Comfort Foods and Indulgences

I love dessert but who can wait till the end of the day to have it?  Not me.  I refuse to live that way.

That's why I love having this shake for breakfast.  It tastes like you are having dessert and I am all about that kind of livin'.  I love tricking myself into thinking I am getting a treat before 9 am.  With this shake, it's not far from the truth.

As we were high-tailing it out of town on Sunday I made these to celebrate the beginning of our vacation.  Of course it delayed us from leaving for about three hours but who cares right?

These Buttermilk Citrus Shakes are a wonderful combination of fresh orange and lemon juice.

A few days ago, it was a rare day in SoCal…it rained. Being the proud homebody that I am, I adore a rainy day. The heat is on at a comfortable temp, a warm cup of tea sits comfortably on my desk (all day), and my ugg slippers are the shoe of choice.

Eli woke up that morning with a “bit” of the sniffles (I knew he was faking, but we are all entitled a day off now and again). The one condition; he was to stay out of my hair. I had some work to catch up on for a few clients and I was really looking forward to a day to cross some stuff off of my to-do list.

At 10:30 a.m. Eli started asking what was for lunch. I ignored him as much as I could, but then I realized that it is rare that I have a lunch partner. Lunch was going to be a joint effort, something that we could do together. With some turkey sausage in the fridge, washed leeks, a brick of feta, and some left over challah, I knew exactly what I was going to make; the ultimate comfort food – a Savory Bread Pudding.

My oldest son saw this in a magazine and instantly proclaimed he wanted it for dinner.  I was rather surprised as most kids, including my own, don't like food that is touching or mixed up.  In other words, casseroles are usually out.

But when my kids see something they want me to make, I usually oblige.  However, I can't even begin to imagine what the calorie count is here.  Actually, I don't even care.  Moving on.

I have to admit this quiche is pretty cool, it does taste exactly like a cheeseburger.  A bacon cheeseburger.  You have a crust in place for the buns and this thick slab of cheese on top, meat in the middle and what makes it most authentic tasting is the dill pickle relish.  The relish just gives it that "cheeseburgeresque" taste.  Leaving it out would be a mistake.  A big mistake.

Your first bite will surprise you as your mind is seeing quiche but you are tasting burger.  I even wanted to squirt some ketchup on the side for a little dip.  I think I'll try that tomorrow.

How is it we crave food we've never even tasted?  I've never been to Chicago and I've never eaten one of their hot dogs, but I knew I had to have one. 

There are many hot dog purists out there and lots of opinions on how hot dogs should be served and constructed.  I say, if you like it, then that's the way to serve it. 

People love to connect over simple foods like this and who doesn't love a hot dog at the ball park during the summertime?

I had to try a Chicago-style dog because I wanted to taste the sweetness of the relish with the sourness of the peppers and the sprinkle of celery salt that is supposed to bring all the flavors together.  So yesterday we braved the cold and the snow and fired up the grill.