Break-feast

I’m going to sound like such a curmudgeon, but I despise “friendsgiving”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for getting together with the people who you consider family to break bread, but can we please put that term to rest. Back in January, Caroline and I compiled a list of words/phrases that we didn’t want to bring into 2020 with us. Little did we know that we’d be graced with new words and phrases such as “maskne”, “social distancing” “flattening the curve”, “hey all you cool cats and kittens”. Oy. But I’d like to make an amendment to that list and add “friendsgiving”.

Why do I hate it? I’m so glad you asked. First of all, I pride myself on being a wordsmith. There is nothing remotely clever about the term. It doesn’t even make sense. Everyone has just embraced it for God knows what reason. Thanksgiving is about ‘giving thanks’. Are you ‘giving friends’? No.

Second of all, no offense to my friends, but I don’t want to eat your first attempt ever at making your Nonna’s famous dressing. If you want me to come to Nonna’s house and make it with her, I’m down. But I’d rather not eat a less than mediocre pregame to actual Thanksgiving dinner.

Do you hate me as a person yet?

Don’t worry. I’m not a curmudgeon sans solutions. I have a proposal: break-feast. There isn’t a person on this earth who doesn’t enjoy a breakfast for dinner moment, and that’s what you should do with you friends.

One year our family had our actual Thanksgiving meal a few weeks before the actual date because of schedules, so on Thanksgiving Day we had break-feast. I have never enjoyed a Thanksgiving more. I loved it so much that I made a Mayflower out of a watermelon. Shoutout to the Ingles in Greensboro, GA for having a watermelon in November.

I’ve had break-feast a few times with friends, and I’m celebrating the Monday before Thanksgiving with some old co-workers. I’m here to provide you with some recipe inspiration so we can join in the fight in putting Friendsgiving to rest.

Obviously, our favorite Oklahoma native is going to get a mention. I have made a version of these egg muffins for a variety of parties, and they are always a hit. Skinnytaste has a similar recipe in her first cookbook, and she does part eggs and part egg whites. Ree uses 15 eggs. I’m not much of an egg person to begin with. I’m like Tom Haverford and call eggs “pre birds” or “future birds”. So I use about half egg whites, and they are still just as good. It’s a delightful little pick-up.

Paula Stewart has been making this coffee cake for as long as I can remember. When I was in high school in the Beta Club, we’d have breakfast at our monthly “meetings”. I’d always get my mom to make this coffee cake. It was a favorite, and it’s so easy. Your break-feast needs it.

If you’re not into the mini egg muffins, I made this casserole this past Easter, and it’s delicious. Hashbrowns make anything better. Let’s just agree to eat hashbrowns until this year is over, ok?

My mom was a Pampered Chef for a few years and would go around doing the parties. She has many great stories from that period in her life, but taco ring and these cinnamon rolls were always her go to dishes to feature. I can’t imagine how many of these cinnamon rolls I’ve consumed on all my years on this planet. Over the years, she’s deviated from the original recipe and instead of using cinnamon and sugar, she’s used a variety of jams and preserves to make different danishes.
Easy. Delicious. Crowd pleasing. -my autobiography

Even if you don’t carve a Mayflower, you should still have fruit at your break-feast. I have always loved the fruit dip at Jason’s Deli, and this copy cat recipe is pretty close.

I hope you’ll join me in this noble quest to put this term to rest. I’d love to come over for any and all breakfeasts, and I promise I’m more delightful than this post leads you to believe.

For the record, I’d also be happy to come to your Tom Hanksgiving meal as well. Rockford peach sangria. Buzz lightbeer. You’ve Got Kale……we’ll work on the menu.