[Recipe] The "Full Mountie (Always Gets Her Man)" Breakfast Burger

When I started law school, one of my professors told me about a little school tradition: trying a cuisine from a different country every Friday night, AKA the most fun and delicious way to get to know a new city and new friends.  The tradition proved a bit too ambitious for me those years ago, but I've always loved the spirit of it.  So much so that I have now grafted that foodie adventure spirit into, of all things, my cooking rotation.

Specifically, burgers.

We are going Around the World in 80 Burgers.  And also engaging in 50 Shades of Gluttony (Because Burgers Are the Perfect American Food).

Our first venture is to Canada, our neighbor to the North and, therefore, home of the King in the North, Jon Snow Justin Trudeau.  And also the origin of most of the world's supply of maple syrup—in fact, the Canadian province of Quebec is itself responsible for 70% of the world's output, and Canadian exports of maple syrup in 2016 totaled C$487 million (approximately US$360 million).

I love using maple syrup in my cooking.  I don't often eat pancakes or waffles (I know, a travesty), but I still keep maple syrup on hand at all times because I think it adds such a nice, subtle touch of sweetness that also feels strangely full-bodied.  I sometimes add a teaspoon or tablespoon to marinade, and it's, of course, amazing with bacon.  (Check out the recipe for one of my favorite savory-sweet desserts, chive pancake cupcakes with mascarpone maple bacon icing, here.)

The "Full Mountie (Always Gets Her Man)" Breakfast Burger
an original recipe by tammiest
Recipe makes 4 burgers

Ingredients
Maple Sriracha Aioli:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1-1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1-1/2 tablespoons Sriracha

Burgers:
4 hamburger buns with sesame seeds
3/4 pound lean ground beef (93% or 95% lean)
3/4 pound ground chuck (if you prefer something a little less fatty, you can use 80% lean ground beef instead)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices thick-cut bacon, sliced in half

4 slices Muenster cheese (or any other cheese you prefer)

4 eggs, cooked over-easy
1 avocado, thinly sliced

Optional: 
Thinly sliced red onion
* Note:  If you want something that will cut a bit more into all the other flavors, add the onion.

Public Service Announcement - Avocados
I love the avocado in this burger.  And, if we're being honest, on all things and all. the. time.  And I'm not the only one: just do a quick Google search for the words "avocado shortage," and you'll see a long string of articles detailing the decline in supply (and the corresponding increase in price).

It turns out there's something else rising: the number of "avocado-related" injuries (or, not so affectionately, "avocado hand").  And I have to say, even though I consider myself a good home cook, there have been times that I've had quite a bit of trouble with my avocados—the pits just sometimes don't want to come out very easily, either because I didn't aim my knife very well or deeply enough into the center or because the avocado isn't quite ripe enough for the pit to come out cleanly.  I've also actually freaked out vicariously while sitting at the counter of a diner and watching one of the line cooks cut open and de-pit what seemed to me an endless string of avocados in the palm of his hand in rapid succession.  It made me very nervous.  Maybe it's me.

But here's my pro (or really amateur) tip: if anything I just wrote resonates with you and you also want to avoid "avocado hand," try out an avocado 3-in-1 slicer.  I have this one from OXO Good Grips.

It is so easy to use and clean up.  And, more importantly, for less than $10, I'm now comfortable making all the homemade guacamole and avocado toast I want.

Directions
1.  In a medium bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, maple syrup, and Sriracha until smooth.

2.  Using your hands, gently mix the beef blend with the paprika, 1 teaspoon Kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.  Divide and form into 4 patties.  Cover and set aside.

3.  Heat a skillet on medium heat, then cook the slices of bacon for roughly 7 minutes, or until the fat has been rendered.  Remove the bacon from the pan to a paper towel and blot thoroughly.

4.  Reserve about 2 teaspoons of the bacon fat to cook the burgers, 2 at a time for about 2 minutes on each side (for medium rare).

5.  In a non-stick skillet, cook your eggs one at a time in a splash of canola or olive oil (alternatively, you can also wait until you are done cooking your burgers and use the remaining bacon fat to cook the eggs).  Let the oil heat up before cracking the egg into the skillet.  There is no need to flip, but cook to your liking—if you like it to be nice and yolky, you'll likely need only 3—4 minutes.


