Recipe #1

So I woke up this morning really hungry.  I mean, REALLY HUNGRY.  Like if I didn't immediately eat everything in sight a healthy breakfast I would die.  That got me to thinking about two things, food-related, that I wanted to share with you today.

First is a simple breakfast/brunch recipe that the husband/lover/best friend and I made at the campsite this past weekend.  You can make this foil pack either in the campfire or on the grill, so you don't have to be camping to enjoy this recipe:

1.  Start with 2 cups frozen hash browns and 1/2 cup diced ham

2.  Add 2 T. chopped green peppers and 2 T. chopped onions

3.  Add 2 beaten eggs and salt and pepper

4.  Make 2 "tented" foil packs, using doubled heavy duty foil

You can see MY PERSONAL CHEF here, preparing the fire, ready and eager to do the THE MANLY PART.

Cook the foil packs on medium coals in the campfire for about 10 minutes.  Or, put them on the grill over direct heat for about 15-20 minutes (if you are unfortunate enough to be NOT camping.)

5.  Open the pack and top with some grated sharp cheese

Voila!  An easy, tasty, cheap, fun meal.  If you have kids or grandkids, I'm sure they would enjoy making their own pack, customizing it to their own preferences.  And the best part is this:  the only dishes to wash were one bowl, one cutting board, and one knife. Works for me.

The second food-related item I wanted to share is sort of a book report.  (When I go camping, I often read.  A LOT.)

This time one of my reads was a short book which I ordered and read on my Kindle.  

Everyone needs one of these.  I love love love mine.

I will just share some of the quotes from the book Cooking Solves Everything, by Mark Bittman that jumped out at me and made me stop and think. (Don't you just love the title?)

1.  "100 years ago every family had a locavore cook, typically the mother."  (True, but I never called my mother a locavore - she probably would have sent me to my room.)

2.  "When you swing through the drive-up window at McDonald's, you're implicitly supporting wasteful gasoline consumption, minimum-wage labor, farm subsidies for the nation's biggest farmers, confinement and mistreatment of animals, non-recyclable packaging, high-calorie meals, and, then you must factor in the food giants' worldwide reach, global trade and cultural imperialism.  No kidding."   (Deep thoughts.  OUCH.)

3.  "Replacing processed foods with the process of cooking food ourselves leads to both energy conservation and energy independence."  

4.  "What's more sustainable:  driving your SUV to and from the farmer's market for a locally grown apple, or walking to the supermarket for an apple that was trucked in - along with thousands of other apples - from five states away?  There are people who calculate these things and....it's tricky."  (Ummm,   I'm confused - I drove my car to the supermarket to buy fruit.)

My recent purchase.  I should've walked to the store, I guess.

The book held my interest anyway, and made me ponder how I can be healthier by cooking more of the things I eat at home, and "from scratch."  I would recommend it, if you have a couple of hours to read and like thinking about food.

So anyway, go have something good to eat and enjoy the rest of your day. 

 Hopefully I've given you some good FOOD FOR THOUGHT.