I usually prefer to buy fruits and vegetables in-season, proven by my recent love affair with local apples. However, I’m also stubborn and if I’m craving something, I want it now, not in six months when it’s available on the cart at the farmer’s market. Which so happened a few days ago, with blueberries.
When I get busy, sometimes some of my priorities get lost in the shuffle, like working out daily or doing my laundry once a week (I can go two until I start to run low on essentials like socks and underwear but my hamper gets really, really full). I let things slide – dust bunnies might pop up on my shelves, the shawl I’ve been knitting since July goes untouched for days. But the one thing I rarely forget to do is eat.
I think that for a single twenty-something, “cooking” is a pretty relative term. A coworker and I have been debating recently what it means to cook dinner. Her version of cooking is anything that doesn’t fall into the categories of take-out or delivery and I tend to agree. Cooking can mean making something from scratch with fresh ingredients and hours spent chopping, marinating and braising. It can also mean mixing a bag of frozen vegetables into al dente pasta and sprinkling it with shredded parmesan cheese. Both versions can produce an equally satisfying meal.
I’ve talked before about breakfast typically being a grab-and-go meal. On the weekends, I usually envision myself having the time to languish over a long breakfast with a book, or brunch out with friends, but when I have the time, often I don’t have the right ingredients for something I’ve been wanting to try like Pumpkin Pancakes or even simple French Toast.
This weekend was one of those weekends, where I stood in front of my open fridge and cabinets (a bad habit I have) and stared at all of the ingredients I didn’t have, all the while thinking about how much I didn’t want to put on real clothes and walk to the corner market in the rain to buy maple syrup or buttermilk.
When my eye caught sight of an almost empty bag of granola, I decided to throw together something simple: a combination of plain greek yogurt, surprisingly fresh-tasting blueberries (considering that they’re out of season!) and Chappaqua crunch granola, which is so good but inspired me to want to make my own. Topped with honey, you never would have known it was a last resort.
What are your favorite weekend breakfast treats? Do you splurge on big meals or do you prefer to keep it simple?
November 9, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I love fresh, ripe blueberries, especially in summer. I put a ton of them in a bowl and eat them with a spoon, minus the granola
November 9, 2008 at 7:11 pm
We usually just have cereal but my favorite breakfast treat on the weekend is a home-made latte with cinnamon day old baguette warmed up with jam and a little butter.
November 9, 2008 at 8:42 pm
We often have chocolate chip pancakes or tofu scramble with onions and black bean salsa. Today we went out to an Indian buffet.
November 9, 2008 at 9:31 pm
I totally agree with your characterization of single twenty-something cooking: the concept certainly has variable definitions for me. I love stationing myself in the kitchen, but I don’t do it as often as I’d like mainly, I think, because I’m just one person, and I get tired of eating the same thing over, and over, and over. I usually try to make something on the weekend that will translate well into leftovers-as-lunch during the week.
I love baking muffins for breakfast, and I love how portable they are (running late? No problem, just pack-and-go). Pancakes are definitely my favorite breakfast indulgence, though : )
November 9, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Oh yum! I love granola and fresh fruit too! I have a great recipe for Texas French Toast, which is one of my breakfast favorites!
November 9, 2008 at 11:00 pm
To me, cooking does not require applying heat to food. Maybe “concocting” is a better word. For weekdays, I have the same breakfast almost every day: oat bran flake cereal with skim milk and fruit. And coffee, of course. On weekends it’s always a protein breakfast, like frittatas with whatever odds and ends are in the fridge: leftover veggies or salad, leftover bits of cheese in my freezer cheese bin, etc.
November 10, 2008 at 1:02 pm
If we eat breakfast at home we might make pancakes, waffles or popovers on the weekends but usually we end up going our for a bagel or a greasy fry-up
November 10, 2008 at 1:06 pm
breakfast is my absolute FAVORITE meal of the day. sadly, i dont get to do anything too fancy most days cause of the must-get-to-work time crunch. so i normally just have eggo waffles with fruit and sometimes yogurt, cereal or an english muffin. but the weekends i love to make massive egg dishes and go to lavish brunches were you eat too much and generally have a mimosa or five.
ahhhhhh i’m ready for the weekends
November 10, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Granola sounds great.
Somes I make oatmeal, and I stir peanut butter and honey into into it, and then top it with banana. And milk of course.
Do you think that’s weird? It’s really good.
November 10, 2008 at 8:16 pm
I’m with you on the cooking ideas–20something or not (and I’m soooo not anymore–sigh!). I vacillate between hours in the kitchen and 20 minutes or less for dinner. Your granola mix looks yummy!
I love pancakes on the weekends, and anything baked (muffins, sweet breads, scones, etc.). For me, a huge scramble and pancakes on the side sounds perfect, though I rarely have time to make both for the same meal!
Thanks so much for your comment on my blog–and I’m so glad it brought me to yours! Can’t wait to read through your archives and catch up.
November 10, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Since I am a little older than twenty something,(God I hate that I’m not anymore) cooking is defined a bit differently to me. I tend to cook a big dinner on Sunday and eat the leftovers for most of the week…
Thursday’s I mooch at Mom’s and then go out on the weekends. It works for me!
November 11, 2008 at 12:39 am
Ok now I am totally craving fresh blueberries…I went out to breakfast yesterday morning and was dying to order the blueberry French toast, but I knew I’d just end up with the shriveled little frozen ones. I settled on banana French toast instead since bananas are always in season…
I miss berry season
November 11, 2008 at 5:07 am
I love berries! I almost always eat the same thing for breakfast: bircher muesli. Even on weekends. Saturdays I tend to have a special “second breakfast” though… poached eggs on toast, made with fresh eggs from the farmer’s market.