6.  Either set your oven to broil on high heat or preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brush the hamburger buns with melted unsalted butter and place them on a rimmed baking sheet.

If you have set your oven to preheat, place the buns in the oven and bake about 5 minutes before removing from the oven and placing a piece of cheese on one half of each set of buns (top or bottom doesn't matter), then place back in the oven for an additional 4 minutes.

If you have set your oven to broil, place the buns in the oven for about 3 minutes before removing and adding the cheese for an additional 2 minutes.  In either case, you can fold pieces of the cheese over or break them off and place them in the middle of the bun so that the melted cheese doesn't fall on to the sheet and start burning.

7.  Assemble the burgers: spread the maple Sriracha aioli on the bun without cheese.  On the bottom bun, stack the avocado and, if you've opted to include them, onion rings.  Then add the burger.  Top it with the fried egg, two half slices of bacon, and the top bun.

A post shared by the_tammiest (@the_tammiest) on Jun 30, 2017 at 6:36am PDT

[Recipe] "Can I Say Something Crazy" Pancakes

I'm going to Disneyland in a few short weeks with my friend Cole, who maybe probably definitely didn't realize that one should never joke about spontaneous trips or food or, well, anything, around me because I'm more likely than not going to call your bluff and, before you know it, our tickets will be booked, reservations made, and we've passed Go and collected $200.

In preparation for our trip, we've been (among other things) watching and/or rewatching certain Disney movies.  Once I found out he had never learned to "Let It Go," I had to insist we watch Frozen.  How else would we be able to enjoy Frozen: Live at the Hyperion in a bid to beat the LA heat?

The best food for watching Frozen is clearly pancakes.  Yes, I know the country most like Arendelle is Norway, so perhaps we should have had smoked salmon and knekkebrød instead, but (1) we couldn't find a Norwegian restaurant in the Bay Area, (2) Norwegians sometimes indulge in pannekaken (thin pancakes), and (3) clearly Disney = pancakes (go watch this Dancakes video if you don't believe me).

Naturally, I had to go a little over-the-top... some might even say it was something... crazy.

Soundtrack - Love Is an Open Door
I mean, it's crazy... 
What?

We finish each other's—
Sandwiches!

That's what I was gonna say!

Love is an open door... 
Life can be so much more
... with you

Can I say something crazy?
Will you marry me?
Can I say something even crazier?
Yes!

"Can I Say Something Crazy" Pancakes
A recipe by The Food Network

Ingredients
12 ounces breakfast sausage links, casings removed
8 ounces bacon
1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/4 cups milk
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14 large eggs
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Maple syrup, ketchup and hot sauce for serving

Directions
1.  Combine the sausage and bacon in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is browned and cooked through, about 8 minutes.  Transfer the sausage and bacon to paper towels to drain and cool.  Crumble or rip the sausage and bacon up into pieces.

2. Whisk the flour, cornstarch, confectioners' sugar, baking powder, baking soda and 1/4 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl.  Whisk the milk, butter, and two of the together in a medium bowl.  Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until ingredients are just incorporated and the batter is thick (it's okay if there are some lumps).  Stir in the cheese and let the batter rest for 5 minutes.

3.  Wipe out the skillet (or use a new skillet or griddle) and heat over medium low.  Crack two eggs in the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until the whites are almost set, about 3 minutes.

5.  Taking care not to burst the yolks, ladle 1/4 cup of the pancake batter over each egg to cover it completely; sprinkle each pancake with 2 heaping tablespoons of the bacon-sausage mixture and cook until bubbles break at the edges, approximately 1 minute and 30 seconds.

6.  Gently flip each batter-covered egg and cook until the underside of the pancake is golden brown, the egg whites are fully cooked, and the yolks are still runny, about 1 minute and 30 seconds more.

7.  Serve the finished pancakes immediately as they are ready with maple syrup, ketchup, and hot sauce on the side.  Repeat with the remaining eggs, batter, and sausage mixture to make more pancakes.  Reduce the heat if the pancakes are browning too quickly.

Check out that ever-so-slightly runny yolk.  Yummm.

Verdict:  movie, amazing.  Soundtrack, infectious.  "Can I Say Something Crazy" Pancakes, food-coma inducing, just as we could have predicted.

