BLACKBERRY SMOOTHIE: Bee Pollen Bliss for the Morning Blues

I just got a blender, and it's a whole new world! Mostly I've discovered how much I like smoothies. They make me so happy. Who knew?

As it turns out, my blender came into my life at the perfect time. I'm trying to kick the coffee habit, and I'm looking for some new morning pick-me-up's of the less addictive kind.

So far, the smoothie is doin' the trick! When hitting the snooze button, the thought of my smoothie comes to mind, helping me to hit snooze just 3 times instead of my usual 5.

My favorite combination these days is a real simple one, but I sure like it:

• 2 cups of frozen blackberries (usually a little less than half a bag)
• 1 & 1/2 bananas (or just 1 is fine too)
• a little shake or squeeze of sweetener (I've been using agave lately)
• about a half teaspoon of bee pollen (good for energy)

That's it. It's super thick, which gives it a kind of ice cream-y quality. It's true luxury in the form of a healthy morning drink.

And I have to say, it's absolutely addictive (in a good way)!

BREAD PUDDING WITH FRESH FRUIT: Sweet Solution

I usually remember that I need to buy milk right after I've made my coffee, fifteen minutes before I need to leave for work. So it's on a regular basis that I get my milk at the 7-11 across the street from my apartment. But 7-11 only sells organic milk in the big containers. As I stand there in the fridge section, trying to hustle out of there, I always go over the same mini argument in my head: Do I buy the organic in the humongous container that I'm either going to have to use up somehow or waste, or buy the itty-bitty container of conventional milk that's the perfect size? I don't buy everything organic, but I really do try to with certain foods, and milk is one of them. So even though I pretty much only use milk in my coffee, the enormous organic carton wins out time and time again.

I've been wanting to figure out how to use up extra milk every week. I've been making pancakes, and those are good, but the truth is, I'm not always in a pancake mood. So I recently decided to try my hand at making bread pudding. The ingredients were pretty basic; I used the rest of my big ol' thing of milk, a bunch of fruit that was just about to go bad, extra cream and eggs I had leftover from a different baking project, and the sliced bread that I keep in my freezer. The final result... good stuff! Better than pancakes!

This was the first time that I made bread pudding. To make the recipe, I mostly went by look and feel. I glanced quick at a couple of cookbooks just to make sure that I was on the right track, but sometimes I just don't feel patient enough to completely read through a recipe.

One of the main things I picked up on is to make sure that there is a lot of milk for the bread to soak up, not just a little bit. Some of the books said to heat the milk up first and then soak the bread and blah blah blah, but I had stuff to do besides make bread pudding, and I didn't have time for all that. I was a little nervous that I would risk ruining ingredients, and then have to throw away food or eat food that I didn't like. But I made up my mind and decided that this bread pudding was going to work out and that was that.

Since the ingredients in this recipe were based on the this-and-thats in my fridge, it will most likely be somewhat different next time.

Ingredients (this time around):
(makes 1 full and hearty 9x11 dish)

• 4 cups milk
• 1/2 pint heavy cream
• 5 eggs
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 12 slices sourdough bread, defrosted
• 1 cup cherries
• 2 nectarines
• 5 apricots
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Putting Together the Puddin':

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
3. Cut the bread into about 1-inch squares.
4. Chop up the fruit.
5. In a really big bowl, mix the milk, cream, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon together well.
6. Add the bread, fruit, and cooled butter into the bowl and stir.
7. Butter a 9x11 baking dish, and pour the bread pudding mixture into the dish.
8. Put the dish in a larger baking dish, filling the outer dish with hot water, coming up to about 1/2 of the height of the inner dish. I used a large aluminum baking pan that I could mold to be the size I needed it, and then I placed the whole production on a baking sheet for added support. (I think this step is important for cooking the eggs and milk in a thorough and gentle way, although I'm not certain that it's completely necessary.)
9. Pop it in the oven and bake. Check it after 45 minutes. It will probably bake for about an hour, or maybe a bit longer. Check for doneness by pricking the bread pudding with a sharp knife, and testing to see that it comes out clean, or nearly clean, with the center of the pudding still a little wobbly.

