Don't You Forget About Me - Brunch Club May

I thought of a new excuse for not posting in a while.



Brunch club nearly disappeared after the last one that was sometime last year! Sue heroically revived it, and the newlyweds, Robily, graciously hosted at their new cool apartment in Pasadena. It was delightful to meet back up again. It had certainly been a while. With the return of brunch club, I am inspired to make a return to blogging after, well let's call it a sabbatical.

The club-goers (the brunch club goers that is) depend on us to bring the hearty egg-type dishes to the event so I made this little breakfast calzone I have been meaning to try from my recipe binder.

I made two, one with sausage/jack cheese/egg/peppers/onions



...and the other with feta/sun-dried tomato/egg/spinach/mushroom/onion.



The former was from the recipe, the latter was a creation of mine not only to accommodate the vegetarians in the group, but also to experiment with the concept to see if it would work with other ingredients. The feta/spinach one was actually better in my opinion.

It is almost unnecessary to bore you with a recipe for this because you can do whatever you want with these things. I used Pillsbury pizza dough which comes in one of those scary pop-open cans (doyouknowwhatimean?...one of those cans where you slowly peel away the wrapping on the outside until the can bursts open like BLAM!)
You can stuff the thing up with anything you want. I will definitely use more eggs next time. You can almost just make scrambled eggs with anything you like to add and then roll it up in that dough, and bake for about 15 minutes.

Instead of a traditional recipe, I will simply give you some tips for this:

*Cook or saute whatever meat or vegetables you will be using until the meat is brown or the vegetables are slightly tender.
*Mix together about 4-5 eggs, and scramble them with whatever filling (meat/veggies/cheese) you are using
*Roll out your pizza dough into more of a long rectangle so once the filling is added and folded it, you will have a log-shaped calzone that you can cut across.
*Add the egg filling down the center of the dough rectangle.
*You can fold the edges it and pinch them together at the top.
*Brush the dough with an egg white wash OR just use some cooking spray to lightly coat the dough (I used olive oil spray)
*Use the timing/temperature on whatever pizza dough package you use. Just make surethe dough is cooked all the way through. I believe I did about 20 minutes at 350 F.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into the calzone.

Got Eggs? (and Feta and Spinach): Brunch Club October Continued

I cannot stop thinking about these little gems.



This is definitely a self-appointed title, but just call me "Savory Sammy" when it comes to brunch. I feel like I can be counted on to provide at least one savory dish when we gather for our monthly brunches. I had been planning to make Chocolate Chip Puffins for a while, but I needed a savory dish as well. I almost always end up bringing some sort of egg, meat or egg/meat dish. I am simply running out of ideas for ways to make eggs! I resorted to searching Tastespotting for egg dishes. If you are not familiar with this website, it is essentially pictures of food...pages and pages of food pictures. You can click on something that looks delicious and be directed to the website of the photographer (which usually is a food blog that includes a recipe).



I came across a delightful photo of a tasty-looking egg dish on a blog I had never visited, A Big Mouthful: Adventures in Food. I mean, I pretty much started drooling when I saw the picture of these "Spinach Feta Pop-In-You-Mouths". I thought if I could make something that looked half as good, I would be more than happy. I was impressed to find (after actually reading the blog post) that the blogger, Adrienne, basically made these spontaneously one day with some ingredients she had on hand. I was even more impressed when I got a chance to taste my recreation of them.



The recipe is flawless. I followed it exactly as written (which I almost NEVER do), and they came out perfectly...exactly as I had hoped they would. It was very easy too!

Please visit Adrienne's blog for the recipe and other amazing ones as well: A Big Mouthful: Spinach Feta Pop-In-Your-Mouths . You will not be disappointed!

Change Up: Brunch Club October

Some things never change; more things do.



October brunch was at Sube's last year. We feasted on a silly amount of food, and then we carved pumpkins. There were mounds of orange goop in large bowls on the table as each of us carved our own pumpkins with an unnecessary level of concentration. This year was to be a repeat. Sube was hosting again, and brunch was to be followed by the carving of pumpkins.

