Menus, may 6, 2014

"Mothers are all slightly insane.” 

J.D. Salinger

By the time they're teenagers most children, though they may concede that their mothers were once normal female-type people would agree with Salinger, that all mothers, especially theirs, really are 

a little buggy. 

but really, it's no wonder. There you are, prowling around, queen of the jungle, then all of the sudden, you're a mother in the center of a three ring circus. And everywhere you look, there's another mommy hoop to jump through that you may or may not be able to clear, which might or might not matter,

depending which hoops are on fire and
could leave permanent scars.

And one of the good mother hoops is to teach those you love how to jump through all the right hoops too.  Take for instance, the traditions of Mother's Day. Look at this woman and ask yourself "Is this a woman who fell asleep hoping for a surprise breakfast in bed?":

Nope.

Breakfast in bed. It's certainly one way to say "I love you" in  Mother's Day Speak. But what if speaking the language in the way tradition says it has to be spoken means that everyone gets up earlier than they want to so that Mother (see sleep-addled woman above) can have a breakfast she doesn't want (with only a very tiny slice of no time at all to get that look of dismay off of her face)? Sometimes it seems that on Holidays like Mother's day, the whole world conspires to say:

Love means
jumping through hoops you don't want to,
for people who don't really want you to.

It's not that I mean to disparage a venerable tradition. In fact, when you reduce the breakfast in bed tradition down to its basic elements, it's pretty awesome! You have....let's see. Love. A very big deal...Gratitude. Also awesome. And, well....breakfast.

Love, Gratitude and breakfast. Now, that's a beautiful Holiday tradition triad. And though Love and Gratitude are wonderful served anytime, I (and a few other people I know of the female persuasion) enjoy breakfast much more if it happens after morning. 

That's why for the second year in a row, Mother's Day in this house will be celebrated with breakfast for dinner all week long. It's going to be Matritastic! Momerrific! 

Or at least I hope so.

Here's what I've planned:

Wednesday: Buttermilk Pancakes with Sausage and asparagus

The picture you see at the left is from what is perhaps the best buttermilk pancake recipe I've ever found. So amazing that I did it the courtesy of linking with the picture the recipe actually uses. If you could please, with the tweezers of your imagination, pluck out those blueberries,and fry up or grill some sausages, you'll have just the sort of easy and comforting meal that's going to fill this whole week. If you have more pancake batter than you need, save it for tomorrow's waffles.

Thursday: Roast Chicken and Waffles

We'll have glutenated last night, so I'll be trying these gluten-free potato waffles, and roasting an extra chicken breast for

Saturday's hash. If you're using leftover pancake batter for waffles, just thin it down a little with some milk or buttermilk.

Friday: Baked Huevos rancheros

 I waited two whole days before including my favorite breakfast main course, eggs! We'll be pairing these with salsa and maybe some grilled or pan-roasted tomatoes.

Saturday: Chicken hash and eggs

Any leftover chicken makes it's way into this hash- it's a complete meal in one, but if you want to up the protein count, a pork chop would be great. If you want to tinker with the veggie ration, throw in a handful of baby spinach, or substitute sweet potatoes or butternut squash for the white potatoes.

Sunday: Breakfast tacos with bacon and kale

Breakfast burritos!!!  Such a versatile treat. Corn tortillas will reduce the gluten, and this is a great chance to use up any leftover salsa or vegetables from earlier in the week. *note to self*  Try to remember to buy avocados on Wednesday, so they'll be ready by Sunday, ok?






Well, that's our week, and I'm trying to figure out why it feels so....naughty.
because it does, doesn't it?
It feels like breaking the rules- which is extra fun on a day that's all about mothering.
I hope this week you have a little fun 
bending a few rules too.
Nothing too harmful.
Just the sort of rules that regulate
how and why and when 
you're supposed to love the people you love.
I hope this week bends rules right around
until there's comfort where the tired usually goes.
and that the only hoops you have to jump through

are the ones that feel like play.