Americana Diner for Breakfast

While I still thoroughly enjoy getting together with my lady friends for a fabulous Cosmo or other cocktail on a Friday night, we also agree to catching up over a leisurely breakfast from time to time. We rotate our location for a few reasons; fairness to those who live in different locations, switching up our orders (for some of us it is easier than others) and simply a change of scenery.  Someday I am hoping to really have a true brunch and mix our breakfast routine and a few Mimosa's or other equally acceptable early in the day adult beverage.

I wonder what each of our choices says about us as individuals.  A one scrambled egg with bacon, homefries and whole wheat toast plate.  Classic.  Traditional.  Reliable.  What other descriptors can you add?

A ham and Swiss cheese omelette.  Keep in mind, this is a huge change of pace for the lady who ordered it.  The omelette itself is also traditional.  Thinking of other adjectives, it may be considered faithful, practical, and efficient.  Well, efficient may be a stretch, but any omelette could arguably be called efficient as it is combining multiple ingredients in one dish. 

Eggs Florentine.  A bed of spinach cradling two perfectly poached eggs smothered in Hollandaise Sauce. Over the top?  Complicated? Complex?  It is far harder for me to label my own dish.  It was delicious though a bit overpowered by the generous ladle of sauce (next time I may opt to ask for an "on the side" serving - which could make it a high maintenance dish as well).  It was also the first time I tried this dish. Fabulous and I will look for it on future breakfast menus.

We were well taken care of.  Three rounds of "Can I get you more coffee" and two offers of, "Can I get you ladies anything else," before we were finally ready to leave.

Yes, the Americana Diner left us feeling Fed Well as we caught up and traded life stories over platters of eggs with coffee or tea.  Life is yummy.

Sunday Morning at the Cup and Saucer in Pine Bush, NY

A good meal to catch up over is breakfast and so I summoned available family members and headed out to the Cup and Saucer Diner in Pine Bush.  For me, it is almost like going to a friend's house; it is in a family friendly neighborhood, comfortable and casual.

After all, the food is important, but if the atmosphere is all wrong, I would never return.  I am always happy to see my friend, Marlene and am sure to run into others I know and care about. 

We talk about current events.  Our town has received some recent negative press and since we have lived in the area for 3 generations now, we try to envision the place that was written about compared to the hometown we see day after day.  The stories don't quite match and we wonder if we simply are not aware, if something was blown out of proportion, or if maybe the conspiracy theories are true and the horror stories were brought to light to portray the citizens in a bad light.

Breakfast.  The reason, or the excuse, for our gathering.  Here's a look at the food:

Fruit Cup

Though I'm not a grapefruit fan, the rest of the fruit is sweet and refreshing.  A great start to the meal.

2 poached eggs with wheat toast and potatoes

My breakfast.  I love eggs and have yet to meet a way to prepare them that doesn't make me happy.  The poached egg yields to gentle pressure from the toast and my taste buds smile at the warm gooey yolk.

Sunny Side Up with Bacon*

Silver Dollar Pancakes with Chocolate Chips

I enjoy watching Catherine as she dips each forkful of pancake very carefully into the container of syrup.

French Toast with Bacon

My Mommy knew exactly what she wanted without a menu and was happy with her choice.

*The photo of the eggs and bacon includes an extra side of bacon that came with the silver dollar pancakes. Serving size not typical :)

We talk.  We talk about family, aging, work and holidays.  Venting. Yes, that happens.  After all, if you can't talk it over with your family, who can you talk to?

The check is quietly place on the table and we continue to talk. The time passes quickly and people have come and gone. The day is dreary, rainy and cool, but I'm feeling Fed Well for having spent some time with my Mommy, and part of my little family. Before leaving, I run into a friend that is fairly new to my life but it feels like she has always been there. Cup and Saucer (though my mother-in-law has taken to calling it the Tea Cup) is simply one of my favorites. Time to part ways, but with a craving for something warm and sweet, I make a quick stop at the drive through for a pick me up.

An after breakfast treat - hot French Vanilla Latte!

Though the Fed Well blog may not have a particular rhythm, neither does life as it ebbs and flows, sometimes gently or with pounding fury. The grey rainy days serve their purpose as well, for without them, the continuous sun would make life a desert.

Perkins in Virginia - On the Way to an Outerbanks Vacation

Vacation.  For us in 2013 the definition involved 6 adults, one 6 year old yellow lab female, one pick up truck, one car and many hours on the road.  We began on a Friday afternoon and stayed overnight in Virginia on our way to North Carolina.  The theory was that half the miles or more would be behind us so on Saturday we would be able to kick off our week with some immediate beach time.

