New to the Humble Neighborhood? Here's the deal: I cook. You come and eat–and in the process you get to hang out with a bunch of really cool people. Sounds good, no?

Dinners will feature fresh, seasonal dishes and will take place on the second Saturday of each month from June through September. Here are the dates: June 11; July 16 (this is actually the third Saturday, due to a prior commitment on my part. Plus I couldn't very well call the series "Second Saturdays Unless I Have Plans and Move One to the Third Saturday in July." It loses the alliteration quality and doesn't flow as nicely); August 13; September 10. Appetizers and munchies at 6 p.m. with dinner planned for 7 p.m.

So…like I said, I'm thinking about it and I'd love your input. Take this quick survey and let me know what you think!

But oh, my beloved toast!
 
Here’s my all-time favorite breakfast: one egg sunnyside up, not too runny—especially the white part, if the white part is still runny, then forget it; sauteed kale and red onions with a spritz or two of Bragg’s aminos; and yummy whole grain toast—the whole grainier the better—lightly toasted and buttered, for dipping in that lovely golden yolk. 
     Alas! The toast dilemma!
     I know, of course, that there are perfectly delicious breads that I can have and that my love affair with toast has not, in fact, come to its end. But it’s occurred to me that when it comes to toast, perhaps I doth love too much, and so I’m taking a break while I search out some  wheat-free options.
 
Enter the Breakfast Smoothie!

For weeks now I’ve been trading in my egg/toast/kale breakfast for something completely different. I simply cannot  have an egg with no toast for dipping. Lead me not into temptation and all that. So instead I’ve been playing around with different smoothie combinations. Bananas, berries, apples…kale, parsley, celery…mango juice, orange juice, almond milk! You get the idea. 
     This morning’s concoction: organic wild blueberries, an organic banana, a few organic raspberries and roughly a cup of almond milk. 
     Here’s how I usually make it: break up a banana and toss that in the blender. Then I add what to me looks like a cup or so of berries—frozen, so I don’t have to add ice—and then splashes of almond milk and zhujzzz until my smoothie is smooth. 
     The other day, I started measuring the berries instead of pouring them straight in from the bag. Why? In some way I think it’s neater, I suppose. But who knows?
     This morning, for some reason, I decided to measure the almond milk as well. Maybe I wanted to see how much I was actually using. Although I rather suspect my Guardian Angel whispered in my ear.

Can I just tell you how much a container of Trader Joe’s Organic Hearty Vegetable Broth looks like a container of Pacific Organic Almond Non-Dairy Beverage?!

That’s right, "non-dairy beverage." Those pesky labeling laws. They don’t have to tell us if it’s genetically modified, but God/dess forbid we confuse a nut product with something that comes from a cow.

But I digress…

The happy ending to my tale is this: I did not splash vegetable broth into my delicious blueberry smoothie, and I do believe in angels.

All I wanted was a crispy bit of whole grain toast. Too much to ask? I don’t think so. And the only decision I wanted to make was: sweet potato spread or freshly made homemade butter? That’s right, freshly homemade organic butter. Yum. The butter might have won out, I think, but I opened the breadbox and was surprised—and frankly, a little irritated—to find it curiously devoid of bread. Unless you count the three packages of carefully saved ends tucked neatly in one corner. Good for something, but not—in my opinion—toast.

The Search for Inspiration

I’m not a wasteful person and I simply can’t bring myself to throw it away–which is how there came to be three practically empty packages to begin with. What to do? Make breadcrumbs? Nope, did that with the last batch. Make toast anyway? Definitely not. I try to limit my bread intake (even if it is a nice hearty whole grain) and so I want to fully enjoy it when I do have it. Bread ends don’t cut it.
     What, I asked myself—out loud, alone in my kitchen and sounding more aggravated than I should have—what do people do with these things?! I wasn’t actually expecting an answer, but one came to me, calmly and rationally, anyway: they make bread pudding.
     Of course they do. I’ve done it myself. Once. With splendid results, even. Suddenly, the clear, crisp late summer day seemed like the perfect day to make bread pudding, particularly as my brain started inventorying potential ingredients…the buttermilk from my fresh butter-making project, the fresh peaches liberated from an upstate-NY farm stand over the weekend (not to worry—I paid for their freedom)… Ah, the exciting possibilities!

All’s Well that Ends Well

Well, those pesky bread ends ended up well; warm bread pudding with fresh peaches on a cool evening is a far cry from the brink of disposal, to be sure. This week, I have more fresh peaches and an idea or two for improving this already tasty dish. When it’s ready, I’ll be sure and post the recipe, I promise. This is going to be a fun week in the kitchen!

I never did make that toast.