A Rainy Brunch
A fabulous brunchy breakfast served on a cheerful plate at Auntie M’s in Seaside.
When the weather will comply, IZ and I have a tradition of long walks along the river on Saturdays. We typically stop for a coffee or tea and then walk for as long as our legs will carry us. But this morning we found ourselves rained out after an hour. Cold, wet, decidedly hungry, we slogged back to our car and drove home.
This is what sleep deprivation looks like.
We had almost thrown in the towel this morning and opted for breakfast. Last night was a late night of work. IZ made it bed by 3, I was a relative early bird in bed by 1 am. We were zonked and walking in the spit didn’t sound as good as the plates of eggs and bacon being paraded in front of us at Astoria Coffee House. But, my jeans have been screaming at me and photos don’t lie: I’ve um packed on the pounds this winter. My job has me sitting all day and I look forward to the long walks and talks: so we didn’t stay.
Of course, by the time we made it home, Astoria Coffee was no longer serving breakfast. So, on a tip from my lovely friend Candace, we headed out to Auntie M’s in Seaside. They serve breakfast sandwiches until 2 and all their food is homemade. It sounded like a fitting brunch date after such a disappointing walk. (note: wet skinny jeans, friends, are no picnic to peel off! And that makes me laugh, skinny jeans: even my jeans are in denial.)
Talking physics
I’m pretty sure the croissant wasn’t a good diet choice. But my mouth will totally disagree. Soooo good, crispy, flaky, yummy. I really, seriously love a good croissant. And the eggs was so fluffy and light. Iz and I had tea (decaf Earl Grey: Meh. That’s my fault, Earl Grey shouldn’t be decaf, not really!) but Geo had an espresso drink that he said was really good. I probably should have tried their mocha, but the Earl Grey was calling to me. He’s like that, the Earl… such a seducer.
Anyhow, it completely made up for our sad, wet walk. Auntie M’s place is cozy and fun and the staff is really lovely. And if the weather will treat you right (or you don’t mind getting drenched) it’s just a short walk to the beach. Just about perfect, I’d say. You know, for a rainy day.
Happy Halloween
Breakfast.
Lunch
Dinner
Late night snack.
Orange Yogurt Pancakes
Orange Yogurt Pancakes. . .
Did you have a fabulous 4th of July? We certainly enjoyed ourselves. In fact, I’m not sure we did much beyond “enjoy” ourselves. Which is “Larsen” for eating. The weather was perfect, though as predicted, it’s much warmer today. Summer has finally arrived. And we spent the day lounging around the house, taking a few walks, and enjoying a rare down day.
I will spare you all the photos of food. (though, I might sneak in a picture of the much talked about cherry pie, because it was so pretty!) But I did manage to remember to photograph the pancakes. I’ve been meaning to share this recipe for ages. But these orange pancakes are so good, they just don’t last long enough for me to get around to photographing.
I should say upfront, that these pancakes are a minor miracle in my opinion. I’m no fan of the beloved pancake! You would think, otherwise, since the very name involves cake.
I loved them as a child. However, years of eating frozen bisquick mix pancakes with fake maple syrup on a semi-daily basis convinced me that if I want something to dunk into syrup, it’s not a pancake. I still shudder at the smell of bisquick mix.
Yes, I know, those aren’t real pancakes. But it’s not just the mix. It’s also the way most pancakes seem to absorb the syrup and then turn into an unmitigated mess of maple flavored mush. IZ has never understood my distaste nor my fascination with drowning my stack in half a bottle of syrup , but I’m equally mystified at the pure ardor for mush. I shouldn’t be, I’m southern; there’s no explaining grits.
You probably don’t even want pancakes now, right? Sorry. Let me redeem myself.
These pancakes are outrageously good. The slight hint of orange flavor and tanginess of Greek yogurt cut the super sweetness that is maple syrup. And come on, you’re not really eating pancakes if you skip the maple syrup. It’s your choice to drown your stack or not, but these pancakes are up the deluge. No soggy mess. Ever. Just tender, yummy, goodness. What pancakes should be.
Just one tiny request. . . if you make these amazing pancakes, use the real deal in the syrup department. They really are too good to be smothering with fake maple syrup! (recipe modified from FreshTart Steph)
