Splendid Huevos Rancheros

I can admit that I’ve never been a huge fan of breakfast. I love eggs, I like bacon, but it’s just not the most rousing meal category in my opinion. But when I was in college, brunch started to become a “thing”. Traditional restaurants all over D.C began offering a trendy and unexpected twist, served from noon until three- a mix of breakfast and lunch in one specialized menu. Exciting! Brunch is perfect for kids who partied until three a.m., and couldn’t possibly make it to breakfast on time (me in college). Or the slow moving, late people, who plan to arrive someplace at three, and arrive casually around four (me pre-baby). It’s also perfect for somewhat authoritarian moms, with a kid who takes a mandated, no-excuses four-hour midday nap (me right now).

Besides timing, brunch is awesome because there’s so many options! Pancakes and french toast are cool, but sometimes you’d rather have something more savory. Or spicy. Or Mexican! That’s where these huevos rancheros come in. I ordered them once at a reputable restaurant, and hated them. This defied logic. I adore all Mexican food, I adore brunch, and I adore said restaurant. For these reasons, I decided that I must actually just hate huevos rancheros. Years passed before I considered them again.

Heavenly Cinnamon Rolls

In college, I worked retail for a few months at one of those stores that sold overpriced ripped jeans, tank tops, and hoodies, with murals of half naked hotties plastered on the walls, and an overpowering scent of Axe body spray-esque cologne in the air. And I hated it. I hated the aggressive techno music, I hated the rude customers, and I hated the smell of that cologne. The only good thing about the short-lived job was my almost daily meal of a big, warm, gooey Cinnabon. I was a woman obsessed. I’d leave classes early to make sure I got to the mall in time to have one before my shift, or rush over on my fifteen-minute break. The Cinnabon employees and I knew each other by name. Now that I think back on it, it’s kind of disgusting how many of those cinnamon buns I ate in that three-month period. Disgusting, but awesome. I absolutely love cinnamon buns!

Now that I’ve accurately given you a look into my cinnamon bun fueled sickness, you can understand why mastering this recipe was so important to me. I don’t frequent malls anymore- I’m more into home goods and specialty groceries at this point in my life. But even though I rarely pass a Cinnabon store and get enveloped in that heavenly smell of dough, cinnamon, and sugar, I still think I deserve (yes, deserve) to have cinnamon rolls.

Freezer Ready Turkey Burgers

It’s the end of a super long week. I’m driving home with a screaming baby in the backseat, and all I can think about is putting him to bed and spending the evening soaking in a hot bath while browsing Pinterest. Phone rings. It’s boyfriend. “Ryan, what’s for dinner? There’s nothing to eat here.” This is honestly one of the most annoying things anyone can say to you at the end of a long day, especially when you know there’s a refrigerator and pantry full of food. But instead of copping an attitude and launching a verbal attack, you’re cool, calm, and collected, because you’re prepared. Your freezer is stocked.

I learned the importance of freezer ready food when I was a new mom working fifty-hour weeks. No one at the office cared that it was after five and I had a new baby or a hungry family waiting for me at home. It was disheartening, but it made me a better, more prepared mommy and cook. On the weekends, I’d prep things for the week ahead, chop onions, gather ingredients, marinate, and season, so putting dinner together at the end of a long day would be simple as possible.