We found a motel that accepted our canine family member, Maddy, had a reasonable rate and was modern and mostly clean.  (It was a motel after all - nothing is perfect)  We started our day with a meal in the motel's Perkins.  Maddy was able to rest comfortably in our room since we planned to check out after breakfast. Here are our orders.

A country omelet 

French Toast with bacon

Poached eggs with potatoes

The photos above and below were part of one meal.  A pepper and onion omelet with pancakes.

 Two eggs over easy with pigs in a blanket and hash browns.

Steak and eggs

Classic choices, right?  Everyone was happy and filled with anticipation.  What activities will we be able to accomplish?  We talked about what we hoped to see and do;  para-sailing, tea with the queen at an Elizabethan Garden, and of course simply planting ourselves at the beach.  I hoped the rental house was as good as it looked online and said a silent prayer to the vacation God(s) to allow everything to go smoothly and for everyone to have a good time.  Future posts will reveal how it all played out.

On a Saturday morning in July, one group of vacationers was happy to start their vacation feeling Fed Well.

First Time Waffles

I've hosted quite a few Mother's Day brunches and though the menu may change a bit from year to year, the tradition is found in the gathering of family, and the meal is almost always followed by outdoor festivities which may include wiffle ball, kickball and this year's badminton and volleyball games.  

I prepared a lovely pink lemonade with a bit of sparkling soda - for those who cared to add champagne I had that chilled and available as well.  Lovely.

For the food - my sister prepared a lovely sausage, egg and cheese casserole.  My adult sons had child-like giggles every time someone mentioned casserole.  They were brought back to this movie scene (warning: a bit of mild adult language) from a few years ago:  Casserole Argument from Stealing Harvard.  To avoid being drawn into the fray, my mother caught on and simply asked for someone to pass her the omelet at the table.  

I prepared a spiral ham and took my first steps into the world of waffles.  My nephew helped as we created an assembly line precision of spraying with non-stick spray, 2 1/2 ladles of batter, timer for 3 minutes, remove and reserve to warm oven.  Fabulous!

I also made baked veggie Stromboli-ish creation which included spinach, tomatoes and topped with mozzarella!

    

The bad news - using the disposable try on top of a standard cookie sheet (which I thought would be helpful for clean up) caused the bottom to not brown and crisp the same way as the top.  Lesson learned.

Waffles were served with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, whipped cream, syrup and each diner's creativity in preparing their personalized dish.

Camera shy waffle

Seemed the meal was a hit (except for the soggy bottomed portion of the spinach Stromboli creation - though many simply pushed the unwanted bit aside on their plate).  Games were played, flowers and plants exchanged, cards were opened, smiles all around.  A fabulous holiday.  Or better to say a fabulous Sunday with family?  

After a few games, time for dessert.  A mini buffet with bite size sweets from our local supermarket's "fakery."  My older son's girlfriend works at the "fakery" and came up with the nickname for the bakery department which mostly bakes off prepared treats and breads (not from scratch).  Eclairs, cheesecake bites and blueberry rugula on one platter.

Half pies are a wonderful fakery invention.  I invest in a blueberry and an apple for the occasion.

Also on hand were the leftover berries and whipped cream.  Perfect.

I have some personal photos and video of the day.  It truly was memorable, relaxing, a time for bonding and eating.  Hope you had a Fed Well Mother's Day!

Easter 2013

While it may be a fairly sure bet that many household celebrate Thanksgiving with turkey, all bets are off when it comes to the other holidays.  America, celebrated for our differences, enjoys a variety of menus on special occasions.  However, as readers may know, my family loves a good tradition and Easter breakfast/brunch is no exception.  A few dishes or a new cocktail may be swapped in or out, but the core is always something to count on.  This year, in addition to the traditional Mimosa, pineapple juice was offered as well.  I loved it.

Something so appealing about a pretty drink...

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Colored hard boiled eggs are a requirement.  Love the personal touch that can be added with writing a name in crayon or a drawing or sticker.  The cute bunny holder was new to the table last year.

Ah, Easter Bread.  No respectable Easter can occur without it.  (See previous post for "how-to")

Kielbasa.  Maybe not something found on many tables on Easter morning, but I don't ever remember an Easter without it.  My mom always has Hillshire Farm.  A few years I also brought kielbasa from a Polish deli and this year my brother-in-law brought some from a German store.  Mom prefers the Hillshire.

Ham.  Perhaps the more widely recognized part of the menu.  While some have a preference for spiral or honey or fresh, it really doesn't matter that much to me.  Ham = yummy holiday.

