Sunrise Melt

I've been neglecting this blog, and I apologize.
Let's just chalk it up to the fact that finals will forevermore suck up my life for at least 2 weeks out of the year.
Grades will be coming out soon, so fingers crossed that my time away was worthwhile!
Hopefully this recipe will make up for it.
In one of my classes, my friends Haley and Nikki had a morning routine. Halfway through our class together, we had a 15 minute break, during which time Haley and Nikki walked down the street to a local shop and grabbed a hot breakfast quesadilla. It always looked crispy and delicious - and someone overpriced. So, I decided to try my hand at making my own.
Introducing my super-sized and super-healthy sunrise melt!

Delicious, tangy, and filled with nutritious avocado, this sandwich is sunshine on a plate. Super-easy and incredibly delicious, it's become a new staple of mine.

To make this super-easy melt, grab these ingredients:

1 avocado
2-3 eggs
milk
salt and pepper
small block fresh feta cheese
2 masa corn tortillas

Start by mixing your eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Beat well. Add your cheese, breaking it into chunks with a fork. Pour your eggs into a pan and scramble.
Slice up an avocado. Grab your tortillas, and grill them if you can for an extra crisp and charred flavor. Layer your eggs and avocado onto the tortillas. If you really want an extra burst of crispiness, throw the sandwich onto a panini press. Slice in half and serve with a huge glass of orange juice.

Then sit back, relax, and watch the sunrise. FINALS ARE OVER!!! WOOO!

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Chicago - Yolk

As you've seen from my other posts, I love breakfast.
And what do I love more than breakfast?
Brunch.
Because brunch is just an excuse to have a triple-sized breakfast after 11 am.
What's there to dislike?
And several weeks ago, my good friends and fabulous cosplayers CourtoonXIII and Sirene told me that one of the best breakfast places in the world is Yolk.
Seeing as all three of their locations are in downtown Chicago, I made a point of dragging my family there during our trip.
And despite the wait at the door, I don't think they were disappointed.

Sunny sky blues and yolky yellows covered every surface and were enough to brighten up anyone's morning. 

As an avid follower of Restaurant Impossible, I can honestly say that Chef Robert Irvine and his designer Tanya would certainly approve of this sharp interior design.

Coffee and tea were plopped down promptly while we finalized our menu decisions.

Yolk literally has EVERYTHING on their menu - scrambles, crepes, omelettes, and every style of egg you could imagine. And almost every dish comes with a side of breakfast potatoes or fruit and toast or pancakes.
I had plenty of time to decided, but still found it hard to choose. Especially after looking at the pounds of delicious food being plopped down at tables nearby.

YUM.
Finally, we all decided, and the eggs came churning out.
First dish of choice - two eggs sunny side up over sausage biscuits and gravy with breakfast potatoes.

Can I just say - HOLY YOLK. I can see where this place gets its name - look at the size of those!
Then there was the meat-filled crepes with a side of potatoes and pancakes.

And my carnivorous choice: scrambled eggs with applewood smoked bacon, a side of breakfast potatoes, and a side of pancakes.

And now, a bacon close-up:

Delicious. Thick. Crispy edges. Perfection.
And, of course, the side of pancakes (which Yolk is famous for).

The entire meal was absolutely fantastic. Fresh, delicious, and just downright good. They didn't try to jazz up old classics with new spice blends or cooking methods - they used basic ingredients to make basic things really well.

And clearly, judging by their popularity, it's worked out pretty well so far.

So well, in fact, that my mom insisted on buying a tin of their pancake mix.

Just add water and you get a thick and frothy batter in seconds.

They fry up into extremely thick and fluffy cakes that cook to a golden-brown perfection.

Sweet, delicious, and totally easy.
Unfortunately, Yolk doesn't have an online store yet, but you MUST pop in if you find yourself in Chicago. It's definitely one of the best breakfasts you can ever eat.

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Afternoon Toast

Since Mallory and I can't go more than a few days without eating brunch, we decided to meet up over our Spring Break for a bite to eat in Birmingham and some shopping.

She recommended Toast, a small restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a retro setting. 

I liked the place as soon as I stepped in and was greeted with this picture.

Someone please tell me where I can pick one of these up for my house?

Mallory looked very excited as she browsed the breakfast menu (which they serve till 3 pm!)

I was just as enamored by their specialty coffee offerings. Any place that has a portion of the menu devoted to coffee is alright in my book.

Once we were given eclectic mugs full of warm coffee and fully immersed in the brunch options, we ordered our food.