[Recipe] "Rise Up" Raspberry Cinnamon Rolls

There's nothing quite like a fresh pastry for breakfast—but, I confess—it can be daunting to wake up that early just to indulge in the luxury.  Enter, bakeries.  But on those days you're craving homemade, I have just the recipe for you, requiring a bit of prep work the night before (to cut down on your wait time in the morning).

"Rise Up" Raspberry Cinnamon Rolls
A recipe inspired by Deliciously Sprinkled and Sally's Baking Addiction

I'm bad at Snapchat (my handle is, predictably, tammiest).  Or, rather, perhaps I'm not bad at it, but I don't have someone following me around or living with me who can take my Snapchat videos for me (life is hard).  This I found out the hard way as I attempted to Snapchat this recipe, complete with an all-too-appropriate soundtrack (read: complete with lots of puns) blaring in the background.  But you've only got one shot, or rather, one chance to make a shot—for example, once you've poured that icing sugar on top of the just-baked cinnamon rolls, you can't unpour it—and we all know it has to be poured to the iconic line, "Pour some sugar on me."

I amuse myself.

Soundtrack, Track #1 - My Shot
I am not throwing away my shot!
Rise up!
When you're living on your knees, you rise up
Tell your brother that he's gotta rise up
Tell your sister that she's gotta rise up

Soundtrack, Track #2 - Pour Some Sugar On Me
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love

Ingredients
Dough:
4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 envelopes of Fleischmann's® RapidRise™ Yeast
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup butter
2 large eggs

Raspberry Cinnamon Filling:
1 (24 oz.) bag frozen raspberries, not thawed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream (or half-and-half or milk)
Splash of vanilla

Directions
1.  Combine 1-1/2 cups of flour, granulated sugar, undissolved yeast, and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2.  Microwave milk, water, and 1/3 cup butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes or until warm; butter does not need to melt.
3.  Add butter mixture to flour mixture.  Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
4.  Add eggs and 1/2 cup flour.  Beat for 2 minutes on high speed.
5.  Stir in remaining 2-1/2 cups flour until batter forms.  Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 2 days.

6.  Line a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.
7.  Remove dough from refrigerator and let it warm up for about 15 minutes.  Punch down dough.  Place dough onto a lightly greased surface; divide in half.  Roll dough into a 16 x 10 inch rectangle.

8.  Sprinkle evenly with ground cinnamon, then top with frozen raspberries.

9.  Roll dough up tightly.  Using a sharp knife, cut roll into 13 equal pieces.  Place cinnamon rolls into prepared pan.  Cover and let rise for 30 minutes in a warm place until cinnamon rolls double in size.
Pro Tip:  Both Deliciously Sprinkled and Sally's Baking Addiction suggest preheating your oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, then turning the oven off before placing the covered cinnamon rolls into the oven for 30 minutes to rise and double in size.
10.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Bake the cinnamon rolls for 22 minutes, covering them with foil to prevent the tops of the rolls from getting too brown.
11.  While your rolls are cooling, make the glaze.  In a small bowl, whisk the confectioner's sugar and heavy cream until smooth.  Add more sugar or cream, depending how thick you want the glaze.  Pour glaze over the rolls and serve warm.  Cover the rolls and store at room temperature for up to 2-3 days.  Baked rolls can be frozen up to 2 months and warmed up to enjoy at a later date.  Glaze them right before serving.

[Travel] [Restaurant Review] [Recipe] Early Morning Muir Woods + Breakfast and Millionaire's Bacon

I admit—too often, my first thought for travel is that it's expensive and far away and I'll need to make sure my passport is up to date.  But that's definitely not true—I'm lucky enough to live in the U.S., and there are amazingly beautiful things to see (and delicious things to eat) right here, in every state in the union.

One of the many stunning things you can see in California are the redwoods forests.  There are so many parks at which you can do so, including the Redwood National and State Parks (consisting of four parks), the Big Basin Redwoods State Park, and the Humboldt Redwoods State Park, but perhaps the easiest one to get to is the Muir Woods National Monument.  The Muir Woods are just a little over 16 miles outside San Francisco proper (though it will likely take you 45 minutes or so to get there by car) and feature easy boardwalk loops as well as proper hiking trails.  You'll want to arrive early in the morning, if possible, to beat the crowds—there isn't a lot of parking available—although the Internet lets me know that eventually the Muir Woods will move toward a reservation system—keep an eye on that over the next couple of years, as you'll need to plan ahead a bit more than we had to in the near future.