We ALWAYS have pierogies.  Mrs. T.  Always potato and cheese.  ALWAYS.  Ok, well, except the year I made potato pancakes and maybe one other time, but otherwise, ALWAYS.  This year, my brother-in-law also brought sauerkraut with mushroom filled and potato and cheese (I think they were from the same place as the kielbasa, but I'm not positive).  I am not a fan of cabbage in any form except cole slaw, but the pierogies were a hit.

Older son's girlfriend (I don't use names to protect my friends and family) made these cute and tasty cupcakes.  

And, from Jones Farm, we enjoyed a heavenly carrot cake as well as this "better than vacation" key lime pie.

Many years we have played kickball or flew kites.  This year after the plastic egg hunt it was a bit of batting practice with a softball that eventually exploded.  Fun times.  Family together.  Fed Well.

Breakfast for Good Causes

Is any meal really safe from blogging?  Why would it be?

Breakfast with the lady friends...always fun.  Breakfast with the lady friends, the Mr. and one of the lady friend's man and to benefit the local volunteer fire department = win/win.  PLUS an opportunity to buy chances - Bonus!

All hands are on deck at this local fundraising event.  Volunteers prepare and serve the food and the Boy Scouts also join in and help clear and set tables.  Plenty of activity.

In the middle of it all we talk about one friend who will be beginning a new chapter. After 34 years of working in one place, she will be starting over and though it was not her idea, it will likely be an exciting and probably more lucrative venture.

The food is served family style and simply placed in the middle of our large round table.  We pass the plates to each other then condiments.  

Funny thing, we can even compare notes on local fire company pancake breakfasts.  While this particular fire house has a room dedicated to holding parties and events like this, I have to give my local fire company the edge for food and variety.  My fire company offers three types of pancakes; blueberry, plain and chocolate chip as well as made to order omelettes, and POTATOES although it is served buffet style.

I have to say, it's the feeling of being Fed Well in the company of good friends, not the location or even the actual food that matters most.  I realized after I posted a group picture of us on Facebook that a dear friend was left out who returned to the area last year after moving out of state for a few years.  Trust me, she will be first on the invite list for the next fun breakfast!  Thank you to all the volunteer fire department members, Ladies Auxiliaries and ambulance corps.  Cheers and hoping you find yourself Fed Well.

Coupons are Worthless

All meals can be shared with friends and family.  Sunday breakfast with girlfriends (womanfriends/ladyfriends????) are a noteworthy star on the calendar.  It's not about time of day, but since we do not have adult beverages, we cannot officially call it brunch.

Three of us meet at a local chain that specializes in breakfast.  No free advertising here since their marketing performance was less than stellar.

We can be fairly predictable in our orders, but one of us had a slick paper of coupons ranging from 20% off the entire bill to certain dollars off based on total dollars spent.  The big feature on the page was a particular breakfast, let's just call it, "The Most Magnificent Breakfast" which she had been considering since TUESDAY.   

Our server, Christine, (I don't think it can hurt to tell you her name, just not that of one of the three chains in our area that specializes in breakfast - not IHOP), cheerily brought us our teas and coffee.  When the ordering began and my friend asked for "The Most Magnificent Breakfast," Christine's smile disappeared.  "I'm sorry, they took away our button on the computer for that and we are not offering that special."

?

The page of coupons clearly state an expiration date of March 1.  It is mid-February.  Ok, it is a holiday weekend, but no restrictions are expressed regarding timing of using the coupon.  The button is no longer on the computer?  Ummm, does the kitchen still have the ingredients?  Eggs, pancakes, potatoes, breakfast meats, etc?  

I can feel the prickly-ness (yes, I use this word and so does my family regardless of it's lack of dictionary listing) radiating out of my friend.  I almost ask for the manager myself when I see her give up with a sigh.

"We need more time then."

We are able to laugh it off, recover and find other things to order.  For one, it is her stand-by French Toast but instead of breakfast potatoes she tries the hash brown which she is not likely to order again.

When Christine brought our food, by the way, she did apologize again for the lack of computer button and inconvenience.  She identified the syrup flavors for my friend with the French Toast.

I opt for something different and have two eggs over easy, biscuits topped with sausage gravy and the breakfast potatoes that are the entire reason for coming to the chain.  They are crisp on the outside and tender inside.  Yum.  I bother Christine for an orange juice and she remains calm.

Instead of a magnificent breakfast, my friend goes for a classic with scrambled, bacon, potatoes and a side order of fruit.  Unfortunately, you cannot see the hair stuck to the piece of melon from this angle.  If you look very closely at the highest peak of orange cantaloupe you may make out some foreign matter.  Oh, Christine...

The offending fruit is removed and replaced with a corn muffin in a to-go bag.  She tried.  Really, she did and we laugh at this point and wonder if she is convinced she will not be receiving much of a gratuity.  Well, what she does not realize is though we found some of the experience truly frustrating, we have all worked for tips and simply could never take that away from someone for reasons that have nothing to do with service.  We spent time together talking about life and our families and so we still felt quite Fed Well.  Christine still received a fair 20% and we were able to use the coupon for 20% off of our total bill.

Personalized Pancakes

Sunday breakfast.  We alternate who prepares it, and whether it is a sweet or savory meal, but it is almost as big of a deal around here as Sunday dinner.  As it turns out, this week it was the priority over the evening meal since our sons had their own social agendas.  The ham will be a Monday night treat instead.

The table, though set with paper plates, seemed a bit fancy for our typically casual gathering. I believe it was the flowers that really made it special for me!

Though the pancakes are arranged on a plate in 3 distinct piles, two flavors were available; plain and chocolate chip.  Blueberry is on the menu when I buy the fruit and since I wanted something to jazz things up, I simply cut up half a banana and added it as a topping.

The Mr. does a lovely job with pancakes.  

How do you like yours?  With sausage?  Do you cook the sausage or banana in the pancake?  Flavored syrup?  Fruit only?  It was a lovely, simple meal and fabulous way to start the day feeling Fed Well.

Le Cafe a Mon Emploi

French makes everything sound so fancy doesn't it?  The title of this blog is simply, "The Cafe at my Job," but the language certainly lends a bit of class to the potentially mundane.

Here comes the pun, Cinnamon Raisin French Toast at the Cafe.  French Toast, ha!  No, seriously, this was a special made to order 3 slice serving of raisin bread dipped in egg mix and thoroughly dusted with cinnamon.  I usually don't eat 3 slices of french toast, but, I have to admit I was able to finish this without incident.

Same day and I return for "Hello Deli."  Please don't groan, but that is what our cafeteria has nicknamed sandwich-made-to-order day.  One of my favorite aspects is the Ciabatta rolls!

Other choices include typical breads as well as New York style hard rolls from a local bakery.

In addition to traditional deli meats, a choice of chicken cutlets are available; grilled with red pepper flake or fried.  A selection of cheeses, lettuce, tomato and spreads are offered as well.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I love the crispy chicken on Ciabatta.  If a sandwich were named for me, this would be it!  In fact, the dill pickle spear, bag of classic chips, bottle of water and the sandwich should all be bundled together and sold as the Fed Well lunch special.  Or some other more magical name.  Of course it wouldn't be wrong to take it to the next level and add a slice or two of bacon!  Ah the plus side of the cafe at my job!

Carrot Cake is Fine for Breakfast

For me, eating begins not at home but at work.  I take medication in the morning that requires an empty stomach and so with just under an hour commute it works out perfectly to eat once I am here.  However, my  food choices are my own and of course some days I make healthier selections than others.  I do want to point out, I feel helpless to say no to the endless supply of goodies we are constantly surrounded with as I have explained in the past:

Link to previous post regarding food at work

Also, part of our office culture is birthday snacks.  If it is your birthday and you would like to celebrate with a treat, it is up to you to bring it in for the group.  This method is so no one feels left out when someone forgets to bring in cake for their birthday.  Yes, it happened once to someone I work with and though we are all adults, she was quite upset.  This rule also helps if you decide you do not want to celebrate or do not recognize your birthday as a cause for celebration - whether it is an age or religious reason, doesn't matter.

When birthdays collide as in the the case of myself and another in our department (she is the day before) we work it out and last year we both split the cost of a few pizzas for our group.

One of my coworkers was away on vacation for her birthday a few weeks ago and so she brought in an amazing, slamming, king of the hill carrot cake from Jones Farm (click for their website).  This gorgeous and exquisite baked good should be in a hall of fame.  The cake itself is moist and you can see the finely diced carrot, raisins and nuts.  The icing is sweet heaven.  Reading the ingredient listing and discovering pineapple makes one's tongue say, "hmmm?"  So wonderful.  And, yes, the breakfast of champions.

The photo above is from a visit I made to Jones Farm to do research for an article in Hudson Valley Parent magazine.

In the afternoon, more snacks were placed in our common area and I overheard someone remark, "It is so strange to see healthy snacks here.  I am so used to seeing chocolate and goodies."  Is that sad or just honest?

The healthy snacks were left overs from a group pot luck Super Bowl party.  So does that mean we only housed the rejected goodies?

Honestly, which would you prefer?  I confess, I had two slices of carrot cake.  One for breakfast and a second later on as a snack.  I am gloriously Fed Well.