Hi!

It’s EOQ time.

That would be End Of Quarter testing time in the public schools here in Winston-Salem.  And of course, I want my little ones to have a healthy, protein packed, FAST, breakfast experience to carry them through yet another “opportunity to show your brilliance” (as one of my kids teachers so cleverly refers to testing experiences – thank you Mrs. Boone!)…

So here goes…I saw this idea all over the internet and had to share it with you – wish I had been brilliant enough to be the first one to come up with this!

The Basics:  Crack eggs into a non-stick sprayed muffin tin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes til centers are set.  Serve.

That’s it!  That’s all!  End of discussion! You’re done! 

NOTE:  Of course the brilliance behind this idea is to make these ahead of time, so you can simply pop them in the fridge and pull out, warm up in the microwave, and serve all week long, thereby reducing healthy, protein, weekday breakfasts to 30 seconds!  Yipee!

Shoot!  Have the kiddos make ’em for you while you sip coffee, pay bills, chat with your mother, whatever…

OOh and…you can freeze ’em!  Yep just pull them out, warm up and serve – for up to a month!  WOW!

Yes – just WOW!

BRILLIANT WEEKDAY EGGS.

And here’s another opportunity to show this idea’s brilliance.  You can slide these babies between an English Muffin with a little cheese and tomato.

OR…you can serve them solo with a dolop of jarred salsa and orange slices…

OR…you can set them atop a whole grain piece of toast, add a thin slice of avocado, and melt cheese over the top for an open faced breakfast sandwich sort of thing…

AND…you can squish a thin slice of ham into the muffin cup, top with a couple spinach leaves, crack egg on top, sprinkle with S&P and a little Parmesan, for a ‘meatier’ delicious version…oh boy.

Oh and what about topping a salad with one or two for lunch or even dinner??  Ideas are endless…

So, if your weekday mornings are as flipping crazy as mine are – there’s just nothing like pulling out these ready-to-go eggs.  Believe me.  These babies are just such a welcome addition my early, cold, dark, mornings.  And I’m sure they’ll be for you too!

For the EOQs or whatever your life may have waiting for you!

Live happy my friends!  And thanks for stopping by!

Help!

Gross!!

Ewe!!!

Disgusting!!!!

Nauseating!!!!!

Can’t make everything from scratch all the time right???  So you innocently buy jarred pesto – ya know – just to have on hand to top pasta, chicken, fish, veggies for a quick meal or side???  You’ve done it many times before…so convenient, so easy…

Usually, I shake the jar to mix up separated ingredients…

Thankfully this time, I chose to stir.

My dear friends…I beg of you…always, always stir!!!!!!!

Unless of course you’re family likes eating something like this!

‘What is it!’ you ask?  Could it be a giant lump of Parm cheese??

Mix, mix…

Nope.

‘What in the heavens is it???’

Ugh!

Turns out it’s some type of waxy paper wadded up, sealed in the factory, fully submerged and simply drowning…in a BRAND NEW jar of pesto, ready for the store shelves and my unfortunate shopping cart!

Now that’s Value Added my marketing friends!  Real value added.

So please…

My dear, dear, readers…I repeat…please…stir your store bought sauces!

This has been a public service announcement brought to you by your friends at Laura’s Choice.

Luv ya!

“You say tow-may-tow, I say tow-mah-ta!”  It’s Tomato Time folks!  What to do, what to do?  Grab up as many as you can and go for it!  Salsas, soups, poaching sauces, pasta sauces, sandwiches, snacks, salads, toppings…on goes the list!

One of my favorite summer pastimes is finding delicious ways to use up all my now ripening tomatoes – what about you?

With that in mind, I thought I’d ponder a few tomato temptations that I absolutely drool over – and maybe provide a little inspiration for you in the process??  I mean whether you have your own garden beauties or happen by a market or convenient farmstand, grab a bunch… ’cause this is definitely the time friends!

So let’s see…where to start.  I love, love, love tomato sandwiches.  Plain on whole grain, toasted bread, with a little sea salt sprinkle.

