Thursday, March 27, 2008

Almost at the end of leftovers

There is something about Holiday weeks in my family, I still cook as if everyone were home for Thanksgiving- Christmas- Easter - etc. so I tend to have a lot of food left over.

So... meals this week have been interesting. Yesterday morning I could fix a big breakfast since Christopher didn't go to class until noon-ish, so I found myself staring at the refrigerator shelves (I can't be the only one who does that) and realizing there were the makings of a great breakfast there.

When we lived in Iowa, we enjoyed going to a restaurant that served skillet breakfasts. We loved these meals but when I tried to recreate them at home, they never turned out right.

Then one day, we were at a restaurant that served something similar and I had a Eureka moment! No wonder mine didn't look like the original. So... yesterday I pulled out half an onion, half a green pepper, a hand full of leftover mushrooms from a meal last Friday (still useable but looking pathetic), leftover smoked sausage, two remaining boiled potatoes with their skins on... and six eggs. After much chopping, slicing, beating, sauteing, etc. they were done.

I placed the scrambled eggs on the plate and then the rest of the mixture over them. That is what I had missed from the original restaurant meal... the eggs were cooked separately and were at the bottom of the skillet, or in our case yesterday... the plate!

Well, it was delicious and nothing at all shouted out... leftovers. Sometimes I'll guild the Lilly and sprinkle cheese on top but I left it off this time. Christopher will eat just about anything with cheese, except perhaps spinach.

I had a good friend who used to be appalled at how much I enjoyed getting creative in the kitchen. She told me I was the only person she knew who hoped our Heavenly homes had a great kitchen. I think she is willing to only eat of the fruit of the Heavenly trees if it means no cooking.

I don't understand that at all, having spent untold hours (and hours) watching Julia, Jacques, Ina, that cute Taylor, and many other wonderful teachers as they pass on their knowledge of how to create... magic. The chemistry of it all! The art and creativity of taking flour and sugar and butter and eggs and... making a gajillion things from it. Then there is the blank canvas of chicken and fish, the possibilities of ground beef, the aroma of ham slowly baking in the oven... no wonder I hope we have great kitchens in Heavenly homes!

I have to go. Dinner is ready... leftover chicken sliced and added to roasted summer squash "chunks" and potato wedges quartered and roasted until golden brown... yum. The only remaining leftover (?)... bean soup from the ham bone.

Photo: This looks like one of my new skillets but it is definitely not my kitchen (or my old stove). :)

5 comments:

Anita said...

Oh, you had me fooled! I thought you must have a perfect kitchen to go along with your beautiful dining room. Oh well, it's a delightful picture and made me want to read on. You don't know me but I love your blog! Thanks for sharing!Your breakfast sounded delicious!

Brenda@CoffeeTeaBooks said...

My kitchen is very much a vintage cottage looking room.. with a very old brown electric stove.

Hey, it works.

Kelly said...

I love vintage cottage what a quaint style kitchen and those meals sound just wonderful!

Kelly

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

This shiny copper looking pot reminded me of a funny book I read once, in the early 80s probably. They were suggesting that sterling silver conducts heat best, even better than copper, and that it would be worth the investment to buy our sauce pans of silver! It made me laugh a lot, so over the top.....(Though I do agree that good quality is best in the long run. I've always heard "buy cheap and you buy expensive, buy expensive and you buy cheap". It can often be true. I love your leftover ideas. A few days ago, my son brought home some vegetables that the CSA farm we belong to was going to use for compost, but offerred to him if he could use them. There were two large carrots and about six winter radishes (large and round and inside white with a red starburst) and some garlic. I sauteed them all with a very large onion, salted and peppered, threw in a bag of frozen peas to sweeten it at the end (and tone down the radishes just in case) and made a good soup which we've eaten for three days - with other things, of course. But too good to compost!

Anonymous said...

I have never enjoyed cooking, and believe I probably never will. My mom didn't either....hmm...wonder if there's a correlation there?
However, I've always enjoyed cleaning my house. With adrenal fatigue, my children have now (sadly)taken over that area of my life but I naturally love to clean and organize by nature. I often feel depressed because I can't clean the house-seriously it's true.
I don't feel as sad about the cooking, lol. :)
joanna
p.s. Actually, I do feel bad that I don't make nice meals for my family, or do any baking for them. I'm seeing a nutritionist about my adrenals and taking herbal supplements to try and heal them. It's SO hard living with low energy. I know you understand. :)