Eating breakfast for dinner when we were kids makes us giddy when we reminisce about it (easy to thrill then, easy to thrill now). It struck us to be both hilarious and genius that our moms would turn our days upside down like that and we frequently got so wrapped up in the occasion that we’d get into our pajamas at 5:30 p.m. for the sake of breakfast. For no other reason but forgetfulness, it’s taken us nearly a decade to think of introducing this crazy, coocoo bananas idea to our kids. Surprisingly, they didn’t hop on board the fun train right away – “that’s weird” and “that’s disordered” were the responses our enthusiasm was met with. Maybe it was our pitch, maybe they had their hearts set on something boring for dinner, we didn’t care, both of us pushed our breakfast for dinner agenda and won those little naysayers over. (Take that 9 year olds.)

Eggs are a staple breakfast food for Carrie whether she’s making them herself or going out to brunch, they win her vote over pancakes every time. Maybe it’s because she grew up with chickens on her lap, or maybe it’s the sausage gravy that often comes along with her eggs, probably both. Because Outpost makes the best sausage this side of Germany (we’re assuming) and because it’s lean, we both prefer it to any other sausage we can get our hands on (mind you, it has nothing to do with the fact we blog for Outpost, well maybe a little). That + tubes of biscuits only recently available in the co-op’s refrigerated section + kids in footie pajamas at dinner time = our faces ache from gigantic smiles. The tube of biscuits comes with instructions, so we’ll leave that to you to figure out  as well as how to cook your eggs – everyone we know likes their eggs differently (our way is over medium, in case you were wondering).

Eeeeeeeasy Sausage Gravy

Sausage gravy is eeeeeasy and crazy delicious. What other reasons do you need to make it? Whenever Outpost’s butchers make up a batch of breakfast sausage or Irish country sausage, you should hoard it for sausage gravy. Yes you can use chicken sausage, the chicken apple sausage or the chicken brats are probably your best bets. Yes you can use vegan ingredients, including vegan sausage, we like Upton’s Naturals. While you can do both of those things, we prefer our sausage gravy porky.

Serves 4 – 6

1 pound Outpost breakfast or Irish country sausage (bulk or removed from casings)

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3 cups milk

salt and pepper to taste

1. Be sure to use a pan that is NOT non-stick as you'll need to whisk the gravy thoroughly.

2. Fully cook and brown the sausage, remove and set aside. 

3. Drain all but about a tablespoon of drippings from the pan, add butter. When butter is melted, slowly add in the flour, whisking well to coat all the flour with butter. 

4. After all the flour is added and has turned a light brown color, slowly add in milk, whisking the whole time. 

5. Gravy will thicken quite a bit. If necessary, add more milk and whisk to combine.

6. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with eggs and biscuits.

Diana is a sucker for pancakes. So much so, she has quite a few recipes for pancakes she pulls from when she’s flippin’ cakes on the griddle. There are gluten-free pancakes for her little squirt, stuffed Algerian pancakes when she’s feeling fancy, classic buttermilk pancakes and perhaps her favorite of all, Oatcakes. What’s so great about oakcakes you ask? They don’t sound awesome, but they have a magical hold on picky eaters who say they don’t even like pancakes (weirdos). They’re also the easiest recipe in her arsenal – which is exactly what makes this a great breakfast for dinner. Some other time we’ll get to making the other pancake recipes – but right now we are going along with the cravings of a pregnant woman. Oatcakes it is.

Oatcakes

Bacon. Bacon is what need alongside oatcakes. It might be Diana’s bun in the oven that requires the bacon, but it wasn’t hard to convince Carrie of its necessity. No, you can not substitute quick oats, the texture isn’t as awesome – but yes, you can substitute gluten free rolled oats and gluten free AP flour mix.

Serves 6

2 cups whole rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ounces melted butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups buttermilk (low fat is okay)

butter or oil for frying

1. Combine dry ingredients and wet ingredients in 2 separate bowls (sorry!)

2. Add the wet to the dry bowl and gently fold to moisten – do not overmix or your pancakes will be tough.

3. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for 20 – 30 minutes.

4. Cook 1/4 cup portions over medium heat in a lightly oiled frying pan or on a lightly oiled griddle set at 350 degrees. When bubbles form, flip and cook 2 – 3 minutes longer. Serve with maple syrup (and uh, bacon.)

We're Good Sharers: Food for Squirrels

When we're not startling our kids with breakfast for dinner, we're staring out our kitchen windows watching the squirrels and birds figure out who gets which of our leftovers. We're not talking troughs of grossness, no, we're classy. Our yard visitors get only the best (of leftovers past their prime) ... this little feast is from Carrie's latest find in the fridge, leftover thanksgiving cranberries and root vegetables. A little dallop of each into icecube trays, then into the freezer until special-food-for-squirrel o'clock. Pop a few in the feeder or on the ground and those little furry suckers are the fanciest squirrels in the neighborhood (and if the dogs find them first, meh, whatever.)