My Favorite Squeeze

Every once in a while, I get a craving to have breakfast for dinner. It wasn't a regular event at my house growing up because my Dad isn't a huge fan. Instead, when he would go out of town, we would feast on pancakes and bacon. Pancakes are by far my favorite breakfast food (when they are done right, of course), but I also enjoy French toast. I found the following recipe in Good Housekeeping magazine. (I am not a regular reader of this publication, but it was the only decent reading available at my doctor's office. And yes, I am that person that tears things out of the community magazines.)

French Toast

-2 large egg whites

-1 large egg

-3/4 cup low-fat milk

-1/4 tsp vanilla

-1/8 teaspoon salt

-butter or butter spray

-8 slices whole wheat bread

In a pie plate, use a whisk to beat the egg whites, egg, milk, vanilla, and salt until blended. Dip bread slices into egg mixture, and press the bread lightly to coat both sides well. Place 3-4 slices in a skillet, and cook 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. Top with fresh berries and maple syrup.

Nutrition info (per 2 slices): 300 calories, 12 gm protein, 46 carbohydrates, 9 gm fat, 6 gm fiber, 56 mg cholesterol.

Now, I know that I'm no cooking genius, but how hard can this recipe be? This is the second time I've made this recipe, and both times I have ended up with bread that is too burnt on the outside and still soggy on the inside. The first time I blamed my pan/skillet (it does the job 95% of the time, but how good can a $5 pan from IKEA be? It serves my current purposes, but I would eventually like to upgrade.), but now I'm starting to think I don't have the heat set correctly. Any tips?

To go along with my breakfast for dinner, I made fresh orange juice- YUM!

FLASHBACK: (Since I did such a poor job of updating during the holidays, I am going to be using these "flashbacks" to bring everyone up to speed.)

On Christmas Eve, I got a call from Nick, who had just finished opening up some of his Christmas presents. When I asked him what he received, he immediately said, "My mom got me a juicer!" to which I replied, "Really?!" He was excited (by his standards) and went on about how he couldn't wait to use it. I would have been more excited for him, but I got him a juicer, too!!

During our Europe trip, Nick raved about the fresh juice we would have in the mornings at our breakfast spots, so I made a mental note (along with a note in my Blackberry) to get him one later. (Note to self: write blog posts about the trip to Europe in the near future.) We imposed a $20 spending limit on Christmas presents this year (a chance to save money and be creative), which was perfect- I had seen a Black and Decker juicer at Target for $19.99.

It turned out that Nick got a much fancier juicer-a Jack LaLanne juicer. (I'm sure you've seen his commercials on T.V.) His Mom got a good deal on one at a garage sale, so it couldn't be returned. However, I'm not sure Nick would have wanted my wimpy juicer. During my Christmas vacation, he made me several good juice combinations, including grapefruit, oranges, apples, and carrots. I liked the juice, but I have 3 qualms with the juicer:

1. It is *huge.* Unless you have a lot of storage space in the kitchen (or can hide it someplace else), it stays on the counter.

2. The parts can't be put into the dishwasher. I mean, I don't mind hand washing some dishes when it's absolutely necessary, but I can't see myself cleaning this thing by hand every morning (or see myself making juice every morning).

3. The pulp is separated from the juice- this can be both a pro and con. It allows you to put fruits and vegetables you might not otherwise consume (I don't know whether to say eat or drink here), and you can use the pulp in muffins and other recipes (but how many people really do this? Seriously, fresh juice and muffins every morning? Who is this person? Betty Crocker?). I personally love the orange juice with 'lots of pulp."

Here is where my juicer comes into play...

1. All of the parts (except the base with the power cord) can be put into the dishwasher!

2. It is small enough to fit under the kitchen counter.

3. You have the option of having high or low pulp juice.

But, at the same time, you can only use it for citrus fruits. I guess it depends on what qualities you are looking for in a juicer. :)

My new favorite kitchen appliance...

For those of you who are wondering, I ended up getting Nick a combination Christmas and anniversary gift (We were at Pat and Sarah's wedding on December 27 when I just started introducing myself as his girlfriend). I didn't stay under my $20 limit, but Nick got me a coral-colored cashmere scarf and glove set (love it! It's the very first things I've ever owned made of cashmere), so we were even in the end. At Details, one of my favorite gift stores in Indy, you can buy pictures of letters from around the state, including IU, PU, and Indy. I used pictures taken from downtown Indy to spell his last name.

Here is the full picture.

The first 3 letters- the "K" is from the construction of Lucas Oil Stadium. The "L" is from the top of the Indianapolis Museum of Art building. The "E" comes from the of Conseco Fieldhouse, where the Pacers schedule is posted.

The last 3 letters- The "M" is from the Indiana State Museum, which is just a short walk down the canal from Nick's apartment. The "E" is from part of a building downtown that houses Hard Rock Cafe. I think the "N" is from a random parking sign, but I'd have to look at the back of the picture to be sure.

As for this year, there might not be any holidays on the near horizon, but I'm going to call Julie soon to start planning birthday and Christmas presents.