While I would call the brunch another wonderful brunch success, there was an epic pumpkin carving fail. I believe Andace brought one small pumpkin. Stanley tried to eat the stem, but gave up probably once he realized it tasted like a tree. Once brunch was cleared from the table, the pumpkin tools were brought out, but no one moved. We continued our amusing conversation about what horror movie character Sue should be for Halloween at the school where she teaches and the fact that she and Natalie's dad bears a strong resemblance (at least in his facebook picture) to US House Minority Leader, John Boehner. To illustrate, two of the three pictures below are the real John Boehner; one is Sue and Natalie's dad:





Anyway, we all were so distracted by good food and conversation that the single small innocent pumpkin was spared.

Besides the absence of pumpkin carving, there are quite a few things that have changed just since the last October Brunch (2009), hosted by Sube:

*Candace and Andy tied the knot in a backyard ceremony at Andy's parents' Canadian home.
*Zach and I adopted our Greyhound, Stanley and moved into a new, much bigger apartment and are each in different jobs.
*Elliott moved to LA and got a cool new job.
*Emily and Rob got engaged!
*Natalie moved into a great Loz Feliz Apartment on her own and seems to have made more friends than people I have even met in LA.
*Brian got a great job, and Sue gave us the "two year warning" that babies would be on the way!
*Even though Three-Hole-Punch (Sube's little dog) gained weight since last year, she looks smaller to me now that I am used to Stanley.

If you ask me, these are all great changes. This stage of life is so fascinating to me. Change is not only rapid, it is significant. People are going from boyfriend/girlfriend to husband/wife, jobs that will direct the course of our careers are won/lost/quit; it is like life on steroids because the decisions we make at this stage of life seem to carry more weight than ever before, laying the groundwork for our adult lives.

Zach and I adopted Stanley the Greyhound, it was strange to think that the decision would have a huge effect on my life for about the next ten years. I think it is important to take big decisions seriously, but it is just as important to be be able to break them down into manageable terms. We cannot always know exactly where the decisions we make will take us or what the consequences might turn out to be. It helps me to think of big choices in terms of "day by day". Each day, I will choose to take on the consequences (good or bad) of the decisions that have led me to that point (big or small). I guess a huge decision is simply made up of a bunch of small ones.

With all the decision-making and changes taking place, the constants become increasingly important. I am really grateful for the consistency of something like monthly brunch club but more so for the relationships that led to it in the first place.

Maybe you are not in this very scarily exciting time of your life, and you could use some change! If that is the case (and even if not because who really cares if their food changes as long as it is delicious), you may consider trying the following recipe from the hugely popular baking blog, Bakerella. Here, she comes up with the most creative little treasures, pancakes in the form of mini-muffins...Puffins. Brilliant! They are dip-able/dunk-able (however you prefer to put it) little pancakes: dip in syrup and eat with your hands. You can make them in any variety of pancake; I went with blueberry puffins and chocolate chip puffins.



Chocolate Chip Puffins

(Recipe from Bakerella, makes 24)

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (I did half blueberry/half chocolate chip so I used 1/4 C chocolate chips and 1/4 C fresh blueberries)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Sift together with a wire whisk.
In another bowl, stir buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and melted butter until just combined.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until combined.
Stir in chocolate chips. Reserve a few chips to sprinkle on the tops.
Bake for 8-9 minutes.

Makes 24 mini pancake muffins.

Let cool slightly and remove from the pan. You may need to use a toothpick around the edges to separate the pancake muffins from the pan.

Serve immediately with warmed butter if you like or even just with maple syrup.

COMING SOON: I made another dish for brunch that was potentially my favorite dish I have ever contributed to the feast. For a sneak peak, check out the yellow thing with bits of green in it on the bottom of my plate (I apologize for the horrible picture)...

You Can't Eat Babies

Sweet. Scrumptious. Honey. I could just eat you up.



Why do people use words traditionally used to describe food to describe or talk to babies? I don't really think it works the other way around. I wouldn't particularly respond to a dish on a menu that was described as being, "adorable", "cute" or "looking just like his mommy".

Don't get me wrong. I do understand the urge to want to take a bite right out of a cute baby's chubby leg or (on the same strange level) pinch a baby's cheek. I mean look at these faces.





My brother and sister-in-law just had their third baby girl this week. Her name is Rachel Marie, and we are all really excited that she is here. I cannot wait to meet her when I am in Florida for Amanda and Mikey's wedding in a few weeks! She is just scrumptious.



