Friday, May 23, 2008

Breakfast for Dinner! Yum!

Do you remember how great it was as a kid to have breakfast for dinner? I loved it! It seemed almost like we got to do something we weren’t supposed too. It didn’t seem to matter what the breakfast item was if we got to eat it at dinner time we were all in! Most of the time we would have pancakes----delicious. Sometimes we could talk Mom into making waffles-------even better.




When first started living on my own, my first apartment was within walking distance of a great little breakfast spot. I spent many a Sunday morning at the counter drinking coffee and having leisurely breakfasts, reading the newspaper or talking to the regulars! My first real taste of adult hood. I also spent many a early morning (or should I say really late night) in the same restaurant. Since it was within walking distance of my apartment it was a fairly safe place for me to be as a single woman. I still love to have bacon and eggs late at night. Something really comforting about it.


Since summer is upon us and things are getting really hot and muggy here in Florida, I turn to some of my old quick and easy favorites. One of them is this delicious frittata. It is sooooo easy and really quick! Just the thing for the hot sticky nights of Florida. The best thing about it is you can put just about anything you like in it. This just happens to be one of my favorite combinations. I mean---how can you go wrong with bacon, cheese and spinach?

Dinner Frittata


6 slices peppered bacon, cut in half
1 cup onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
6 button mushrooms, sliced
3 cups packed baby spinach
6 eggs
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/2 cup shredded monteray jack

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a 10 inch nonstick skillet on medium heat fry bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels reserving any grease rendered in the pan. Add the onion, bell pepper and mushrooms. Saute 6-8 minutes or until mushrooms are lightly browned. Add the spinach and turn with tongs until willted. Chop half of the bacon and mix it in to the spinach mixture. Reduce the heat to low.

In a medium bowl beat the eggs and milk until a light yellow color. Stir in half of the cheddar and 1/2 the jack cheese. Pour the mixture evenly over the spinach mixture.

Cook the eggs on low heat for about 2 minutes without stirring, until the edges of the eggs have begun to set. Add the reserved cheese and arrange the bacon and red pepper strips attractively on top. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and bake for 8- 12 minutes or until the eggs have puffed slightly and are set in the middle.
Serve hot or at room temperature with a mixed green salad and some crusty bread for a complete meal.

Friday, May 2, 2008

Hello everyone, I’m back after a much needed and relaxing vacation. My husband and I have a cabin in the mountains of Blue Ridge Georgia and we try to get there as often as we can. Blue Ridge is a small mountain town in Northern Georgia and is some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen. Some of the trout streams remind us of the big water in Wyoming or Montana, now what could be better than that?

One of the most surprising things we have learned about Georgia is the abundance outstanding produce. And I mean all kinds of produce, not just peaches (although I am not sure if there is anything sweeter than a fresh picked Georgia peach!) In Blue Ridge and Rome Georgia there are apples. In Cordele and Tifton there are pecans and Canteloupe. Everywhere in Georgia there are Corn Fields. I thought Florida Corn was great but Georgia Sweet Corn is just that ---sweet and delicious. One of my pet peeves of supermarkets is that you can never get a really good tomato. You know the kind I mean, the ones that are so sweet and juicy you want to eat them like an apple. Well the tomatoes in Georgia are the best I’ve had, as good if not better than the legendary Jersey tomatoes!! Really ----- I’m not kidding!!!

This is one of the dishes we always have when we are in Blue Ridge. It’s pulled pork cornbread and it is really good. This is one of those dishes that is a great use of leftover BBQ, but now you can buy premade pulled pork in the grocery. Or if you happen to be in Georgia, just pull over at any one of the roadside stands and buy yourself a pint or two, and don’t forget the boiled peanuts—you’ll need something to go along with your RC Cola!




BBQ Pork Cornbread

1 (6 ounce) package Jiffy cornbread mix
1 egg
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup pulled pork in sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Pre heat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 10 inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray, and set in oven to heat.

In a medium mixing bowl stir together the cornbread mix, egg and buttermilk. Mix about 2 minutes or until well combined. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot skillet. Spread the pulled pork evenly on top leaving a 1/2 inch rim. Bake in the pre heated oven 15 minutes, top with the shredded cheddar cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted.

Serve in wedges with a green salad and RC Cola. To be really southern drop some of the boiled peanuts into the bottle of cola. You’ll be y’allin before you know it!!