Blow

Re-Post from Sunday, March 4, 2007

Well, Blow Me Down

Magic truly happens when you purse your lips together and blow...whoa there gentlemen readers please return your thoughts to your northern hemisphere as this post has nothing to do with the testosterone fueled polar region of the male southern hemisphere. This magic is not the deep swamp voodoo of my youth but an everyday type of magic. The magic that exists in all of us and in the small wonders of each day. The magic that seems to fade into the background of our hectic lifestyles as we grow older, more responsible and just too darn busy to stop, put our lips together and blow...

The next beautiful sunny day, sit on your back steps, front steps or just plop down in the grass with a wand in your hand. Simply dip the wand in a translucent slightly greasy liquid and then position the wand in front of your lips and blow. The magic begins as you conjure beautiful prismic light filled spheres that gently float into the air. Play a Lawrence Welk album in the background and voila you have graduated to Hollywood Magic. Sissy and Bobby always cut a graceful rug to Lawrence's wonderful champagne music. Heck, there is just no way you can have the blues when you are blowing bubbles.

Even in the icy winter season you can have fun blowing. Just run yonder to your closest 7-11 store and buy a few pieces of Double Bubble. The packaging alone is pure magic and then you unwrap it to find a charming pink confectionery that will enter your lips as a gummy treat that you can transform with a simple blow into a sheer pink delicate bubble. Truly talented blowers often demonstrate the magic of the "Double Bubble" where a bubble is blown within a bubble. I must warn enthusiastic readers that experience has proven that the biggest bubble blown is not always the best bubble blown. It took my Granny a lot of ice, WD40 and pure grain alcohol to remove a bubble explosion from my Farah Fawcett inspired hairstyle in the summer of 1979.

The piece de resistance of blowing magic of course invokes fire. It is bewitching to extinguish a dancing flame with a simple breath. Add a decorated cake, gift-wrapped boxes and friends singing: "Happy Birthday Cha Cha Cha" and the magic of the ages is present. When you make this special blow your wish will always come true. Be forewarned that Birthday candles should always stay on the cake, no matter how cute you think you look after a bottle or two of the finest bubbly - it just ain't cute the next morning when you wake up in your granny's bed half-naked with birthday candles stuck in your hair cemented in place by big dollops of royal icing. (Once again home brewed grain alcohol was invoked and it seems that nothing dissolves hard icing like a fine misting of WD40)

Some time this week put your lips together and blow. Like Glenda the Good Witch in her beautiful bubble you will feel lighter and transcended above your everyday worries. If blowing bubbles or candles don't work for you, call Hugh Grant or President Clinton they seem to ease their troubled minds with a more therapeutic type of blowing. Personally, I don't want to mess another hairstyle a la Monica L. with a blow gone bad - Granny's in heaven now with her WD40 and grain alcohol.

Black Friday Breakfast

Black Friday Breakfast Bake



If you're like me you have spent the past 2 weeks preparing for the Thanksgiving weekend. There are dust bunnies to corral, fine china to wash, silver to polish, dining room tables to decorate and of course Black Friday Shopping Advertisements to review. Black Friday was originally planned by the merchants of America as the kick-off day for Holiday Shopping. I believe that it is a day for Thanksgiving cooks to unwind after the many hours spent in the kitchen chopping, baking, broiling, mixing and topping the whole big meal off with a dollop of whipped cream.

Whether you get to your local shops at dawn to catch the early bird specials or sleep in until 6:00 am in order to miss the 4:00 am shopping rush, this easy make ahead breakfast casserole will feed everyone left at home while you are out saving money on all of those wonderful holiday deals.

This dish is made the day before and needs to refrigerate at least 6 hours prior to baking. All of these ingredients are a snap to find at any supermarket and require minimal prep work. The recipe follows the step-by-step pictorial.