I think it is just something deep down within us that touches us when we look into the face of an innocent baby. There is a nurturing primal instinct we feel that maybe we associate with other primal behaviors like eating. When I look at this face, inexplicable feelings of joy overwhelm me, and I barely know what to do with them. I call it the "Elmyra Effect". If you will recall, Elmyra was the little red-headed character on the children's program, "Tiny Toon Adventures". She would hug and pet cute animals until they could not longer stand it. I am definitely this way when it comes to Stanley. I will hug him and pet him and love him until he gets annoyed with me. I just can't help myself.



I suppose if I tried, I could see my breakfast as, well, "cute":



This is a simple breakfast sandwich that anyone can snap together in under 5 minutes. Best of all, this lush-looking, tasty, toasty, satisfying sandwich is is only 210 calories. It is basically the godmother of healthy breakfasts, bursting with fiber and protein. I like to enjoy this sandwich with a huge mug of piping hot green tea (with a packet of sweet n' low). This is honestly a case where "to good to be true" does not apply. It is easy, healthy, tasty and satisfying....and just adorable:



Ultimate Healthy Breakfast Sandwich:

(Recipe makes 1 sandwich)

1 whole grain english muffin - 110 calories
1/4 c egg beaters (you can also use one real medium egg, beaten*) - 30 calories (egg beaters) / 65 calories (medium egg)
1 wedge laughing cow creamy swiss cheese - 35 calories
1 slice of fresh tomato - 5 calories
1 slice of ham (you can substitute turkey, pastrami or turkey bacon) - 30 calories

Total: 210 calories
*if you use a real medium egg, the calorie total will be about 245.

Toast the english muffin.
Place the 1/4 c egg beater in a small microwave-safe bowl, and place the slice of ham on top of the egg liquid.
Microwave the egg and ham for about 1 minute and 20 seconds (time may vary depending on your microwave).
While egg is in microwave, spread the laughing cow cheese on the toasted english muffin, and add the tomato slice.
When the egg is finished cooking, you should be able to slide it right out of the bowl and onto the sandwich (the ham will be baked into the egg).
Done!

How 'Bout Them Apples

Can I take it back?



In my last post, I discussed the cooling of the weather as summer turns into fall. I would like to take this opportunity to take back everything I said as I sit here during the absolute hottest day in recorded LA history: 113 degrees F. Unbelievable.

Ironically, we went apple picking last weekend.



I am pretty sure apple trees are associated with cool, even cold weather. I am not sure what to make of the fact that we were basically picking apples in the sweltering heat of the desert sun, but the fruit was plentiful and delicious in Oak Glen, CA. The day-trip was a recommendation from my co-worker, Andy who has been there with his family a few times. Sube accompanied Zach and me on the 90 minute drive into the depths of small-town California. Brian just bought a new amazing camera, and recorded the picturesque adventure for his "Movie of the Week (14)":



There were five different types of apples we picked: Fuji, Jonothan, Spartan, Macintosh, and I don't remember the name of the other! I ended up with 8 pounds of apples. We have been eating them as is, but you know you are about to see some apple recipes coming soon....starting now.



Zach doesn't particularly care for apple pie, and I don't need to be stuffing my face in a pie all by myself so that option is out. I decided to make some apple bread to try. As I have said before, I am not particularly good at baking, and this was no exception. I accidentally added a tablespoon of baking powder instead of a teaspoon and I left of the baking soda completely. I also left the bread in the oven an extra 7 or 8 minutes (who can be certain?) That sort of thing usually wouldn't matter so much when you are cooking, but for this, it made the bread come out slightly dry. I have chosen to still blog this recipe, however, because despite my mistakes (which were actually disaster-size mistakes), the bread was delicious. Like I said, slightly dry, but delicious! I ate a slice right out of the oven and drizzled some of that Jullian, CA mountain blossom honey over it while it was still warm.



It had a really great taste. It would be a great substitution for banana walnut bread for someone who doesn't like bananas. It was slightly sweet and crunchy (with the walnuts).... a great use for my first few apples!

