Breakfast time! Everybody up!

I wouldn't describe my family as a yogurt and granola type of family. That is, we like yogurt and granola as long as it is served with a nice side of thick sliced, soft cooked bacon, and some grits with extra cheese, and a fluffy stack of pancakes.

One of my Nonny's favorite things to do, was get up before everyone else and start frying eggs and sausage and pop a pan of made from her thirty year old starter, sourdough biscuits in the oven. Funnily enough whenever we ate there, us kids always wanted Fruit Loops (because Mom never bought us sugar cereal).

Then as a kid, my favorite memory is waking up on snowy days to the smell of my Dad making his perfect pancakes and frying bacon. In my opinion, they should make a candle that smells like coffee perking and bacon frying.

Now it is my turn and I must say that I enjoy the tradition every bit as much, if not then just a touch more then they did.
I thought I would share with you a list of our favorite breakfast foods:
Grands cinnamon rolls
Smoky sausages
Frozen mangoes

Dad's oatmeal (simply make a normal pot of oatmeal, then dump in enough butter and sugar until your sure your family will all die of a heart attack)
Toast

Pancakes (from scratch are sooo much better, recipe at the bottom of the page)
Bacon (this is one item I never try to save money on. I buy the thick sliced from Sam's and it is worth every penny!)

Grands frozen biscuits
Dad's sausage gravy
Fried eggs (Jonny has to make them, because to save my life I can't fry an egg. I always break the yolk)
Maple flavored linke sausage

Cheese grits (don't judge them till you've tried them. Recipe following)

Ham and Cheese Rolls

Something about getting up and preparing a morning feast for my family, makes me feel so cozy. I can remember running and standing by the fireplace until Dad was done with breakfast and then as soon as we were done eating, running right back downstairs and jumping back in the bed. Oh the freedom of youth...*sigh*

I will tell you that we certainly don't eat like this every morning and very seldom when it's warm outside. But when the snow is falling and the fireplace is crackling (at least it should be. I have two fireplaces, one is gas and one electric. The only crackling coming from them is when is stand in front of them and crack my knuckles) and when the kids are warm under the covers, something about starting off their day with a hot breakfast makes me feel so good.

I try to do extra little things to make breakfast seem more special. Such as serving juice from a caraf and using vintage juice glasses. Forcing myself to use the vintage tablecloth even though I know that Molly will promptly spill OJ on it. Putting the kettle on to boil for hot chocolate.

Here are the recipes I promised:
Pancakes; One and 3\4 cup all purpose flour
Two tsp sugar
One and a half tsp baking powder
One tsp baking soda
One tsp salt
Combine in a large bowl
Whisk together two cups buttermilk and two eggs
Gradually stir buttermilk mixture into flour mixture.
Melt half a stick of butter and gently stir into batter.
Batter will be very lumpy.
Pour about one quarter cup of batter onto a griddle heated to •350
Cook about three to four minutes or until edges look done.
Turn and cook three to four minutes.

White cheddar cheese grits
Two cups chicken broth
Two tablespoons butter
Boil
Gradually whisk in half cup quick cook grits
Return to boil
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally five minutes or until thick
Stir in one cup shredded white cheddar cheese. Serve immediately.

Ham and cheese rolls
(Sorry I have no measurements for these, my mom and I have always made these by taste, so good luck)
Four small cans of ham
One large block of shredded swiss
About half a bunch of green onion chopped
Mix together then add about a tablespoon or two of yellow mustard.
Form into balls and roll up in a large crescent roll. Then dip each roll in beaten egg.
Sprinkle with poppy seeds and bake at •350 until golden brown. Makes about twelve large crescent rolls.
My personal all time favorite food!

Please remember each day as you read this, that I never claimed to be a healthy cook.
No, I like cooking comfort foods with bacon grease, butter, sugar, egg yolks and everything else they tell you to avoid. But I must admit that they sure make you smile while your eating them!

This is not the blog that I promised for today, but Meg forgot to set out the chicken yesterday and due to the fact that I was not feeling so marvelous, I wasn't too upset. So we had pizza. And no not the homeade kind with whole wheat, hand rolled crust, and organic tomatoes with fresh spinach and a little feta...nope. We had Pizza Hut meat lovers and was it good!
Due to the fact that I am still on my phone until hopefully tomorrow, I still cannot answer questions, so I will tell you Cindy (faithful,sweet, encouraging reader) that it is a marvelous idea to do a feeding a group post. Let me think on that and I will get that out there soon!

Happy Tuesday my friends. Have a beautiful sunshiny sort of day!