“THE RIDE” making it up…..pt.1

So I have to admit I have been neglecting my blog just a little! There’s been so many things I have been up to and now I have to catch all of you up! So this will be the first article in a series in which I will attempt to make it up to all of you! Buckle your seat belts and return your seats and trays to the upright and locked position! We are going for a ride!

Let’s begin with the best meal, breakfast, shall we…….in these first pics I attempted to make my mother’s “famous” (well at least in my family) biscuits and gravy. This is something I will always make when I want someone to know I care about them or when I am in need of a warm hug from my mom. Here in France biscuits, at least the ones we know in America, aren’t something I’ve seen yet. A biscuit usually refers to a cookie that you might have with café or thé. Some people might enjoy a cookie smothered in sausage gravy, but I am not one of them! That being said I was on my own to make my fluffy buttermilk pals, no Pillsbury here! As some of you know from previous articles, my monoprix carries certain things as they get them. Unfortunately I could not find baking powder, so my biscuits were going to have to be made with baking soda and a squeeze of lime to make up for the acidity in the baking powder (a pinch of cream of tartar would work too). It seemed to work alright, but I should have added more baking soda.

Breakfast is my favorite, I could eat it anytime of day. I don’t really think I’ve ever come in contact with someone who didn’t agree. Maybe it’s because if it weren’t for the burnt eggs and over cooked bacon, that my grandad ate in encouragement of my learning to cook, I may not have pursued my culinary career! I actually have many a family member to thank for that! Maybe it was the time my dad poured orange juice in one long stream into a cup far below or how he could crack an egg with one hand. His tip of cooking my French toast with a little oil instead of just butter changed my pain perdue forever! This next addition pays homage to my lovely boyfriend! Hopefully making up for the first pancakes I made him, which were incredibly dense because of the eggs I forgot to add to the batter!! I even made a homemade strawberry jam for good measure!

When we went to London I was told I absolutely had to have an English breakfast from my boyfriend’s grandma Deb, who is from England. Most people don’t eat this heavy on a regular bases, but it is a tradition that is still very much a part of the English culture. We were in luck and our hotel served a “Full English” as it’s called. It was probably a great start to a chilly day out and about in London. It stuck to our ribs and kept me fueled and going for most of the day! There are many different variations of the breakfast, but ours consisted of

1. Scrambled eggs ( you can order your eggs how you like)
2. 2pcs of chewy bacon ( Ben wasn’t a fan, but I loved it! Salty!)
3. Baked beans (it was different, but not unlinked)
4. Pork sausage (this was probably my favorite thing on the plate, the casing just snapped and the inside was soft)
5. Black pudding ( I liked it, but was unsure of what it was, really)
6. Mushrooms ( I love mushrooms, but wasn’t a fan)
7. Grilled tomato (yumm)
8. Fried potato cakes ( you can’t go wrong)

Pain au chocolate and apricot danish

Full English