The Breakfast Club

This week, Inland Empire Girl gave Raymond Pert and myself the assignment of writing a recipe/memoir piece for her to use in the recipe/memoir book she is writing. Trying to find a recipe and story to share was like going into a candy store and seeing all the jars of candy and knowing you can only pick one, but it is hard, because there are SO MANY CHOICES.

So I narrowed it down to two.

My story is going to focus on breakfast. I love making big breakfast meals, but, because of time and schedules, I don't get to prepare breakfast meals too often, but when I do, there are two items I love to make.

One of my girl's favorites is the Oven Pancake. I was first introduced to this dish before PKR and I were married, and PKR's brother Kent and his wife Robin invited us over for breakfast. We were joined by PKR's best friend Rory and his wife Mary. Robin served a special breakfast dish. She called it German Pancakes, but it was basically the same thing.

If I have time on a school morning, I make this for the girls. It is easy, but it takes about 1/2 an hour to complete, so you have to prepare in the morning so they have time to eat and get to school on time.

We have also prepared this dish for the morning after when the girls have had slumber parties. It is great with powdered sugar sprinkled on top. Some enjoy it with syrup. Lemon juice sprinkled on top is also an option.

Here is the recipe for "Oven Pancake" is on page 35 in the "All American Favorites--All American Days" cookbook that was given to me when we lived in Glendive, Montana.

Oven Pancake
6 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a 9 x 13 inch pan, place 1/3 cup margarine or butter. Melt in hot oven. Mix eggs and milk. Stir in flour, salt and vanilla. Pour batter in pan. Do not stir! Bake 20 minutes. Serve with syrup, jam or fresh fruit.

Another breakfast treat that has been shared around our household in the last couple of years is a potato dish I created myself. I remember my brother Raymond Pert cooking me a potato dish with cream cheese in it one time, and I think this is how this creation came about. Partly it just evolved over time.

I recently submitted this recipe in my former church's cookbook called "Heritage Cookbook, Meridian Gospel Tabernacle Family: From our house to yours." This is the first time this recipe was ever written down. I had always just thrown it together.

Carol's Special Potatoes

5 potatoes
2 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tbls. McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning
4 oz. Cream Cheese

Take 5 potatoes and slice them thinly. Any kind of potato will do, but I enjoy red or Yukon Gold. I like using my Pampered Chef Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer to do the job. I keep the peels on, but you can peel the potatoes if you like. Take a non-stick skillet and heat 2 Tbls. Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Medium High Heat until hot. Add potatoes to the frying pan and decrease heat to medium. Add about 1/2 TBLS McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning to the potatoes. Keep cooking and turning the potatoes until they are brown. Lower the heat to low, and add 4 oz. cube of cream cheese, cut up in 9 cubes. Stir in cream cheese into the potatoes until melted. Sometimes I add 2-3 eggs onto the potatoes and mix them in the mixture. Other variations include frying onions in the oil before adding the potatoes. If you have a green or red pepper fan, you can also add these either in strips or chopped. Crumbled, crispy bacon can also be added, or chopped up Canadian Bacon. You can also add chives or any other fresh herbs that sound good. Serve with a strong cup of coffee and a bowl of fruit, and you have a wonderful breakfast.