These steps lead to adventure and stunning views and photo ops.

Under the canopy of the redwoods, you feel so small.  Can you even spot me in this shot?  I think if you could zoom in, you'd see I wasn't even looking at the camera here—was just looking up in awe.

I didn't get a chance to take a proper hike this trip (my friend and I were squeezing this visit in the morning of my flight back to the East Coast), but there was plenty of beauty just along the boardwalk.  Don't underestimate, though, just how cold it can be in the middle of the forest—walking will warm you up, but you'll definitely need long sleeves, and a sweater or a light jacket are probably smart.

We took a healthy number of photos and read our fair share of informational placards.  It took a little over an hour for a pair of New Yorkers (meaning only that we walk quickly) to do the longest boardwalk loop—the park, I think, recommends you take 2 hours to do that same loop.

Before (or after) your morning hike, drive a little over a mile to Kitchen Sunnyside for a delicious, hearty breakfast.

Kitchen Sunnyside
31 Sunnyside Ave., Suite 1
Mill Valley, CA 94941
(415) 326-5159

They've got tons of delicious options both sweet and savory (plus lots of vegetarian dishes if that's your jam), and all the portions are huge.  Pictured below are the Morning Tacos with chipotle aioli, avocado, scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, bacon, tomato, cilantro, mild cheddar, and parmesan, and topped with roasted salsa and pico de gallo and sour cream.  Served with your choice of potato medley (my choice), home fries, hash brown or salad.

I made sure to order a side of millionaire's bacon-- don't forget yours.  Millionaire's bacon appears to have been invented (or at least made popular) by San Francisco's Sweet Maple restaurant.  I've actually made this bacon myself before at home—with regular bacon—but it really is best made thick.  Try for yourself using the recipe below—but also definitely order it when you're next in San Francisco.

Millionaire's Bacon
an original recipe by tammiest (The Passionfruit Fashionista) 

Ingredients
1 pound of thick-cut bacon
5 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Line a baking pan with foil.  Combine all of the spices and the brown sugar together in a bowl and mix thoroughly—if you like things spicy, increase the amount of spice to taste.  Handcoat each strip of bacon with the mixture.
3.  Bake for 25-35 minutes until the bacon is crisp.  Cool for at least 10 minutes before enjoying.

[Recipe] "Good Mornin'" Avocado Egg in a Hole Toast

Mornings are hard.  I get it.  You might oversleep, or maybe you had to work late (or maybe you partied late), and the last thing you want to do when you get up is cook.  But what if I told you I have a 5-10 minute recipe for a breakfast as good as any you might get in the depths of Brooklyn or in sunny California?
Disclaimer:  Here I am assuming you like avocado.  Because duh.

Soundtrack - Good Mornin'
Good mornin'
Good mornin'
It's great to stay up late
(Sunbeams will soon shine through)
Good mornin'
Good mornin' to you

Side Note:  How amazing is Singin' in the Rain?  As a little girl, I crushed on Gene Kelly and Gregory Peck while my friends swooned over Jonathan Taylor Thomas.

"Good Mornin'" Avocado Egg in a Hole Toast
an original recipe by tammiest (The Passionfruit Fashionista)

Ingredients
1 slice whole-grain bread
1 avocado
1 large egg
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Hot sauce (optional)

Directions
1.  Mash the avocado in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Add a dash of hot sauce for kick—also to taste.
2.  Using a small round cookie cutter or other mold, cut a small circle (or heart or whatever other shape you desire) from the middle of your slice of toast.  Heat a small non-stick skillet with a small amount of oil in it over low heat.  Place the slice of bread in the skillet and heat for about 30 seconds, then flip.
3.  Crack an egg into the hole in the center of your toast.  Season with salt and pepper.  Wait until the egg whites begin to firm up and turn opaque, then flip the entire piece of toast with the egg in the center.  Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, then either remove from heat or turn off the heat, keeping the skillet over the burner.
4.  Spread the avocado mixture on the toast around the egg.

