Eggs Benedict a la BaconBits

Oh how I LOVE Eggs Benedict. It's almost always what I'll order if we eat breakfast out. My favorite is in Honolulu's Halekulani Hotel restaurant: Orchid's. Dining al fresco with my JoeBacon (he ordered Haupia Stuffed French Toast & a side of Portuguese Sausage) we shared their famous popovers with lilikoi & guava jelly and I savored every bit I could manage of their famous Eggs Benedict with truffle shavings on top! What, with views of Diamond Head & Waikiki Beach right there! ... well yeah! Best breakfast ever! Until now....

I had some leftover ham from the holidays, I also had some mashed potatoes.... so I had decided to make "hash" patties out of them. I mixed about 2 cups mashed potatoes, about 1 cup ham finely diced, some seasoning, an egg... formed patties & fried them in coconut ghee for an appetizer one night, but we had some left, so that is when I got the idea to use them for my base to top with eggy buttery goodness....

So I put the leftover patties on a plate in the oven to heat (covered with foil).

I used this Hollandaise Recipe, because I had all the ingredient & it looked fairly idiot proof. I used whole grain mustard, 'cuz that's all I had, it still turned out great! ;) I put it in a small glass jar & placed that in a bowl of HOT water to keep it warm while I did everything else.

I used Alton Brown's poaching method (2 inches of simmering water in a non-stick frying pan. I used a mason jar ring to carefully pour the eggs into so they'd stay in one area, then used tongs to move the ring for the next egg... once all four eggs were in & ring removed, I tuned off the heat & covered the pan for 7 minutes. They were perfect. I could have gone 6-6.5 minutes but no longer than 7. I hate it when the whites are googly, but I want the yolks still runny, of course. They were purty darn perfect!

Plated the patties, made a small dent in the top so the eggs would nestle in, then drenched them in the still warm hollandaise & served them for dinner. It was SO yummy.

Next time, I want to try it with my own home made English Muffins... stay tuned....

Happy New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR/DECADE!!!!

So.... I've been a bad, bad blogger! Santa surely kept that in mind this year! (lumps of coal found in my stocking...?)

I've decided to skip over Christmas & go straight into the new year with a burning focus on my goals: both in blogging, in "real" life and in NT practices...

• Menu Planning - I've tried a couple different methods, which clearly haven't worked out for me.... so I am still looking for one, I have a feeling I need to apply some Fly Lady Principles & just tweak them so they work for me... more on this process to come, please bear with me!
• Speaking of FlyLady, I REALLY need to get some basic home care routines going...
• In Blogging, my goal is be a bit more consistent, maybe even just once a week, but regularly wold be an improvement! I have much bigger ideas, but I wouldn't want to get your hopes up!
• As far as real life, I'd like to find a bit more time for me. Selfish, eh? ;) I'd like to lose a few inches, which means changing up what I eat (less carbs, less alcohol...? ugh!) and making some time for regular exercise....(double ugh!)
• And for NT practices.... well.... I tried a LOT of different things last year, some were great, some were huge flops, but in the end I only really stuck with a few, So this year I'd like to try to get a few more to 'stick"...

Ok, so here's Step 1, a Pantry challenge, from Money Saving Mom & Life as Mom that I'm goign to take on, to start the New Year right!

Here's the scoop (and some extra goals):

• I will take a full inventory of pantry & freezer (by the end of the week).
• Figure out menus based on what I have in stock. And use up those supplies. I have a well stocked pantry, and my fridge is stuffed to the brim. I get a produce box this weekend, and it will have to last me 2 weeks. No grocery store stops unless absolutely necessary.
• No eating out (unless it's an unforeseeable emergancy)!
• Try to eat less grains (unless sprouted) & carbs & sweeteners (I get 1 sweet drink per day, morning tea, but that's it!)
• Drink more water! I got an adorable Stainless Steel bottle for Christmas, so now I must USE it! I'm really quite terrible about drinking water! It's shameful, really!
• Take my FCLO!

I'm hoping this will accomplish several things:

1. I'll spend less on food this month. My food budget is $400/month, I'd like to see if I can spend about half that & put any savings towards our most immediate concern - our property taxes!
2. It absolutely drives my DH crazy that I keep buying more food when we 'have so much still'! So, it'll make JoeBacon happy to not buy any more...(for awhile! LOL)
3. Also, I think it'll be a good exercise in Meal Planning... which, as mentioned above, is something I struggle with a LOT.

I have a couple of things I'm allowed to buy weekly: farm fresh dairy, eggs & produce. I buy these from CSA's & Co-Ops:

• 2-3 Half-Gallons of Whole RAW Milk - $12-19/per week
• 1 pint RAW CREAM - $9/week
• 2 Doz Eggs - $8/wk
• 1 Small Produce Box - $20/every other week

I just stocked up at Trader Joe's tonight ($160) & on Tuesday I have a large 'catch-up' order coming from Azure ($150), so I should be set for grains & such. **Update: I had to run to Vons (ugh!) tonight to get cat food, because it will NOT be on my Azure Order (they are out) and I also grabbed a few other items, abut $35 in total.**

I'm ready. BRING IT!

**Update 1/4**

So already, I've spent $55+$160+$150+$35 = $400 (except the Azure order got placed & paid for in December, so really that doesn't count. So, adjust that, and we have:

This week: $250 (a little over my month's goal, but next week I don't get my CSA box & I really shouldn't need hardly anything from the store... so I think this is do-able!)