Lazy Monday.

I should actually say lazy weekend because that's exactly what I've had. Three days off in a row is nice, but at the same time, when you're a little financially strapped, it can eventually turn into a mind numbing mash of watching movies on Netflix and unnecessary naps. I've been making the most of it though and catching up on some sleep while letting my muscles repair themselves from the work I did over the week. I'm definitely looking forward to a full week of work though.

This morning Christina and I had the pleasure of introducing our Minnesotian (is that even a word?) roommate to Waffle House. I suppose I never realized that place was a Southern thing...and even more so, a Texas thing. It's nice to see things still titled 'Texas style' in Florida. It reminds me of the days when we'd go sit at the Waffle House in Lancaster and drink coffee and feel like grown ups. No matter how seedy one of these joints can be, I will always love it and feel at home there in a weird way.

I had a really nice week at work last week. It was hard, we were busier a couple of days than we've been since I got here and I was left alone the majority of the week on pantry. That took a lot out of me, but because I never had to get help (except during shut down)...it was a bit of an ego boost. One of my Sous Chefs and I were talking on Thursday and I made a comment about how this was my first back of house job (if you ever see me say BoH, that's what it means) and he looked at me all crazy. I just laughed and told him that I thought he knew that and he said he had no idea. He then went on to say that I fooled him because he had would have never guessed that I had never worked in a kitchen before and that he was impressed with how well I was doing. Talk about an ego boost...it really feels better than you can imagine to finally feel like I'm doing what I am meant to do.

Alyssa, Dijon and I were talking about it last night because we've all had a night or two where we just felt like we got beat up all shift. But even though every day we walk in and we know we're going to get our butts handed to us, we are still excited to go to work. This is the first time in a very long time that I actually look forward to work. I know full well that I'm going to be exhausted and sore and sweaty and gross at the end of every shift, but I still smile when I walk in the kitchen. I love it. I love that I'm good at it. I look forward to where this is all taking me.

Now if only I could get some shoes that don't make me want to chop my feet off at the ankles.

Since we went and had breakfast this morning, I thought I'd give you one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I've been debating if I should tell you my trick to making the fluffiest omelets you've ever seen or my mysterious bacon and pecan pancakes...I've decided on the pancakes as the omelet trick is simple enough to tell you in two sentences.

First, separate the yolks from the whites. Then, beat the egg whites with a whisk (a wire whip if you want to get technical) until they start to form soft peaks and fold the yolks back in. Tada! When you do this, the whites hold some of the air you've beaten into them and they make the omelet so fluffy and light you'll barely be able to stand the pillowy goodness. Pour the beaten white and yolk mixture into a buttered skillet and distribute whatever omelet filling deliciousness over the top. Flip after a few minutes, cover the cooked side with cheese and fold in half. Yum yum!

Now for pancakes that will make you melt and cry and swear to never have protein-free pancakes ever again. I made these up (not the batter, but the fillings) a couple years ago and then mom and I went to a famous breakfast place in Dallas a month ago or so and they had bacon pancakes. We got them just to check out the competition and I have to say....mine are better.

Just sayin.

Anywho, what you'll need:
-half a cup or so of toasted, chopped pecans. (Any nut will do really, but I prefer pecans. Maybe it's because I'm from Texas or maybe it's fun when people pronounce it pee-cans.)
-half a pound of crispy bacon (I cook my bacon in the oven for this recipe. Lay the slices flat on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 or so. When the bacon is almost finished, I turn on the broiler for a few minutes, just to make sure it's extra crispy. You want to be able to crumble it and have it maintain it's crunchy porky awesomeness once you put it in the batter.)
-3/4 cup of milk
-2 Tbsp white vinegar
-1 cup AP flour (I'm sure you can use whole wheat flour or something healthier if you want...but when you're making bacon pancakes, who is really worried about the type of flour you use?)
-2 Tbsp white sugar
-1 tsp baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 egg
-2 Tbsp butter, melted

Now, the first thing you want to do after you've crumbled your crispy bacon (and had a few bites to sample, of course) and toasted your pecans (in the oven on a cookie sheet just until they start to release a stronger aroma. You don't want them burnt.), is pour the vinegar into the milk and set it aside for about five minutes. This will 'sour' the milk, and I know it sounds weird....but trust me. Next, you want to combine your dry ingredients, then whisk the melted butter and egg into your milk mixture. Once combined, pour the dry ingredients into the milk and whisk until the batter is smooth. You can use an electric mixer, but why not get a little work out before you gorge yourself on pancakes?

Now, here's the key. Do not add in the bacon and pecans. Why? Because letting them sit in the batter will just make them chewy and soggy and you'll loose half the battle right there. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and drop quarter cup fulls of batter into the hot pan. As soon as you start to see bubbles forming on the top, sprinkle each pancake with bacon and pecans. As much as your little heart desires. Then, flip the pancake and continue cooking until the second side is brown.

Move the cooked pancakes to a plate and continue with the rest of the batter. If you're feeding a lot of people, double or triple this recipe because this will only make about eight pancakes.

And there you go! Serve with your favorite syrup and go to town. The salty, sweet, fluffy, crunchy, delightful pancakes will amaze everyone at your table. In fact....I kind of want to make these for dinner now. After my morning breakfast debacle of chopped steak and eggs....I've succeeded in making myself crave breakfast again.

I hope you enjoy making these. They really are my favorite pancakes I've ever made. And the best part is, even if you don't want to add the bacon and pecans, the batter is good enough to stand alone, or mix in some blueberries. Add some chocolate chips and serve it with whipped cream (which you should always make yourself. It's too easy and too delicious to buy that premade crapola).

Have a wonderful Monday. I am going to get some more photos at work of my improved desserts so I can share them. I'm actually not bad at cranking out some pantry items.

"We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are."-Adelle Davis

Happy eating,
Lauren