I NEED COMFORT

There are days when I am totally inspired to write. I have ideas swirling in my head and I can't wait to get on the computer. Today I was not in the mood to write. It was a tough day at the office. But I started thinking about the day again. This morning I had my cup of coffee and I was ready to tackle the issues at hand. In walks our service provider with a dozen Dunkin Donuts. Inside I was jumping up for joy. DONUTS!! And then I was mad. I try so hard to control my love for sweets and carbs, but with my stress level at an all time high, I didn't stand a chance. I succumbed to the donut. Now, my favorite donut is a simple non-glazed cake donut. I know you might think it is boring, but it is a donut in its purest form. The sweet cake. The cute wrinkles in the center where the dough was removed to form the hole. The golden brown color where the dough was fried. And the grand finale is dunking that donut in my coffee. Comfort at it's highest. You feel the stress leaving your shoulders with every bite.

Do I relate food to my feelings? Absolutely! I am an emotional eater. Add to that my new knowledge of cooking and mixing flavors, my waistline will probably not see single digit dress sizes for a long time. After 9/11 I noticed the trend of a lot of magazines and chef shows to feature comfort foods. Pot Roasts, Casseroles, Meatloaves, etc. When my son went to the emergency room a few months ago, I noticed the vending machine was being attacked. Nervous family members devoured the chocolate bars. I can't tell you the scientific reason for eating while stressed, but I know it works.


My favorite meal of the day is breakfast, but I don't always have time during the work week. Too much rushing in the mornings. I love to start slow and take in the dawning of the day. So I do big breakfast on Sunday mornings before church, on days off or while on vacation. Pancakes or french toast, scrambled eggs and bacon. YUM!! The best pancakes I have ever, ever, ever eaten came from a recipe I saw on TV Food Network. They are from Chef Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cooking. Besides being a cutie pie, the boy can cook. You add ricotta cheese to the batter. I cook a special breakfast on Thanksgiving morning for any out of towners while we watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We eat a little heavy in the morning, no lunch and then gobble tons of turkey at night. And when I made these, everyone flipped at how good they were. I wish I could take the credit, but it was just a lucky recipe find.


The pancakes are light and fluffy and you top them with roasted apples and crispy prosciutto. Amazing. The only down side is you can't make them fast enough for the swarm that descends on your kitchen.

Here is the link to his recipe on how to make these fantastic pancakes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Apple season is coming upon us so keep this recipe stored.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/ricotta-pancakes-with-roasted-golden-delicious-apples-and-roasted-prosciutto-recipe/index.html



French toast is my 2nd favorite comfort item. My chef makes the most fantastic stuffed french toast at the restaurant. It is a completely decadent fattening food. He takes 2 large slices of french bread to make a sandwich. In the middle he spreads a mixture of cream cheese, brown sugar and cinnamon that was blended smooth. Then he cuts each sandwich into 4 triangles.

In a separate bowl he has a batter. He dips each triangle in this batter and into the deep fryer it goes. The batter puffs up and the cream cheese mixture melts in the center. He plates all 4 pieces, sprinkles powdered sugar on top and serves with maple syrup.

You eat your french toast with a freshly brewed cup of coffee and it feels like you have just been given a wonderful hug. What a way to start a great day that the Lord has made. Amen.