Eggs in a Basket

This is a fun breakfast for kids, but hearty enough for big kids, too.

4 slices of bread (use wide pan bread if available)
butter
4-8 eggs
Cheese slices (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste.

Use a non-stick griddle. Spray with cooking spray. Butter both sides of each piece of bread. Using a cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or a cup, punch out the center of the bread. Put the bread and the inside circle on the griddle. Crack eggs, and put one or two in the middle of each side of the bread (depending on the size of the hole you cut). Flip the bread circles. Let the eggs cook and set, then flip the egg basket. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and top with the cheese, and let the eggs finish cooking. Top with the toasted bread circle and serve.

Roast Beef Hash

We always had this the day after Christmas. It is made from the leftovers, so is a little different each time but was always delicious. A variation of this was made after the St. Patrick's Day corned beef.

Leftover roast beef, cut into bite-size pieces to equal about 2 cups
Leftover Yorkshire pudding, cut into bite-size pieces
Onion, chopped (I used about a 1/2 an onion)
4 or 5 potatoes, peeled and boiled, cut into bite-size pieces
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Olive oil

Heat nonstick griddle to about 350 degrees. Heat about 4 tablespoons of olive oil, then add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the potatoes and bits of Yorkshire puddings, and keep stirring and browning the mixture, adding more oil if needed. The beef is added last so it is not overcooked. Cook until heated. Season to taste.

Serve with a vegetable and some bread for a hearty dinner, or with eggs and fruit for breakfast or brunch.

Corn Meal Mush and Bacon

Grandma would sometimes make corn meal mush as a hearty breakfast for us kids.

The night before serving, cook corn meal in boiling water (should be the consistency of Cream of Wheat) and poor into greased loaf pan. Cover with wrap and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, cook up a pound of bacon. Remove bacon and place on paper towels to drain. Slice the corn meal mush and fry in bacon drippings. Serve with plenty of butter and maple syrup.

David Eyre's Pancake

Mom used to make this for brunch. Its sort of like a popover, with a hint of lemon and nutmeg. Very yummy.

I'm copying the recipe here:

David Eyres Pancake
(Originally published in the New York Times by Craig Claiborne)

2 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
Pinch of ground nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Juice of half a lemon
Fig or blackberry jam, pear butter or any kind of marmalade, for serving (optional).

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the flour, milk and nutmeg and lightly beat until blended but still slightly lumpy.

2. Melt the butter in a 12-inch skillet with a heatproof handle over medium-high heat. When very hot but not brown, pour in the batter. Bake in the oven until the pancake is billowing on the edges and golden brown, about 15 minutes.

3. Working quickly, remove the pan from the oven and, using a fine-meshed sieve, sprinkle with the sugar. Return to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes more. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve with jam, pear butter or marmalade. Serves 2 to 4.

Home Ec Apple Coffee Cake

This was from Mrs. Volpe's middle school Home Economics class. I think this was the first project we all had to do in 6th grade: