Favorite Breakfast

Since we are in a Retrograde phase, I’ll begin by going backwards and revisit one of my favorite things on this last trip. With all the snow on the ground, and people staying home because of the storm, the opportunity for a real breakfast presented itself. There was only one thing to make. Migas. Texas was our quick destination this time in the RS2ndH. I had an opportunity to try different versions of Migas several times, but thought I could improve slightly upon what I had tasted. This happens often to people who cook. I don’t do crafts, preferring instead to craft food I want to eat. You know, the kind people talk about later, and yearn for again. I mean, we all have to eat, don’t we?

Oh…These are So GOOD. It was a perfect breakfast for staying in. You must try them. So you can, here they are.

MIGAS MY WAY

Corn tortillas, 9 (3 sliced and fried; 6 to steam for soft tacos)
1/2 cup peanut oil

2 T. butter
1 T. light olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced small
1/2 cup refried beans
3 large eggs, or 4 small to medium
1 T. sour cream
1-2 T. salsa; extra if desired

MAKE AHEAD: Cut three corn tortillas into quarters, and then into 1/2 inch strips. Heat a cast iron pan, and 1/2 cup peanut oil on medium heat until shimmering. Sprinkling a small handful of strips into the oil, fry until golden brown. Pull the tortilla strips out of the oil and let dry on a couple of paper towels to absorb extra oil. Sprinkle with a little salt while still warm. Repeat the process until all the strips have been fried crisp and golden. Set aside.

Pour the extra oil out of the pan. Melt 1 T. butter and light olive oil in the cast iron pan. Saute the diced onion in the butter on medium heat stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and browned, 25-30 minutes.

Heat 1/2 cup refried beans, and steam 6 corn tortillas.

Crack the eggs into a bowl. Stir in the sour cream and whisk together. Add the sauted onions and 1 T. salsa, stirring together. Preheat the pan on medium-high heat. Add 1 T. butter and spread it evenly around the pan. Pour the egg mixture into a skillet. Add the crispy tortilla strips, and stir. Turn the heat down to low, add shredded cheese and cook until eggs are almost set. Turn off the heat and put the lid on, until the eggs are set but not dry. Spread a Tablespoon of refried beans onto a steamed corn tortilla and top with the Migas mixture, salsa and sliced avocado (or any preferred condiments), rolling the corn tortilla tightly, to eat.

Note: If the refried beans have been prepared properly, they will already be seasoned with garlic, onion, cumin and salt, helping add the right amount of flavor to the Migas. The first layer of beans also helps the egg filling stick to the tortilla, so you don’t lose it halfway to your mouth. Additional toppings might include slivers of crispy bacon, sliced avocado, sour cream, salsa, cilantro, or pico de gallo.

Serves 2

You want some of this.

Our timing was very good. The RollingSilver2ndHome went back to its underground home, right before the snow started building up.

After the driveway was cleared. The total before some of it melted was 20 inches.

Home Again & Another Mercury Retrograde

Mercury is in Retrograde again, which rules travel and communications, and is a time of going over old ground. Between my last post and this one, we squeezed in a work trip with the RS2ndH, with many retrograde themes in evidence. I felt much of our old ground had to do with weather, and how to avoid it while traveling! One of our greatest exercises is learning to develop schedule flexibility for safe travel. Last week, a huge storm dumped 10 inches of snow on my neighborhood, which we missed. That was fine by me, but when we pulled onto our street after arriving back home, all that snow on our driveway needed removed before we could pull the RS2ndH in. Additionally, another 10-15 inch Weather Event is on its way, right NOW. It’s welcome, after a significant drought, so bring it on! Whether we’re having drought, wind, extreme temperatures, or two huge storms in a week’s time, it seems like we’re always living on the edge here. My sister-in-law who is a native-born Texan, once said to me, “I don’t understand all this Weather-Talk. Y’all talk about the weather, a lot.” Uh…You’re not from around here are you? Hmmmm. All I could surmise is she lived in a place where weather didn’t happen. Of course, when one doesn’t have to own a winter coat, gloves, snow blower or shovel, and thinks 40 degrees is cold, I just might have had a good clue!

It was nice getting acquainted again with the RollingSilver2ndHome. Since we’re going over old ground, I had to note that one of the things working for us on the inside was the closet reorganization I had done, weeks earlier. Things were so much easier to access and find, and made living in our little home more efficient. A small knife block I had bought for all our sharp instruments was working very well, which I noted especially after realizing I’d used, cleaned and easily put away every one of them. About half our spices were used, and seems to be working as well. We’re loving the Lounge, the floor we had replaced, and have finally figured out the lock on the shower door. (Yes, I know. Funny isn’t it, how the smallest things sometimes need to be figured out?) Everything from the fabric loops I attached to our towels to hang from hooks, to the “just right” sized memory foam rug in front of the shower is working. Outside, there’s a feeling of security now that we have better wheels, tires and tire monitoring system in place. With a comprehensive checklist and a little experience, our routines have been honed, and given us a feeling of knowing what to expect and how much time it takes to get there.

The end of Mercury Retrograde is March 17, St. Patrick’s Day. Since it rules travel and communications, please double-check before pulling out into traffic. Appointments you may have made most likely will need to be rescheduled. (That’s already happened to me…Weather Event, Anyone?) If you’re having a feeling of taking one step forward, and two steps back, that’s what it’s about. Someone may say to you “go left”, and mean “go right.” It seems we are required to go over old ground, so something we need to learn or discover can be revealed. How we deal with it depends on how much we’re paying attention. If you believe things work out according to timing, Mercury Retrograde will be easier for you to manage. Really, you may as well surrender. For now, just give in, and know that in a few weeks time, matters will smooth themselves out. Until then, take care of those things you can control, and go clean out a closet!

Wind Advisories

Remember “Weather Permitting?” Well, it isn’t. Permitting any kind of travel that is. I’ve been watching the trees blowing around outside, and I’m already exhausted by it. There were Wind Advisories the last two days and wind gusts up to 45 mph. The last time the RS2ndH smacked up against 45 mph winds, once we were safely parked in one place, much alcohol was consumed. There was awning flappage, research and repairs needed. Since I’ve already been there, I don’t need to do THAT again. Now, I grew up in the plains, where wind is a likely occurrence. We scoff at warnings to people to secure trash cans and lids, and patio furniture. Of course you do. Because you never know when the wind is going to kick up. Weather happens here. In fact, they are frequently called Weather Events, because they are eventful.

This time, we checked intensively before heading anywhere. Often. Because things can change in an instant. Better Half mentioned we are more fortunate than our parents who traveled in a similar manner, without the benefit of mobile devices to warn of weather as they headed off to their destination. Now we can prepare ourselves with High Definition Radar, Torcon Index and Weather Advisories, with hourly predictions of what kind of conditions to expect. Isn’t technology great?

Fortunately, there were some extra days scheduled into the plan for just this type of event. Even though it’s February, spring has come early here. Sometimes, you simply have to go with the flow…unless there’s too much airflow to go.

Acupuncture and RV Cooking

How do these two relate to each other you might ask? Well, I just started getting Acupuncture for a chronic problem I’ve had for YEARS. The good news is it’s helping! With January’s theme of Organizing in mind, and because of what needs acupuncture, my style of cooking has been to prepare dishes ahead of time. This way when issues flare, there’s always real food ready to go. When we get the opportunity to travel, there is something I can always raid from my freezer because previous meals were “banked”. Recent “deposits” have been things like 10-layer lasagna, Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup, Braised Beef Enchiladas, Chicken Enchilada Soup, Cornmeal and Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes. What could be better than homemade fast food? Not only is it comfort food, there’s comfort in knowing what is in it.

Regardless of how you feel about meat, fat, dairy, gluten, salt or carbs, I embrace the principle of “everything in moderation”. Pre-portioned meals for later works for me and is perfect for RV travel. In fact, when it comes to cooking in the RS2ndH, I subscribe to the KISS principle. (Although there are variations of this, I’m going with, Keep It Super Simple.) There’s a fine line for me about how much cooking I want to do when I’m on the road, especially when there are opportunities to experience regional foods. I like to do both, and like the Boy Scouts, find it’s good to be prepared!

Recently, I tried a new recipe in my slow cooker. Now, I’ve never made friends with my slow cooker, since most the recipes I’ve tried end up exactly like this one did when I first tasted it. I almost tossed the whole mess, before wondering how I could add some layers of flavor. The adaptation salvaged a very bland dish, by adding some body and…TWANG. (Not Tang, but Twang; a very important distinction.) In fact, after a day or two passed, I wasn’t entirely certain it was as good as I remembered until I tried it the second time. IT IS. (Maybe we can be friends after all.) Lucky Me, there’s a quart in my freezer, just waiting for the next trip.

My secret ingredients involved browning an onion, making a roux, adding some spices, a little fat and…Bacon. (Don’t Freak Out. Remember…Everything in moderation.) I am fortunate to have Penzey’s in the area, so that’s where I get my spices. The first paragraph is the recipe as I found it originally. The rest is all mine. I’m pretty sure you’ll want some of this, so here you are.

LET’S BE FRIENDS SAUSAGE CORN CHOWDER

1 lb. ready to eat smoked sausage, cut in half lengthwise and into 1/2 inch slices (Kielbasa)
3 cups cubed potatoes, diced medium small
2 onions, large and medium dice
1 red bell pepper, large dice
1-15 oz. can cream style corn
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
2 cups and 1/4 cup chicken broth, divided

Parmesan cheese rinds, 6 pieces

3 slices bacon, sliced into 1/4 inch horizontal strips and cooked crisp

2 T. bacon fat
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
2 cups milk
1 t. Fine Herbes
1 t. Mural of Flavor
1 t. salt
2 T. Peppercorn Ranch dressing base
2 large cloves garlic, minced

Place sausage, potatoes, onion, carrots, bell pepper, bay leaf and Parmesan cheese rinds in a slow cooker. Combine soup, corn and 2 cups broth, mixing together. Add to the cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-1/2 hours.

One half hour before serving, brown one medium diced onion in 2 T. bacon fat. on medium heat. Add the salt halfway through, and finish browning. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup chicken broth. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a skillet. Whisk in the flour and cook for one minute. Add the milk slowly, stirring with a whisk, until mixture has thickened. Stir in the Peppercorn Ranch Dressing base, Mural of Flavor and Fine Herbes.

Add the thickened milk mixture, caramelized onions and garlic to the slow cooker. Cover and heat all together for 15 minutes, adding the crisp bacon at the end of the cooking time. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Serves 8-10

TIPS: Freeze the bacon before slicing into 1/4 inch strips, 30-40 minutes.

I always save the rinds of Parmesan cheese in the freezer. This soup is the perfect place to use them for a flavor boost.

Let’s Be Friends Sausage Corn Chowder

ACUPUNCTURE
If you’re in the south Kansas City area and wondering if acupuncture could help you, the answer is most likely YES. I won’t tell you how many doctors I’ve seen, trying to get some relief. You would need all the fingers on both hands to count them. THIS is who you want to see. You’ll be so glad you did. Highly Recommended by me:

Sandra Wilkes, D.O.M., L.Ac.
Blue Valley Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, P.A.
6885 W. 151st St., Suite 102
Overland Park, KS 66223
913-897-1100
http://www.BlueVallelyPT.com