Then of course, there’s the classic BLT.

Or a thick, juicy, slab for a toasted onion bagel slathered with a thick coating of cream cheese (and maybe a little smoked salmon and a caper or two if you’ve got ’em)…

Oh geez.  My mouth’s watering…

Certainly there is the classic Italian pasta sauce we all love, or meat sauce, or your Grandmother’s secret sauce recipe that is just perfect with those beautiful, red, round, juicy orbs just plucked from the garden!  Freeze some when you’re done, and you’ve got that summer flavor in December ready to go – a treasured Christmas gift to yourself of fresh, homemade, summer bounty savory-ness will be just perfect after the upcoming school play, a unending shopping or decorating or kid sick day, or that ‘quick, last minute, just for the fun of it’ science project a well meaning teacher squeezes in the week before school’s out!

I’m telling you guys – you’ll be thankful :o)!!!

Oh!  And then there’s that delicious room temp, chopped tomato, EVOO, garlic, basil, and S&P to taste, sit on the counter while the flavors blend (and you’re pool frolicking or whatever) deliciousness sauce that is simply spooned over the hot pasta of your choice whenever you get home…ahhhh.

And tuna salad stuffed tomatoes.

Chicken salad stuffed tomatoes.  Shrimp salad stuffed tomatoes.

What about a whole wheat pita packed with the hummus of your choice and a couple hefty slices…add a couple cukes, maybe some alfalfa sprouts and a Kalamata olive or two if you so desire…simply irresistible.

I also love to puree up a few and pour into a large flat bottom pan…add a quarter cup of white wine or so, a little fresh basil, some (small) pats of butter, and S&P.  Heat up, and add fish of choice (my favorite is Salmon).  Poach a few minutes to perfection (done when the fish begins to flake) and lay this over a bed of jasmine rice, throw on a side of steamed broccoli, and you’ve got the freshest, quickest and easiest, summer meal…that just melts in your mouth my friends.  Just. Melts.

Seriously, I can practically drink this tomato poaching liquid concoction – yes, I’m that bad!

What about a cold, refreshing, snappy, fresh tomato soup (otherwise known as Gazpacho)?  Puree a tomato with part of a sweet pepper, some onion, throw in some garlic, cilantro, S&P, a tablespoon or two of EVOO and any other fresh herbs you like along with a half cup of tomato juice.  Add this blended mixture to some finely chopped tomatoes, a chopped cuke, the rest of that diced pepper and onion.  Mix with a couple more cups of tomato juice, add a 1/3C or so of Champagne vinegar (red works too!) and a dash of hot sauce to taste if you like.  Serve up in chilled bowls with a dollop of low fat sour cream or plain greek yoghurt, a sprinkle of fresh herbs and some crunchy croutons.

Simply awesome, awesome, awesome!

Roasted cherry tomatoes with some olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper makes a great side dish.  Or…shoot, just run to the garden and pop them whole, right into your mouth for a terrific snack!  We surely do!

Did you know you can also freeze tomatoes whole?  Yep.  In freezer bags right off the vine.  Just pluck, rinse off, dry thoroughly and pack into freezer bags.  When ready to use, just rinse frozen under cold water.  The skin literally falls off. Their texture will be a little mushy, but they’re great for cooking with (try that tomato puree idea, sauces, soups) during the cold months and will really surprise your taste buds (and impress any unsuspecting dinner guests you may have happen over)!  They last for at least six months and are such a great way to ‘save summer’ if you’re getting a touch of the tired tomato feeling (what???!!!!)

Wow.  I just reviewed and we’ve got some serious tomato content here.

Enough about me already (oh but I didn’t get in tomato pie, or cherry tomato salad…next time, sigh).  What about you???  What awesome tomato inspired creations does your family crave!

Oh please…share share share with us!

And then we can all add your great ideas to our plentiful tomato usage lists, as these punchy red babies tend to ripen all at once…and, of course…we can’t stand to waste a single one!

Hope you’re enjoying a wonder summer season my friends!  Here’s to you, your family, your health, and living happy!