Champion of Breakfasts

On weekdays, my husband wakes up at 5:30 AM to go to his usual basketball game. I wake up when I hear the sound of the garage door opening at 7:30 ish, the sign of his return. On weekend, his rigid body clock won’t let him stay asleep past 6:30. I, on the other hand, am very flexible and could sleep in till 8;30 or close to 10:00 AM. He makes his own breakfast – staple is Canadian bacon and fried eggs plus milk (on weekdays after he drinks my home made vegetable juice). Because he has more time on weekends, he may make bread, corn bread or cinnamon rolls and I love waking up to the smell of bread baking in the oven. He otherwise asks what I want to eat questions soon after I wake up but my brain is still dead and my stomach not yet functioning. “I ,,, don’t know” is my usual answer follow by “whatever”. We don’t have a box of cereal at this moment but we buy when our kids and grandchildren come to visit. I may serve them that first to keep them occupied while he makes something yummy.  If I request natto (fermented soy beans) over warm cooked rice, he right away stirs with a egg yolk for me ( you should rest natto 20 minutes or so before eating) then he starts making his own breakfast. We sit down together but eat different breakfasts. I love being an empty nester. I’m selfish to some degree and spoiled by my husband I admit but this mellow time is like small gem of happiness. When company comes then it was like fresh air that break our routine and that is also nice (sometimes).

I saw a Japanese health television show 6 or 7 years ago and this drink was featured. Tall glass of the vegetable juice fulfill day’s green intake they clamed which I wish to believe but have doubts. Anyway I started making it most mornings. I don’t measure anything so some days it is more bitter than others. My husband and my daughter tolerate the taste and my son runs the other way. The key is to drink as fast as you can.

Vegetable Juice for two

• 1 medium size carrot, do not peel, scrub with vegetable brush or tawashi then slice about 1/8 inch.
• 16 to 20 grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes washed.
• 2 big handfuls of spinach.
• 1 kiwis skinned and quartered.
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup soy milk. On the television show, they used milk.
• About 3 tablespoon yogurt (optional).
• About 3 tablespoons of honey (optional).
• 3-4 ice cube-this is a must item. It makes the drink cold and taste less.
• A pinch of salt.

1. Put sliced carrots in a small microwaveable bowl, cover with wax paper and microwave at 50 percent power for 1 minute.
2. In a blender, put everything on the lists including the cooked carrots and blend on high speed for 30 seconds then lower the speed and blend for about 1 minute. Serve immediately. The juice is more like smoothie, just not very sweet.

Baked eggs with bacon and spinach

This is dressed up version of bacon and egg with a twist. I love it!

4 servings

• 6 slices bacon. I used apple wood-smoked bacon
• 5 ounce baby spinach
• 4 crumpets or 2 whole wheat English muffins, split horizontally. Toasted
• 4 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400F.

1. Put 2 or 3 paper towels on a plate. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Pour off drippings from skillet and reserve in a small bowl.
2. Add spinach to the pan, sprinkle with pepper and toss over medium heat for 30 seconds.
3. Brush four 1 cup ramekins with drippings.
4. Place 1 toasted crumpet or 1 English muffin half, spilt side up in each ramekin.
5. Divide spinach among ramekins then crumble bacon over, dividing equally.
6. Make well in center of each ramekin using the back of a spoon.
7. Gently crack 1 egg into the well.
8. Drizzle 2 tablespoons cream over each egg.
9. Sprinkle pepper but not salt. bacon gives salty taste already.
10. Bake eggs until whites are just set but yolks are still runny. 12 to 15 minutes.

We stayed at a Bed and Breakfast Inn at Astoria, Oregon several years ago. It was a nice place but they serve breakfast at 7:00 AM to 8;30AM. I never understood why they serve this early. As though we have to go to work or something after breakfast. We never gone back to the place but I absolutely love the town. Full of charm and history and home of Goonies! and several really great eateries.

Speaking of  restaurant, Tuesday night (March 29th) more than 50 restaurants here are participating in Bro and Rosen’s relief effort to benefit earthquake and tsunami victims in Japan. Average of 10 to 20 percent of their Tuesday profit goes to Mercy corps. Beast restaurant is donating 100 percent (Wow!). So just by eating one of  the restaurant, you are donating to the effort. There were several concerts and fund raising events this past weekend and I am so grateful for their generosity. The only thing left is for me to pick a restaurant to eat out Tuesday. That is so easy to be involved in this great cause.

This is one of the breakfasts we had at an inn we stayed at in Japan last year.