if i had my own tv show

Most people don’t know this about me, but I’m not so great in front of an audience. Put me at the head of a table and ask me to conduct a meeting and I’m fine, as long as you let me stay seated. Put me at a podium, standing on stage, in front of an audience that is staring at me and I will freeze!! I’ve been told that I hide it well externally, but I don’t believe that for a second. Internally I feel like I am on fire, I constantly pan the room looking for the nearest exit and the clearest path towards it so I waste no time getting out the door and away from the scary audience when I’m finally done presenting.

this is my adorable nephew evan, the pic makes sense when you get to the last paragraph

In the fall of 2002, my siblings and I were on the Weakest Link. The audience was behind us and in total darkness, but I still felt their presence. The lighting on set was such that I could really only see the host, cameras/crew and my siblings, but I knew everyone behind me was staring at me, waiting for me to give the wrong answer. And really? Did I really miss a Britney Spears question on national tv?? That aside, I think my true downfall was that no one was standing there by my side. My closest sibling was only 2-3 ft away but at her own podium which made it feel like it was 2-3 football fields away. Even worse was the after-interview: just me, the camera, and two of the staff egging me on to make a nasty comment about one of my siblings. If you’ve ever seen the show, and no I won’t show you if you haven’t seen it, I was awful!!

In contrast, my sister and I were on VH-1’s very short lived series Motor Mouths and I wasn’t the least bit nervous. It was just us, alone in a car filled with hidden cameras, singing along to the cd they gave us, with me trying to get her to make a fool out of herself and eat a Slim Jim. I was totally fine, because I had my sister, an ally, sitting there right beside me through the whole thing. The episode only aired once, and I do not have a recording, but I did so much better. I was at ease, relaxed, totally as if the cameras weren’t there … until the last and final moments when all these people jumped out at us to tell my sister the jig was up and that she’d just been filmed for national tv. When that happened, I nearly sh*t, but so did she so I looked fine in comparison.

Therefore, if I had my own cooking show, I would want to have guest “stars” on all the time. Not true stars in the sense that they are in movies or are on tv (although that would be nice), but rather I’d want to have the people who have starred in my life and who would make excellent co-hosts to help me feel more at ease. If I had my nearest and dearest there with me, Dan flanking the stage and a friend or family member standing there with me to chat in front of the cameras while I cook, then I’d be a-ok! I think for my first episode, I’d want my dad to be there. After all, he’s the one that first taught me to cook; making E.T. shaped pancakes on Sunday mornings. My first episode would be “It’s all about family” with my dad and maybe my nephew Evan there too. We would make pancakes together, buckwheat of course, and dad could demonstrate how to make the perfect dunkin’ egg. We’d talk about how much fun we had on Sunday mornings, making breakfast for the family then going out and spending the day playing sports or ice skating on the frozen lake. I could give my quick lesson on the importance of a good, healthy breakfast to fit in line with my show’s theme, Evan could roll his eyes.

After we clean up the pancakes, Evan and I could make some chocolate chip cookies, a staple I recall from my childhood that went great with hot chocolate after a long day of playing out in the snow and over which we often recounted stories from our day. My aunt Jill makes the absolute best chocolate chip cookies in the world so she may have to be there so Evan can do a side-by-side taste comparison of Jill’s regular cookies vs. my healthy whole wheat ones. Even if he chose Jill’s, I wouldn’t mind, I’d just be having a fun time in the kitchen with family. And I must admit, I wouldn’t be surprised if Jill’s cookies were the winner, I think I’d choose them too!

My overall theme to my 1st season would be quick & easy, healthy family meals. I’d close out my episode by reminding my virtual tv audience that I believe a kitchen makes a home and that no matter how busy you are, if you follow my recipes you will never be too busy to spend family time, in the kitchen together. Then maybe the camera would pan over to Evan’s adorably chocolate covered smile (seriously, how cute is that kid?) and he could say “bye!!” I’d give everyone a hug and whew! first episode over.

I choose the stick …

From time to time, I make rash decisions and put myself through complete and utter torture. I’ve done bootcamp a few times, tried belly dancing (which was more emotionally scarring than physical), trained for a half-marathon and had countless other “great” ideas turn painful. This week? The Cleanse!!! I came home from work today with an enormo bottle of pills and told Dan that a coworker and I had made a pact to do a cleanse together. She’ll be doing a cleanse that I did last December; however, I’ve ventured into the unsafe and decided to try something completely new and unknown. Dan’s response: ugh that means wheat flour and no ice cream again; ok fine, but you’re not using MY bathroom!! Can you at least make that lemonade parfait stuff? As usual, he got over it pretty quickly as he knows it’s difficult to sway me once I’ve made up my mind about something. Easier to grin and bear it than argue the unwinnable argument.

Last December, I had more vacation time than I could carry forward into the new year and decided to take the week of Christmas off. In typical fashion, I was unable to sit still after the first few minutes Saturday morning (even before the first work-day off), took my car to get an oil change, and while walking around Wal-Mart trying to waste time while waiting on my car, I wandered into the scary vitamin aisle and had the GREAT idea to purchase a cleanse. I sat there waiting on my car, read the little pamphlet cover-to-cover and prepared myself mentally for the inevitable physical pain. As with anytime I decide to do something crazy like cut out carbs or give up my vino, I went on a total food bender and put off starting the cleanse until Monday. Monday morning, after Dan went to work and before a visit to the dog park, I googled, searched blogs and read message boards trying to understand what I had gotten myself into. It scared me sh*tless, but I’d made my mind up and I was going to get through it no matter what!! Just before lunch, after the visit to the dog park, I took my first dose … nothing. Before bed, I took my second dose … nothing. Day 1 came and went with nothing notable. Day 2 came and went with nothing notable.

Day 3. While not painful and awful, it wasn’t fun. I tend to be a private person when it comes to those things, even though the rest of my company (minus a few) clearly do not have my same issue, so I won’t go into too much detail. Day 4, fine. Day 5: I decided that I was fine, my body prevailed and had won out in the fight against the cleanse. I was going to be fine so why not just eat what I want instead of keeping to the high-fiber, low-cal, low-fat, fruit and vegetable rich diet … I wanted WINGS!! Big mistake, big, HUGE mistake (see Pretty Woman). Day 6, wings still hurt. Day 7, fine. Day 8 … 7lbs down!! Initially, I thought it was just water weight and the wings that made the difference, but two weeks later those 7lbs became 10lbs and stayed off. The cleanse was a success.

Now as I sit here perched on the edge of summer with zero will to eat right or exercise, I’ve decided to try another cleanse to kick start my efforts. While I could just do the same one I did before, I couldn’t find it in the store and was too impatient to wait and go to another store. Therefore, I bought a different kind of cleanse to try. So at least for the next 14, yes, 14 days I will eat healthy and do some exercise, if for no other reason than the fear of the consequence. In the age old tale of the carrot and the stick, I choose the stick. With my whole wheat banana bread baking away in the oven for my week’s breakfasts and the turkey chili simmering on the stove for lunches, I am prepared. Wish me luck!!!

I eat healthy, but not because I want to

Coworkers and clients are always surprised to learn that I hate vegetables. I recently had a lunch meeting at work and a coworker was extremely surprised to see me knock all the rabbit food to the side and remove the lettuce and tomato from my deli sandwich, I prefer just meat and cheese thank you (but it was a whole grain roll). I guess I just give off the vibe or appearance of someone who eats healthy? I hate eating healthy! I know I’m supposed to, I know it’s good for me, and I do feel better when I eat a light veggie-packed meal vs. this past Thanksgiving when I over-indulged on carbs and fats and couldn’t even sit without feeling sick for hours after. But I’d still rather cover my plate in gravy made from fatty pan drippings than eat a boring piece of plain grilled chicken with some asparagus spears any day! Unfortunately, I reserve those gravy covered days for the winter holidays and stick to my chicken throughout the rest of the year, with some exceptions of course. You can’t expect me to give up my vices entirely, can you?

As discussed, a few years ago, I started making over my eating habits. It hasn’t always been easy, and it surely isn’t fun to say no to a bedtime slice of cheesecake, but it’s a work in progress. I now eat vegetables, which if you asked my mother, is something she never imagined I’d give in on after 25+ years of refusing. I still can’t stomach a salad though, the taste and crunch of lettuce makes me gag; however, I can eat most vegetables if they are cooked. I’ve not yet worked up to raw veggies and please do not bring broccoli around me, the smell of cooked broccoli makes me ill. I have also cut down significantly on fast food, take-out, pizza (whimper) and even my regular fountain sodas. Side note: it wasn’t hard to cut down on pizza for my first 5 years in TX but unfortunately, I found a really good east-coast style pizza place recently and it has been so hard not to go get a slice every Saturday!!

Although I miss just ordering dinner and having it magically appear on my doorstep, I consider myself a fairly decent chef (no Kelly, not a “cook” like Bethenny), and so I enjoy the challenge of making over all my favorite recipes. It was a (mostly) win-win. I get to play around in the kitchen with new ingredients and still get to eat all my favorite dishes. There are some drawbacks of course, non-fat and low-fat ingredients don’t always melt and blend the same as the full fat versions and I hope with all my being that I am never forced to live a low-sodium lifestyle, but all-in-all; you can eat healthy while still enjoying your favorite foods. It just takes a little more work and a lot of experimentation. Thank goodness Dan has an iron stomach!!

I would still much prefer an order of mucho nachos, a muchaco and an extra large regular coke to my daily lunch of Campbell’s healthy request light soup (with the nasty chicken bits picked out), 4-5 whole wheat saltines and a big jug of fresh water. And sure I don’t mind my lunches as much when I have the time to make a vat of (healthy) homemade soup to freeze for the week or when I have the foresight to throw an additional chicken breast on the grill the night before, but nothing can or will replace my cravings for Bueno. Whole wheat lasagna noodles with ground turkey, reduced-fat ricotta and part-skim mozzarella fill my pasta void for the most part (as long as I have time to make homemade sauce); however, it’s just not the same!! I always thought once I started eating healthier, it’d get easy, I’d miss the bad foods less and less over time. I sincerely doubt I’ll ever feel the same way about turkey burgers or black bean burgers as I do about ¼ lb angus or sirloin burgers cooked to medium doneness perfection topped with a thick slice of aged cheddar and a few slices of peppered bacon.

I guess I’m just still waiting for it to get easier, I know I’ll continue to give in and get a Sonic bacon cheeseburger toaster from time to time, but I refuse to give up! And dangit, now I want tacos, stupid Bueno!!!! Oh well, maybe tomorrow ...

İCelebre Cinco de Mayo!

I love random holidays that give me an excuse to spice up a normal weeknight with something festive for dinner. Cinco de Mayo is not actually the same as our Fourth of July like many think it is; in fact, it is much more similar to our Battle of Bunker Hill or Battle of Bull Run. Cinco de Mayo commemorates the Battle of Puebla, where the Mexican army was victorious over much stronger French forces. Mexican Independence Day is actually in September. And yes, I knew this without having to search Wikipedia like some of you may be doing right now in an attempt to prove me wrong! Nonetheless, Cinco de Mayo is a day we Americans use as an excuse to consume entirely too much tequila and cerveza. In fact, I think Corona may have invented this holiday for just that purpose (personal opinion).

Enough of my history lesson, let’s get to the purpose of my writing today: I love Mexican food!! I live in Texas where fresh ingredients for Mexican cooking are plentiful aaaand Dan could eat Mexican food every day and never get bored. Therefore, I prepare Mexican dishes quite often at home. They’re typically pretty simple and if you’re making authentic dishes, they’re not all that bad for you! I tend to stay away from canned sauces and smothering everything in cheese and instead use traditional spice combinations to give delicious flavor to my creations. The one thing I don’t make from scratch: tortillas. Sorry, I’ve tried, it’s just not pretty (or yummy); I use store-bought tortillas and pop them in the microwave or oven for just a minute or so to give them that fresh from the griddle feel. Plus now, I can find whole grain flour tortillas and tortillas infused with various vitamins and minerals … living in TX definitely has its advantages when it comes to cooking.

For dinner tonight, I’m making Tex-Mex loaded beef nachos and I was going to make traditional fajitas but Dan was more in the mood for some cheesy enchiladas. Since I’m trying to watch what I eat (ha!), I’m making a healthified version of my normal chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce, Mexican rice & black beans.

Loaded Nachos
1 bag tortilla chips – I try to get the kind that have big individual chips vs. the little round chips
1 can refried beans (low-sodium, non-fat)
1 lb ground beef (97% lean)
2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar made with 2% milk)
2 tbsp taco or fajita seasoning
2 tbsp water
¾ cup salsa
lettuce, tomato, jalapeño (optional)

Cook the ground beef in a skillet and drain, return to pan and add taco seasoning and a tablespoon or two of water and allow the beef to simmer in the seasoning for at least 10min. Heat the refried beans in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are heated through and the consistency thins.

Lay tortilla chips out in a single layer on a baking sheet with very little overlap (you’re going to make two layers); top with about half of the refried beans, half the beef, 1/3 of the cheese and ½ cup of salsa. Lay out a 2nd layer of tortilla chips and cover with the rest of the refried beans, rest of the beef, ¼ cup of salsa and the rest of the cheese.

Bake at 350 for about 7-10 minutes until the cheese is all nice and melty/bubbly. While that’s baking, shred your lettuce, dice your tomato and slice your jalapeño into thin rings (or drain the jar if you bought already prepared jalapeño). Let the nachos cool for about 3-4 minutes then top with the lettuce, tomato and jalapeño (I only put this on half because I hate lettuce and tomato); serve warm and enjoy!!

Chicken Enchiladas with Sour Cream Sauce
3 skinless/boneless chicken breasts
12 whole wheat flour tortillas
2 cups shredded cheese (either Monterey Jack or Cheddar made with 2% milk)
¼ cup light butter
¾ cup chopped onion (about ½ of a large onion)
¼ cup flour
2 cups low-sodium non-fat chicken broth
1 cup non-fat sour cream
2 jalapeños, diced finely (or a small can of diced green chilies)
Salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder
Olive oil

Lightly sprinkle the salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder on both sides of each chicken breast then bake in the oven until cooked through. Pull/Cut/Shred the chicken into little pieces and set aside. (I was lazy tonight and picked up a rotisserie chicken that I shredded then sprinkled with cumin and chili powder so I could skip to the next step)

Sauté onion in a skillet with a little bit of olive oil until they are clear, add chicken and sauté with a little more cumin and chili powder for about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.

Microwave the tortillas (only 3-4 at a time; don’t put the whole stack in there) for 15-20 seconds to get them to soften so they roll without breaking. Add the cheese to the cooled chicken mixture and spoon into the tortillas, roll the tortilla from one end to the other and place seam side down in a baking dish (I use my lasagna pan). I usually add the cheese to the chicken mix and fill the tortillas as they come out of the microwave

In a saucepan, melt the butter, whisk in the flour and add the chicken broth. Cook about 3-4 minutes until it starts to thicken. Stir in sour cream and jalapeños and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes while stirring. Spoon the sauce over the tortillas then bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes; let them cool for a few minutes before serving or they fall apart.

The Great Debate

Saturday afternoon in the Watson living room …
Me: I’m bored; I think I’ll bake a cake
Dan: Did you say cuuuupcaaaakes??
Me: No, I said a cake
Dan: But Missy, I want cupcakes.
Me: Ugh, you have to fill all those little wrappers then they take forever to frost (insert pouty face here)
Dan: Missyyyy???
Me: No
Dan: Missssyyyyyyy???
Me: No!!
Dan: 3-2-1-1-2-threeeeeeeee
Me: Fine! But you’re doing the frosting, hmpf!
Dan: SWEET!

I do have to admit, I much prefer a cupcake to a slice of cake, but why? Is it the frosting to cake ratio? Is it the individual size? Perhaps it is because I don’t need a plate and fork? Whatever the reason, there is just something oh-so-irresistible about a cupcake. I can turn down a slice of cake pretty much any day of the week, but I absolutely, without a doubt, cannot turn down a cupcake!

So here is my absolute favorite recipe for chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, I hope you enjoy them as much as Dan did!!