Cut the crusts off of 7 - 8 slices of bread. Any type bread will work - wheat, white, sourdough or even rye. Line the bottom of a 13x9x2 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Since I have been washing dishes all week, I make this meal in a throw away aluminum pan. I plan on shopping all day not on standing in front of my kitchen sink.

Clean a bunch of green onions and chop off each end. You can clean all of your vegetables in a solution of 3 parts cold water to 1 part white vinegar to remove any yucky bacteria.

Chop the green onions into small pieces. A sharp knife works best but I have used clean kitchen scissors and even once in a pinch my daughter's safety scissors to cut green onion.

Spread chopped green onion evenly over the slices of bread in the baking pan.

Wash a red bell pepper. Red bell peppers are among the most nutrient-dense vegetables you can buy, with just one medium pepper (148 g) containing only about 30-40 calories and providing an excellent source of vitamin C (one of the best sources), vitamin A, and vitamin B6. This same serving also provides a good source of fiber and vitamin E (a potent antioxidant). This diet-friendly treat has no fat, cholesterol or sodium and very few carbohydrates.

Using a sharp knife cut the top off of the red bell pepper.

Remove all of the seeds and the white membrane from the cavity of the pepper.

Cut the pepper into strips.

Then cut the pepper strips into small pepper chunks.

Evenly spread the red bell pepper chucks over the green onions and bread.

Next comes the sausage. I use the pre-cooked turkey sausage links to keep this dish healthy.
If you decide to use raw sausage you will want to cook it first according to the package directions. Chop the sausage links into bite-size pieces.

Open a 4 ounce can of no-salt added mushrooms and drain the water from the can. I included a picture of my can opener because I love it. It opens cans in a snap and does not leave sharp edges. If you have little fingers that like to help in the kitchen or if you are a bit clumsy (like me) then you should invest in a smooth edge can-opener.

Add the drained mushrooms and chopped sausage to the baking pan and spread evenly over the vegetable mix and bread.

Pour 6 ounces of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese over the sausage. You can use the reduced fat cheeses if you are watching your calories.

Sprinkle 6 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese over the Cheddar cheese.
I like cheese so I always pour a bit heavy.

Break 7 eggs into a medium bowl.

Mix the eggs gently breaking the yolks.

Along with salt, you will need 2 tablespoons of butter, ground mustard and white pepper.

In a small glass bowl melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds. Pour melted butter into the egg mix. A light margarine or butter may be used in place of real butter.

Add one teaspoon of ground white pepper to egg mix.
White peppercorns are fully-ripened berries that are sun-dried after their red outer skin is removed. It has a slightly milder taste than black pepper.

Add one teaspoon of ground mustard to egg mix.

Add one teaspoon of salt to egg mix.

Add 2 cups of milk to egg mix.
There you are done measuring, doesn't that feel good?

If you want extra zest add 4-5 drops of Tabasco Sauce. I recently visited the Tabasco Plant and sampled all of the Tabasco Sauces. The Garlic Pepper Sauce is my new favorite. You can also add several dashes of Worcestershire Sauce in place of Tabasco or if you are feeling spicy add both.

The Egg Mix should look like this. Now mix it thoroughly for 2 minutes until the eggs are bubbly.

Pour into the baking pan the egg mixture over the cheeses.

Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and place in refrigerator overnight. The next morning preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Bake uncovered for 1 hour until the cheese is slightly browned and the eggs are firm. Remove from oven and serve hot.

This recipe makes 12 servings but when I am feeding the men it seems to only serve 6.

Recipe

7 -8 slices of bread, crusts removed
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 four ounce can no salt added chopped mushrooms, drained
1 package of pre-cooked sausage links, chopped
6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
7 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
Several dashes of Tabasco Pepper Sauce or Worcestershire Sauce
Line bottom of a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with slices of bread. Cover with chopped green onions and red peppers. Sprinkle with shredded cheeses. In a medium bowl, mix the eggs. Add spices and pour over cheeses. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours over overnight. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour.