An Ode to Huevos Rancheros

Is there anything better than a big brunch after a run on a chilly Sunday afternoon? I truly cannot think of anything as satisfying. I'm a sucker for brunch as breakfast foods are my favorite! I have a few local places in town where I like to get my Pesto Eggs Benedict fix or my Maple-Flavored Biscuits and Gravy fill but these occasional splurges can be rather spendy. I like to have some trusty inexpensive recipes to fall back on and to be able to whip up at home when my budget is pretty tight.

This would be one of those recipes. I have made this recipe a few times now just adding this or trying something new. It's an extremely simple classic and you should try it, like, NOW.

Original Inspiration:

My Finished Product:

Things To Note:

- I do a couple of different things with this recipe. The first turn I take is with the beans. I have a food processor I have never used. I like the idea of it but it always seems like such a hassle. If I can ways around using it, I do. That's what I've done with this. Instead of using black beans, which I'm sure are amazing, I use a can of refried beans. I just add the same spices to that and it's quick and just as fulfilling. Try it both ways and let me know which way you prefer! Maybe you'll inspire me to bust out that food processor at long last. For now, I'll stick with the lazy route.

- The second thing I switch up is the corn tortillas. I used the tortillas the first time I made this dish and I wasn't wowed by them. A few months ago, my mom and I took a crazy road-trip to Bayfield and made a detour to The Delta Diner. If you're ever in that area -- GO. Seriously, it's not even a suggestion. It's a command! It's blow-your-mind good! While there, we had the Pedro's Mex Benny. It's kind of a Mexican play on the traditional eggs benedict. The eggs are covered with a bean sauce and served over the top of a piece of cornbread. The flavors of that dish reminded me a lot of this recipe and also gave me a brilliant idea! This last time, I prepared everything the same except I served it over the top of a dish full of baked Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake Mix. See that yellow stuff pictured above? Yeah, buddy. DELICIOUS.

- So my bowl layering went as follows: sweet corn cake, seasoned refried beans, cheese, eggs, sour cream, and salsa.

Overall Impression

This recipe is a game changer. It's quick to make and so full of flavor. I love it. You'll love it. Trust.

Fresh Starts and Pumpkin Brittle

Welcome! Or maybe even welcome back? Either way, it's been a long time since I've blogged. I tend to get super into it for a little while and then slowly stop as life gets busier. In the past, I gradually begin to realize how much duller and duller I come across to myself with every new post. This time I'm doing things a bit differently. I want to write about something that has always interested and inspired me -- food.

My life is a rather active one and many nights I spend away from the comforts of my home. This blog will be about my weekends where I'm free to cook or bake and then write about these experiences. Occasionally, I'll throw in comments on a new restaurant I'll try out or pictures from a friends' dinner party or BBQ.

I just want to be creative and to share something that never fails to make me happy or to release the tension from a full, rehearsal-filled week. I'll share my hits, misses, and photos from each these attempts. Bottom line: I'm just a girl trying out recipes on the weekend and blogging about them. Hungry? Join me.

This first post I'll dedicate to pumpkins. The air is getting crisp and the leaves are starting to fall from the trees. Not only is Fall my most favorite season but it's the absolute best time of year to get creative in the kitchen and chow down like we're all getting ready for hibernation mode. I admit that like most of the masses, I enjoy most everything pumpkin related: pumpkin mocha-flavored coffees, the Pumpkin Spice specialty Hershey's kisses and now, as I discovered this weekend, pumpkin seed brittle. 

I find most of my recipes on Pinterest. When I stumbled across this recipe, I absolutely had to try it out right away. I'm not a big sweets eater -- but it sounded tasty and looked great, so I ventured ahead.

Original Inspiration:

 

My Finished Product: 

Things To Note:

-I didn't realize that the original poster used pumpkin seeds that had been removed from their shell until I got home from the grocery store. For those of you who haven't had pumpkin seeds before, they kind of taste like sunflower seeds. So... it turned out tasty but chewy. Hard to go wrong with anything covered in chocolate and that's salty AND sweet. My advice would be to not be a dope like me and to go for the seeds without a shell.

-Make sure to get a candy thermometer if you don't already have one. Take it from me, I didn't have one -- so I tried to just hold a regular cooking thermometer in the pot while the water, sugar and corn syrup boiled. I tried desperately to not touch thermometer tip to the bottom of the pot and stood wincing while it steamed and seared my hands. Yes, I do some dumb things when no one else is around the kitchen.

-Along that same line, the water, sugar and corn syrup concoction is FLIPPING HOT. When I added the pumpkin seeds, I mixed them in and one lonely seed got stuck to my wooden spoon. Foolishly, I tried to remove it from my spoon with my hand and ended up burning the ever loving SHIT out of my pointer finger. Instant blister bubble. You have been warned, friends.

Overall Impression:

Yummy and totally in the Halloween spirit of things! I'll definitely make this again!