Chocolate-Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
1 ½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Hershey’s, it didn’t turn out as well with Nestle)
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
3 eggs
½ cup warm water
1 ½ cups buttermilk
¾ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp vanilla
1 bag (8oz) miniature chocolate chips

Sift cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl; mix together with a fork. Add in eggs, ½ cup warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Mix on medium-high until smooth. Stir in the mini-chocolate chips then fill your cupcake wrappers.
(ps-I never sift anything even though it tells me in all my recipes that I should)
Bake at 350 for 18-20minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 stick butter (½ cup)
1 lb cream cheese (two 8oz pkgs)
1 cup powdered sugar (sometimes more)
1 tsp vanilla

Cream the butter and the sugar together with an electric mixer, add cream cheese in chunks and blend on high until smooth, add vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

like martha ... if i could be like martha!!

Most of my generation will recall a very annoying Gatorade commercial from 1991; back when Michael Jordan still played for the Bulls (the first time). It was insanely popular and that terrible song was constantly stuck in the minds of young children: like Mike, if I could be like Mike! Well, in 1991 you probably did want to be like Mike; he was wildly famous and extremely wealthy, had won his first NBA Championship, and was the epitome of a positive role model with his clean-cut public persona. Kids loved him, parents loved him even more!

In 1991, Michael Jordan was someone young children could look up to. Fast forward 19 years to the year 2010, and many individuals may not feel that same way anymore. In the past 19 years, he retired, tried his hand at professional baseball, came out of retirement, retired, un-retired again, had a few adultery scandals, got divorced and while he’s finally retired (for good this time) and the NBA official website still touts him as the greatest basketball player of all time, I think he’s landed himself somewhere in VH-1 “where are they now” obscurity. OH, I almost forgot his gambling problem that was first uncovered in Atlantic City, Q-Jersey!!

I don’t want to be like Mike, I never wanted to be like Mike. I wasn’t a girly-girl, I didn’t dream about being a princess and I for sure never dreamt about being married and having kids. I wanted to be a career gal wearing power suits with shoulder pads. Maybe I’d be a doctor or a lawyer, but definitely not a boring old school teacher (no offense meant to my teacher friends, but well if you know me, you know teaching just isn’t my forte); then one day I awoke and announced that I was going to be a chef. My parents slightly indulged my wishes and didn’t really complain much as long as the cookies were yummy and I didn’t burn down the house.

Julia Child was my role model. Here was a woman who didn’t really care much about what anyone thought of her and she didn’t try to hide or cover up her mistakes. She just did was she loved doing and didn’t care about much else. If she dropped something on the floor, she’d just pick it up and go back to work. Nothing got in her way, not even that tricky puff pastry. Her carefree attitude about cooking and really about life is awe inspiring still to this day. She was a pioneer; this was looooooong before the days of Food Network and most women on tv were on Soap Operas or Roseanne back when I was in a budding little pre-teen trying to figure out life. To me, she was the end-all-be-all of what I wanted to be when I grew up.

Although I near my {gasp} 30th birthday, I think I can still learn a lot from my childhood idol. However, I’ve turned my recent attentions from Julia to Martha. Martha Stewart is the definition of success. She went from being a model to working on Wall Street to various other employs, eventually turning her every day chores into an enterprise. To top it all off, she went to jail for 5 months, I expected she’d head to that VH-1 obscurity … but she came out even stronger and more popular than before. Throughout her life, when the world got her down or she was kicked aside, she got right back up and demanded more. She has turned her personal opinions, experiences and lifestyle into an enormous omnimedia corporation, yet she can still tell you which generic brand foods taste just the same as the expensive brands so that you can save some pennies while trying to cook along at home to one of her recipes. And I truly believe she taste tests it all herself. Why? Because Martha Stewart is a perfectionist. Sometimes perfectionists get negative press, we’re called high-maintenance or b*tchy, but I think perfection is a positive thing! While I have absolutely no intention of spending time in jail, I would be glad to be like Martha.

Martha is my hero; Julia is my idol. I think if I can strike the right balance of Julia’s positivity and carefree attitude mixed with Martha’s perfectionist attention to detail and fortitude that I can accomplish anything that I set out to do. To prove this to myself on a very, VERY small scale, tonight I’m making a chocolate cake from scratch using ingredients I’ve never used before then frosting it with homemade chocolate cream cheese icing, which I have never even tasted before. Both recipes are featured in the April 2010 edition of Martha Stewart Living; I’m not sure I can reprint it here without getting in trouble but I’ll be sure to let you know how good it tastes!!