You will like this bread if you make it like I did. You will love this bread if you make it like this:

Apple Walnut Loaf
(recipe from Allrecipes.com - makes one loaf)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup butter (original recipe used butter, but commenters on allrecipes suggested oil to make the bread more moist OR you can stick with the 1/2 cup of butter and add a 1/2 cup or so of apple sauce or milk for moisture)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cup apples - peeled, cored and shredded (I don't really think you need to peel the apples; some commenters on the original recipe suggested leaving the skin on for added fiber since it did not change the consistency for them at all)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and nuts.
In a large bowl, beat butter or oil (plus any apple sauce or milk you are adding), sugar and 1 egg until smooth. Beat in second egg, and stir in vanilla. Stir in shredded apples. Pour flour mixture into batter; stir just until moistened. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes, then remove from pan. Place on a rack to cool. (I would suggest no more than 50 minutes!)

Florida People

I am on a plane on my way back to Los Angeles from Florida.



I spent a good ten days in the random Florida weather. It was all over the place from unbearably-hot-humid-sunny → hot-light-rain → overcast-thunder-lightning → pouring-down-while-I-am-driving-rain →cold-windy-but-sunny → perfect (on the day I flew out).

Florida is the craziest state. There used to be a segment called “Germany or Florida” on the morning radio show I used to listen to every morning in Los Angeles. Someone would read a story about a crazy old man who lived with 300 snakes or a woman who ran her husband over with a car seven times in a hotel parking lot. The three radio show personalities would have to guess whether the story took place in Germany or Florida. There really are enough weirdo things going on between the two places to keep this game interesting. It was never clear to me how serious the crazy problem in Florida was until I moved away. When you live there, you just assume everywhere else is the same, but you are just not hearing about the crazies in other states because they are not local. But when I moved across the country and was still hearing about wacko random news stories that went down in Florida, I realized what was going on. Here are a few of my favorites:

UF Student Tasered at Kerry Forum
Astronaut Charged With Attempted Murder
Debra LaFave
and so many more...

Don’t get me wrong. I love Florida. I grew up there. It is my home. It is just funny how many ideas people in California seem to have about Floridians (some true some not). I have been asked if I had alligators in my backyard when I lived there. And you know what, I did. At my parents house, there is a little pond with a woodsy area out back, and let’s just say I would never really feel comfortable allowing my little nieces to play out there. Zach wrote a crazy article during his last year in school that referenced some of the crazy things alligators eat…babies are far from being out of the question. I was out for a jog on the sidewalk in the middle of a lightning storm last week, and there was a small alligator staring at me from the water’s edge, about 20 feet away. It doesn’t get much more Florida than that folks.

Obviously, there are not alligators roaming around most residential areas in Florida, but it happens. There are so many idiosyncrasies that I must make another list. Here we go, You know you are a true Floridian if:
1. You can close your eyes during the summer and not be able to tell whether you are in a steam room or just outside.
2. You can name at least 5 notorious serial killers that struck in your state.
3. You know the difference between a chomp and the tomahawk.
4. You feel that it is okay to go out in the lightning as long as there is no thunder within a couple seconds of each bolt.
5. The water at the beach feels more like a mild hot tub and less like the ocean.
6. The north is “The South”.
7. You know there are no beaches in the Florida Keys.
8. You can see the sun rise and set over the water in the same day.
9. It is weird if it rains for longer than 5 minutes.
10. It is weird if it rains only once in a day.
11. Seasons refer to sports not weather.

There is no such thing as “fall” in Florida. I referenced this in a previous post about it “still being summer in Florida”. The leaves do not change colors, the weather rarely cools down, and the people definitely continue wearing white and flip-flops well through the holidays. Floridians are really forced to take things into their own hands.



They light candles, they decorate, they…I mean we… make pumpkin recipes all to feel like we are a part of the fall season. Oh, and because pumpkin recipes are the best.

For the Love of Florida Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

(makes 24, recipe from Allrecipes.com)

3 1/3 C all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 C white sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
16 oz canned pumpkin puree
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 C water
1 1/2 C semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, sugar, salt and nutmeg.
In a separate bowl, beat together pumpkin, eggs and water. Stir pumpkin mixture into flour mixture; beat until well blended. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
Pour batter into muffin tins, filling almost to the top.
Sprinkle 3 to 5 chocolate chips (the remaining 1/2 C) on top of each muffin (this just makes them look nice)



Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.