Breakfast Egg Skillet and Bloody Mary

Some days just call for a spicy, ice cold Bloody Mary and a big hearty breakfast.

Today was that day.

The shining ingredient? Celery salt. Boy, do I love celery salt. I put it in both the skillet and the drink because I love it so much.

The egg skillet works perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The eggs keep me full and the vegetables burst with flavor. The entire dish takes about 10 minutes to make and requires little fuss.

The Bloody Mary, on the other hand, requires a bit more effort than the skillet, but is more than worth the time. The spices blend together perfectly, creating a salty drink that is almost a meal in itself.


Egg Skillet (serves 1-2)

-2 eggs
-5 baby portabella mushrooms, sliced
-14 grape tomatoes, halved
-4 green onions, chopped
-2 cups fresh spinach
-1/2 avocado, cubed
-1 tsp celery salt
-red pepper flakes
-cracked pepper
-fresh fruit

Warm a large skillet pan on medium heat. Spray with a non-stick spray and add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms have cooked for about 1 minute, crack the eggs into the skillet. Then add the tomatoes, green onions, and spinach. Sprinkle everything with celery salt, red pepper flakes, and fresh cracked pepper. Place a lid on the skillet to allow the tops of the eggs to cook. When the eggs are slightly white on top, take the pan off the heat and add the cubed avocado. Serve hot and enjoy with your favorite fresh fruit.


Bloody Mary (2 servings)

-2 cups cold tomato juice
-juice from 1/2 lemon
-1/2 Tablespoon horseradish
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
-1 teaspoon curry powder
-1 teaspoon sweet paprika
-1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
-1/2 teaspoon sea salt
-1/8 teaspoon black pepper
-1 teaspoon celery salt, plus more for the rim of the glass
-1/4 to 1/2 cup cold vodka (depending on your own preference)
-dill pickle spears for garnish
-olives for garnish
-lemon slices for garnish
-celery stalks for garnish
-ice cubes, if desired

In a pitcher, combine all of the ingredients, minus the vodka. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 25 minutes. When mixture is chilled, mix the vodka into the pitcher. Run a slice of lemon around the rim of your serving glass and dip the glass into a dish of celery salt. Fill glass with ice, if desired, and pour the mixture into the glass. Garnish with pickle, celery, lemon, and olives.

I love when restaurants get super creative with their Bloody Mary garnishes, so get creative with yours!

Lemon, Coconut, and Lavender Tarts

While the month of April has mainly consisted of torrential downpours, flooded sidewalks, and even a touch of snow (ugh!), this past weekend was a lovely and sunny exception. I finally had the chance to step out of my galoshes, slip into some walking shoes, and explore spring in Chicago. First stop: The Spice House, where I was completely taken by a little bag of lavender buds. As you can see, those tiny purple flowers were the inspiration for my latest baking endeavor. I also purchased some lavender-vanilla sugar, which is good on pretty much EVERYTHING! Seriously, I sprinkled some on my pancakes this morning and it took them from an average 7 to about a 10/10. If you ever get the chance to go to a Spice House, do it! Though I must warn you, walking into the shop is an assault on the senses. After about twenty-five minutes of perusing the spice shelves, I was in need of some fresh, non-fragrant air. :)

In my mind, lavender is meant to be one of those subtle spices. I currently have a jar of lavender honey and I think it's the best thing since sliced bread -- the hint of lavender compliments the sweetness of the honey without being too overpowering. With my tarts, I was aiming for a similar taste. I wanted to let the lemon and coconut shine, with hints of lavender floating around and gently surprising the taste buds. Maybe I put too much thought into that. Oh well...

Here are some pretty flowers for you!

You know what? I've noted something recently... When one area of my life gets crazy busy, all of the other parts are like "I want in on the crazy too!" and then, before I know it, I am running all over the place, overbooking my schedule, forgetting about appointments, and acting like a complete maniac. Anyway, what I really want to say is that I'm hoping these tasty little tarts will make up for my lack of posts lately.