Mellow, simple, and humble food--to me, fresh fruit bread pudding is perfect-tasting. It is a great thing to have around the house, and it doesn't last long! It was nice to have it on hand, not only as a treat for myself, but to give away to friends.

Wonderful for snacking and entertaining, it's so good to know that bread pudding is only a few cups of extra milk away!

OMELETTE ON-THE-GO: Work Day Breakfast

I need my breakfast in the morning, for sure, or else I'm hungry and grouchy.

Since I usually don't feel like eating really early before work, my favorite breakfast these days has been an omelette that's easy to pack and good for snacking. It is loaded with fresh herbs and veggies, which help me to feel really clear and ready for my day. It is sliced into thin strips, which are great for munching whenever hunger hits in the morning.

Typically I use 3 eggs, about 1 cup of spinach, kale, or some other fast-cooking vegetables, and about 1/4 cup of fresh herbs.

What to Do:
Beat the eggs with a little salt and pepper. Throw some butter and/or oil into the pan. Add in the eggs and cook over a low heat. Lift up the edges of the omelette to allow the uncooked egg to run underneath. Cook until the top is almost dry, but still a teeny bit egg-y. Add in the veggies and herbs, and fold half of the eggs over the filling. Press down with the spatula, or a plate, or some other kind of weight that works well for you. Flip the omelette over, and cook for another minute or so. Turn the omelette out onto a cutting board. Slice the omelette into strips. Place the omelette strips into a container. Off you go!

I like to eat the omelette strips, and most of my food, with chopsticks. But you might like to use a fork, or maybe just eat 'em like finger food. However you eat 'em, enjoy 'em!

FRIED MATZO: Best Thing Ever

One of my standby Jewish comfort foods!

My dear ol' dad used to make this for me when I was a kid. I loved it then, and I love it now. The recipe I use does justice to the fried matzo that I remember. There are different thoughts in the world of fried matzo, or matzo brei. Salty or sweet? Crunchy or more like scrambled eggs? The way my pop made it was like savory, crisped nuggets of goodness. I usually keep a box of matzo in my house year-round for those days when I want to cook a special breakfast in a short amount of time, as well as enjoy a happy edible memory.

Ingredients:

• 1-2 matzos per person, or 2-3 matzos per person, depending on your appetite!


• 1 egg per matzo


• nice hunk of butter, about 2 tablespoons per matzo, or less will work just fine too


• s & p

Steps:

1. Place the matzos in a colander.


2. Boil a whole teapot of water if using more than 3 matzos. Boil half a teapot if using 3 or less.


3. Beat the eggs in a medium to large bowl. Add a little salt and pepper to the eggs.


4. Once the water has boiled, pour it over the matzo in the colander. Make sure that all sides of the matzos are saturated with the boiling water.


5. Squeeze out any remaining water by pressing a large spoon against the colander. Add the soggy matzo to the bowl with the eggs.


6. Use your hands to coat the matzo in the eggs. Make sure every piece of matzo is covered in egg.


7. Heat your frying pan over a medium heat, and add the butter.


8. Once the butter has melted, add in the matzo mixture, and spread out evenly. (If cooking more than 4-5 matzos at a time, use 2 frying pans, or make 2 batches.)


9. Turn the heat down a smidge, and let the matzo brei cook for a couple of minutes or so, until it is golden brown on one side. Flip it over and cook on the other side. Break it up into a few smaller pieces at this time. You may want to add another slab of butter into the pan for good measure.


10. Once your matzo is golden brown and slightly crisp on both sides, turn it onto a plate, and enjoy!

I love this straight-up, but some people like to add jam or syrup for sweetness. When I feel like adding another dimension to this dish, I include veggies. Before I cook the matzo, I chop some veggies, saute them in butter, and then add them to the matzo-egg mixture before cooking it like a pancake. Delicious any way you try it!