Breakfast is just the first meal of the day

I'm always confused by the idea that there are certain foods that go with specific times of day. Often in the states, breakfast is full of pancakes, french toast, hashes, eggs, bacon, and sausage. You can also find some regional specialties - in the south, fried chicken and waffles. In the southwest, chilaqueles and red or green chile. In the northwest, salmon appears on menus. And in the northeast, bagels reign supreme. But there always seems to be a notion of what breakfast is, and what it isn't.

Deliciousness!

For me, each meal is the chance to eat whatever I feel like eating. I'm not saying I'm opposed to traditional breakfast foods; I'm just not willing to limit myself to those foods. This morning is a good example of this idea - we made lamb fried rice. When I opened the fridge I saw some leftovers (by the way, tonight is leftovers night...), and also amazing potential meals. There was some rice, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, a couple of lamb chops, chimichurri, some amazing rajas cheese sauce, corn tortillas, and a couple of hamburger patties. And of course, lots of bread from my baking experiment. What my eyes were drawn to were the veggies and rice. So, I cut up some carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms, sauteed them in a bit of bacon fat (which I save and keep in the fridge for all my cooking needs). I cut up one of the lamb chops, trimming off the fat as I cut them. I diced up the fat and added it to the veggies to render and add more flavor. When the veggies were done enough, I added the rice and lamb. Finally, I made up a quick stir fry sauce by mixing some gojuchang, fish sauce, and some sweet soy sauce. Tossed that in at the last minute and added a soft scrambled egg that finished cooking in the heat of the rice. It was a breakfast bursting with veggies and flavor, and it was super satisfying.

One of my favorite breakfast memories is the breakfast my Nana would make me when I was sick. It wasn't often, because I was a really healthy kid, but every so often I would come down with something, maybe run a fever, or generally feel icky so would stay home from school. On those days, I would go to Nana's and crawl into her bed. She would make me soft boiled eggs, take them from the shell, and lightly smash them with salt, pepper, and butter. There would always be toast with them and usually hot tea with milk and sugar. I'd sit up with pillows behind my back, and she would bring in a bed tray. I remember it had a green top, and it fit at the exact right height for me to eat. She'd bring in the breakfast and tea, and I'd have a fantastic breakfast in bed. I might sleep afterwards, I might feel better and get up, it all depended on how I felt afterwards.

I'm off to mow the lawn, then do some computer research. Have a great day, and take care of yourself, whether that means working out, binge watching something on Netflix, or making yourself a comforting meal.