I found a recipe on Martha’s site that is close to the same chocolate cake recipe in the magazine: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/one-bowl-chocolate-cake

it was an easter MIRACLE!!

March was rough: our dishwasher broke which I turned into an opportunity for a full kitchen renovation but then I got shingles and didn’t move for a week which was followed by a debilitating stomach virus. To top it all off, Dan came down with the same virus on the same day I finally started feeling better. What could have been a project completed in 2-3 weekends turned into something lasting longer than a month and I wasn’t able to cook for about 3 straight weeks … I was in hell. As a result, I channeled my inner Bob Villa, flashed back to the old times with Brucie in the garage, picked up Dan’s power tools and got to work! In no time, I was using the T-square to make perfect corners, laying down masking tape guides for the jigsaw, and putting in our new countertop all by myself (well ok, Dan helped lift it into place). I also got to play with the drill, belt sander, little sander, pliers, socket wrench, dremel, battery-powered screwdriver, crowbar, hammer, various other tools and my personal fave: the rubber mallet.

It is such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment; I installed a countertop and a sink! I sanded down all the cabinets and other wood using the belt sander with an 80 grade then 120 grade paper to finish them and make them all smooth. Then I got to work painting and painted from first morning’s tea until the last big girl glass of the evening. As of right now, the kitchen is about 96% done from a painting aspect and the counters are 33.3% done. We still have to put the counter top in under the stovetop and put the cabinets back together (the ones I decided I didn’t want sitting out in the middle, cutting my kitchen in half any longer) over on the other side of the kitchen. But all of that can wait and I won’t scream or cry or stomp my feet. Why? Because the most important part is done: the sink. Who knew the sink was so pivotal to the rest of the kitchen?? You can’t run the dishwasher without the sink so we were stuck on paper plates and plastic utensils. You can’t boil pasta without water, and I’ll be damned if I fill a pot of water in the bathtub and carry it into the kitchen; I barely have enough balance to make it from the sink to the stove. You can barely do ANYTHING without your kitchen sink properly installed and in place.

To celebrate my hard work and triumphant return to cooking, I promptly made dinner using the oven, stove, microwave and yes, of course, the sink. It was so nice being able to use my kitchen again for more than just reheating one of the many meals I’d cooked and frozen (and nearly ran out of). My stove was turned on, 3 burners at once! I think I heard my stove wheeze a sigh of thanks, he feels more useful when he’s cooking a real meal vs. just heating up the tea kettle. My oven definitely felt appreciated and used this opportunity to express his gratitude by filling the house with the wonderful smells of deliciousness that, for the first time in a week, weren’t the result of yet another Totinos pizza. Side note: if you ever have a really bad stomach virus, little bites of Totinos 4 cheese pizza with little sips of ginger ale keep the nausea at bay.

Sunday morning, I awoke to an Easter miracle. I’d gone to bed the night before, utterly exhausted and worn out from my hard work and manual labor; so tired that I actually hadn’t bothered to clean up the mess I’d made, something that never happens. Dan awoke Sunday morning to let the dogs out while I slept and, wait for it, waaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit for it … cleaned!!!!! I was able to go into my (halfway done) new kitchen, go straight to the fridge, and without having to dodge random tools strewn about or watch my step so I didn’t put a nail through my foot like the night before, I was able to cook! I decided to rejoice in the beauty of my half-finished kitchen by baking a strawberry French toast casserole to take to Easter brunch at Sam’s house. I carefully whipped my egg whites, creating soft peaks, before adding the buttermilk and slowly blending in maple syrup, brown sugar, granulated sugar and hot-oil cinnamon by hand, enjoying every last minute while the oven preheated. I then took a loaf of whole wheat French bread and sliced it into 1-inch cubes and placed it all into a deep casserole. I dusted the bread with more cinnamon, added a few dollops of the strawberry jam I’d picked up at the farmer’s market, then poured in my egg mix. After setting atop my new countertop for about 20 minutes (covered) letting the egg soak into the bread, I popped it in the oven for 40 minutes of blissfully aromatic baking. The house smelled amazing, the brunch dish turned out fabulous, and I had a very Happy Easter indeed.

We still have quite a bit of work ahead of us to finish the kitchen completely, but I was happy that for one day, I was able to cook!