas

Ever had the taste for Mexican food for breakfast? Well here is a delicious Mexican recipe that will having you coming back for seconds, maybe even thirds. This is the perfect recipe to keep your family satisfied and full. It is quick and easy to prepare, but the enchiladas taste so special. You can freeze the enchiladas and save for later, take them to work or vacation. My mom use to make this for my family at least once a week and it never got old. I would stand in the kitchen and drool over the smell of the ingredients as they were slowly being cooked. I remember my siblings and I use to fight over the last enchilada. I love cheese so with cheesy filling inside the tortilla and cheese on top of the tortilla I am in cheese heaven after every bit. This meal will always have a piece of my heart. Whether you have a few minutes to relax in the morning or rushing out the door the breakfast enchiladas will have you feeling good. This meal can be made the night before so when morning comes you can get up and go. 

Breakfast Enchiladas Ingredients:

- Half pound of pork bacon 

- Half pound of turkey sausage 

- 1 cup of shredded Mexican cheese 

- 2 tablespoons of cut up onions 

- Half cup of diced tomatoes  

- 6 brown eggs 

- 1 tablespoon of lactate milk 

- Half teaspoon of salt 

- Half teaspoon of pepper 

- Half teaspoon of Lawry's seasoning salt 

- A tablespoon of margarine 

- Enchiladas sauce 

- 6 soft tortillas 

- Mexican Salsa (optional) 

Preparation time: 30 minutes 

Cook time: 25 minutes 

Cool off time: 5 minutes 

Total time: 1 hour 

Breakfast Enchiladas Directions: 

1. Set your stove on medium temperature 

2. Grab a non-stick skillet and cook your half pound of pork bacon and half pound of turkey sausage for about 5-7 minutes or until cooked thoroughly

3. Break up the bacon and sausage 

4. Add half of your Mexican cheese, onions and diced tomatoes and stir it up and place the ingredients in the microwaved to keep warm, wipe down the skillet 

5. Place eggs, lactate milk, salt, pepper, and Lawry's seasoning salt into a bowl and mix it up

6. Pour the mixture into the skillet over the medium heat stove, stir until the eggs are thick and no liquid remains 

7. Pour the ingredients that were placed in the microwave with the eggs are mix it up well 

8. Pour in enchilada sauce and mix well 

9. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees 

10. Place the tortillas on a pan 

11. Slowly pour over the the ingredients from the skillet onto each tortillas (distribute evenly) 

12. Fold the tortillas 

13. Pour the rest of your Mexican cheese on top of the tortillas once they are folded

14. Cover the pan with Foil and place in the oven for 15 minutes or until cheese is slightly hard on top. 

15. Take the pan out and take off the foil. 

16. Let the enchiladas cool off 

17. Place salsa on top of the enchiladas (optional)  

18. Ready to serve 

Image from: https://tornadoughalli.com/overnight-breakfast-sausage-enchiladas/