5.  If you don't want to cut a hole in your toast, of course you don't need to.  The avocado spread will work on toast alone, or you can separately cook your eggs however you want (sunny side-up, scrambled, etc.) and top.  Note also that one avocado will definitely be enough for two or three of these, so if you refrigerate the rest, breakfast the next day will be even easier!

[Recipe] "Once Upon a Dream" Cheddar Apple Muffins with Maple Candied Bacon Topping

I don't usually dream.

Or maybe I do, but I seldom remember my dreams.  The ones I do remember are often hyper-realistic, with only a very slight element of fantasy in them to remind me that no, So-And-So wasn't actually a jerk to me (or no more than usual), and I shouldn't not be on speaking terms with them.  Or else they're super-fantastical and all in animation, like the time I had an entire dream starring the cast of Disney's Aladdin on skateboards.

But last night I slept early, and this morning I awoke early, rousing from a dream of bacon, cheddar, and apples.  Some might have rolled over and gone back to sleep, hoping for more dreams.  But I decided to get up instead and see about making those dreams come true, humming the theme from Sleeping Beauty all the while:

Soundtrack - Once Upon a Dream
I know you
I walked with you once upon a dream
I know you
The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam
And I know it's true
That visions are seldom all they seem
But if I know you
I know what you'll do
You'll love me at once, the way you did once upon a dream

How about you, dear reader?  What's the most fantastic dream you've ever had?

"Once Upon a Dream" Cheddar Apple Muffins with Maple Candied Bacon Topping
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)
with inspiration from Wanna Come With? and The Clever Carrot
Makes 12-14 muffins

Muffin Base - Ingredients
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups milk
4 oz. lunchbox-sized applesauce
1 apple, small diced
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Candied Bacon - Ingredients
4-6 slices bacon
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Candied Bacon - Instructions
1.  Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2.  Wrap a rimmed baking sheet with at least two layers of aluminum foil and top with a wire rack (if you have one).
3.  In a medium bowl, add the maple syrup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, salt, and cayenne pepper.  Mix well.

4.  Add the bacon to the bowl and toss gently with your hands.  Make sure that all of the slices are evenly coated.
5.  Place the bacon in a single layer onto the wire rack or directly onto the pan (if you don't have a wire rack).
6.  Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.
* Note:  In my vision, the bacon will finish its crisp with the muffins.  If you want to have true candied bacon, bake for 20-25 minutes, checking to make sure the bacon looks slightly dark and crispy.
7.  Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the rack or on paper towels.  Then, using a knife, shred/dice/crumble the bacon into small pieces suitable for topping.

Muffin - Instructions
8.  While the bacon is in the oven, you can start on the muffin base, but remember to preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit before baking the muffins.  Either lightly grease your muffin tin or line with paper liners.

9.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and grated cheddar cheese.  Whisk together well.

10.  In another bowl or a large measuring cup, lightly beat together the egg, milk, and applesauce.
11.  Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and gently stir until just blended.  Mix in the apple dices, but try not to overmix.

12.  Fill the muffin cups and bake for 6 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with a small amount of crumbled candied bacon.  Bake for another 7-1/2 minutes.

[Recipe] "Hollaback" Banana (Nut) Crumb Muffins

I love bananas.  And all desserts that taste of or like bananas: Chunky Monkey ice cream (or other banana-based ice creams), banana splits, banana cream pie, banana fudge cookies, etc.  I'd say, really, that they're my one true weakness in life.

Our torrid love affair began in the first grade.  I was invited to a family friend's birthday party, and they served a Big Bird birthday cake (extra points for the Sesame Street theme)-- a big, yellow, creamy, and banana-heavenly cake that I've never forgotten.  It was love at first bite (in a totally non-creepy, non-vampire way).

"Hollaback" Banana (Nut) Crumb Muffins

an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

Makes 12 muffins

This is, in my humble opinion, far and away my best and most favorite recipe.  The muffin is incredibly moist, and the banana and cinnamon are melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Muffin Base - Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 over-ripe bananas, mashed

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Crumble - Ingredients
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Lightly grease the muffin tin or line with muffin cups.

2.  In a large bowl, mix together 1-1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  In another bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg, and melted butter.  Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture until just moistened.  Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.