I must say, as much as I hate spending money on breakfast food (since I can usually make it myself for cheaper), I absolutely LOVE eating breakfast out. The enjoyment of having a smorgasbord of potatoes, perfectly crisped buttery toast, mugs upon mugs of coffee, and everything covered in runny egg yolks is enough to make me spend the extra bucks to eat out.

Which is why I ordered this:

Eggs benedict and bacon on toasted sourdough with tomatoes and a side of breakfast potatoes. A-Ma-Zing.

Mallory got this fantastically beautiful omelette with potatoes and toast.

And how was it? Here's a hint.

Before:

After:

That's what I call taking care of business.

After stuffing ourselves full of eggs and caffeine, we made our way around Birmingham, flitting in and out of shops. I hadn't been down there in awhile, so it was nice to be able to see all the new shops the city has to offer.

While browsing, we came across an old-fashioned candy store. And since I'm actually 4 years old, I had to go inside to check it out.

My favorite part of the store was these little jelly bean bags wrapped up to look like cupcakes. So cute and such an easy gift idea for a candy lover!

If you're feeling the buzz of spring and looking to spend some time walking around, try going to Birmingham! Nothing puts me in a better mood than brunch and shopping.

Except may be second brunch and shopping.

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Brunch at Angelo's

If you've ever been to Ann Arbor, you've probably already been to this place. Or at least heard of it.
But you'll also know how delicious the food is, so you'll still want to scroll down and look at the delicious pictures.
Am I right?


I thought so.
This week, Mallory and I decided to take advantage of a last-minute class cancellation to go to Angelo's for a late brunch. At 11:30, we hiked through the freezing rain (which later turned to hail, which turned into a winter storm, which made Ann Arbor look like Narnia...you get the idea) to get to the holy grail of diner food.
Sitting very close to the north edge of campus, Angelo's is a classic breakfast and lunch spot that specializes in homemade raisin toast and amazing fried potatoes. During freshman year, my dorm didn't have a cafeteria, so I spent most weekends ordering buckets of eggs and potatoes from this place to feed my breakfast food cravings.

Within minutes, we were drowning in warm mugs of coffee, being refreshed at an amazingly fast pace by our excellent waiter, and mulling over the menu.

After 30 seconds, we both admitted that we'd already looked up the menus online and made our decisions ahead of time.

Food is serious business, and preparation is key.

Mallory chose an spinach and egg white omelette with dry whole wheat toast.

I opted for the same thing that I always carried out in my younger days - two eggs, scrambled, with breakfast potatoes and buttered raisin toast.

Look at that forced smile, I can barely stand to pose for a picture long enough for it to be taken because I'm so eager to start eating.
But can you blame me? Look at this glorious plate.

Pure. Bliss.
I absolutely LOVE the breakfast potatoes here. I'm such a breakfast potato snob, and I can honestly say that these are some of the best I've had. 
And don't forget the toast. The toast is important.

Mallory and I munched away for an hour or so, getting spoiled with continuous coffee refills as we chatted about the Oscars and remained safely out of the rain. I wish I could spend every morning enjoying such a feast.
If you like the look of Angelo's, or if you haven't stopped in for awhile, I highly recommend popping in during the late morning on a weekday. Angelo's is usually incredibly busy on weekends and have a wait to sit down, but Mallory and I were one of 4 or 5 tables in the restaurant the entire time we were there. Trust me, it's worth taking a weekday morning off to treat yourself.

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Salsa Verde Eggs

My friend Katie and I are two of the biggest foodies you'll ever meet. Our conversations are usually a giant verbal recipe swap. Discussing new ways to use seasonal ingredients and sharing tips and tricks for revamping classic dishes are common themes.

Basically, we like food, and we're not afraid to say it.

Recently, Katie and I were discussing eggs.

Eggs are one of my favorite things to eat. They're incredibly versatile, filling, go great with coffee, and cheap cheap cheap.

And fortunately, Katie was kind enough to share with me one of her favorite ways to revamp plain breakfast eggs.

Introducing, Salsa Verde Eggs:

Simple, spicy, and easy, this dish is my new go-to breakfast.

To make one serving, you will need:

dab butter

2 eggs

a dash of milk

salt & pepper

3-4 tablespoons salsa verde

one handful shredded queso cheese

Start by heating a pan on medium heat. Place a dab of butter on the pan.

Mix your eggs in a bowl with the milk, salt, and pepper.

Pour your eggs into the pan and let them cook, untouched. Just as the bottom of the eggs begin to set, sporadically pour your salsa verde into the egg mixture (if you have any on-hand, this is also a great time to add some broken up tortilla chips to your eggs). Scramble your eggs until cooked. Top with cheese.

Spicy. Cheesy. Delicious.

Thanks Katie!

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