3.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of flour, and cinnamon.  Cut in 1 tablespoon of butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.  Sprinkle over the muffin batter.

4.  Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes. 

[Recipe] "Sweet Morning After" Strawberry Banana Almond Overnight Oats

I'm never grouchy in the mornings.  For real.  I might snooze or lounge fifteen minutes longer than I should, but I never wake up on the "wrong side" of bed, so to speak.  Of course, that's kind of hard to do when you have this most adorable of puppies to wake up to each morning: 

But there is one thing that can frazzle me: running behind schedule and, of course, not having enough time to eat.  It's usually not a problem—it's easy enough to eat a banana and some yogurt or a bowl of cereal, but I like to change it up sometimes when it comes to the most important meal of the day, and I don't always have the time to cook before heading to work.

Enter, overnight oats.

"Sweet Morning After" Strawberry Banana Almond Overnight Oats
an original recipe by tammiest (the Passionfruit Fashionista)

I first learned of overnight oats thanks to a featurette on Buzzfeed, which in turn led me to Kath of KathEats, whose colorful, beautiful photography are persuasion of the highest order.  Overnight oats are easy peasy, as long as you can remember to spend about 5-10 minutes the night before assembling all the ingredients.  The basic ratio is 1/3 cup rolled oats to 1/3 cup Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup skim milk, plus whatever toppings and mixings (non-crunchy) your heart desires, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until morning.  The milk can be substituted out for almond milk or coconut milk, of course, and the yogurt can be swapped out entirely (though it's recommended for thickening purposes), but the whole point is that the oats need to soak overnight.  It's actually better for digestion and nutrition, generally, for oats to be soaked (or "cultured," which is the more appropriate term).

And boy, is it delicious-- a second something worth waking up to every morning.

Ingredients
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup Chobani vanilla chocolate chip yogurt
1/3 cup skim milk (or almond milk)
1/2 banana, thinly sliced
5 strawberries, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons almond tea powder (or almond butter)
Pinch of salt

Directions
1.  Mix/layer all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl or mason jar, then cover with plastic wrap and put into the refrigerator overnight.

2.  In the morning, take out of the refrigerator and eat directly or pop into the microwave for thirty seconds on 50% power to take the chill out of the oats.

[Recipe] "Hearty Breakfast Special" Cupcakes

Nothing beats breakfast in bed, though I can't say I've ever really had it except while traveling for business.  I suppose, in those situations, I first have to get out of bed and open the door, hair mussed, but still, I love being in my PJs or wrapped up in a fluffy robe when feasting on pancakes or eggs benedict.

"Hearty Breakfast Special" Cupcakes
a recipe by Aaron McCargo, Jr.
Yield: 12 cupcakes

My friend Adam once asked for some relationship advice after he'd upset his very serious, live-in girlfriend.  Our mutual friend—a man—suggested flowers, but I told Adam to surprise his girlfriend with breakfast in bed.

Breakfast in bed is easy points, a wonderful surprise.  There's nothing like waking up to delicious smells and that amazing feeling of being completely cared for.  And it's not difficult: some toast, bacon or breakfast sausage, and eggs, scrambled or sunny side up.  Or pancakes (it can seriously even be made from Bisquick).  If you're feeling fancy, an omelette.  If cooking's not your thing, a nice bowl of cereal with fresh cut fruit.  Add a glass of juice or a mug of coffee, depending on your significant other's tastes, and it's the perfect start to any day.

Ingredients
Canola oil spray
6 thick-cut slices of good-quality bacon
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
4 cups prepared pancake batter
8 oz. mascarpone
1 cup confectioner's sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare a cupcake pan with canola oil spray.
2.  Prepare a broiler pan and place the bacon on the pan.  Cook until well crisped, about 6 minutes.  Remove from the oven and reserve 1 tablespoon bacon drippings.

3.  Reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Mix the chives into the pancake batter and pour into the cupcake tins so that they are 3/4 full.  Bake for 12 minutes.

4.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the mascarpone, confectioner's sugar, maple syrup and the reserved bacon drippings.  Stir well to combine and set aside.  Crumble the cooked bacon and set aside.

5.  Remove the cupcakes from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack, about 10 minutes.  Frost each cupcake with the bacon icing and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon.