Saturday Brunch at the Holly's

Sporting an apron I made in Home Ec during 8th grade. Yes, I did sew it.

That morning, I took an early practice drive session with the hubby's car. I say practice because I never really drove a stick shift well enough until this week. Too many discouraging stall episodes during high school. Plus, my parents lent me automatics all the time. But, now that I get the hang of it, gotta say it was soooo much fun. Then, after taking a quick one-hour workout at the gym I arrived at my house, screaming kids in the background, to pop my blueberry french toast into the oven. While that baked, I cooked all my favorite meats on my electric stove top. Oh, gas stove tops how I miss thee. It's quite tricky to get the right temp for electric.

I hate posting pics and vids of myself, but I guess it comes with blog territory. I just have to share this part of my life, which I often forget...that I love to cook. I say I forget because it's become a chore, when I have to do it every single week. But, if it's something I love to cook, then I love cooking. Especially huge brunches. I love to feed people I care about, especially with delicious food. The big hit for the morning was, as always, the overnight blueberry french toast. A church friend of mine, back in Long Beach, had us over quite often. One morning before a day trip to hike Mt. Baldey, she fed us this. It was love at first bite. I have to make this again.

Fresh from the oven. Overnight Blueberry French Toast via allrecipes.com

The best part is the homemade syrup recipe that goes with it. I've made it plenty of times and it hasn't failed. You can't go wrong w/ cream cheese bits, blueberries, crispy toast soaked with syrupy egg and milk batter. No siree. While that baked in the oven, my stove top was free to cook all the lovely meats below.

Polska Kielbasa by Hillshire Farms.

Country Sausage (Left) and Bacon cut in half for the kiddos (Right)

The only thing we didn't feature photo wise, was my hubby's perfect scrambled eggs. Bummer. And a bowl of strawberries. Juices galore. I must have my Dole Pineapple combo w/ meat.

Filipino Brunch

During my Daly City/junior high years, my parents took in my Lolo Tony, two uncles, aunt, and four cousins into our humble abode. Somehow all thirteen of us managed to survive in a tiny urban home without killing each other. I cherish those Saturday mornings, when my mother, uncle & aunt spent the time to cook us a huge brunch. Fried eggs in bacon grease. Hillshire sausage w/ a side of white rice. Toast. Longanisa (filipino sausage). Tocino or sweetened pork strips. Tapas (freshly fried beef jerky) w/ diced tomatoes & green onions. Fried saba banana sprinkled w/ sugar. Pancakes. Maybe once in a while something healthy like fresh fruit.

I could go on, but it was always a big feast. I just want to give a shout out to them. Thanks, you've taught me how to cook and eat well. I wish I could return the favor. Alas, we're on a different coast, so I'll have Tally friends over in the meantime.

 

Brunch for a Crowd @ 10:00

This is what I typically do, so here are a few tips on how to host a brunch for up to 12-15. Prep the night before, which takes me an hour. The morning of, I try to start gathering everything 2 hours prior to serving. Don't forget I have 3 kids, the youngest literally climbs the oven drawer to take a peak of the stove top. It depends on what it is, sometimes I'll overdo myself and spend more than 2 hours. Eeeek. The breakfast featured above took me an hour plus to get everything on the table. I wasn't quite on time but thankfully friends showed up at the right time. ;)

1) Overnight recipes are a must. Saves you time and stress cooking at the stove.

2) Pancakes - Prep dry ingredients in a separate bowl from wet ingredients night before. All you have to do that morning is mix and cook. Use electric skillets to cook pancakes and meats simultaneously on the stove top. Also, electric skillets can cook up to 8 pancakes per batch, which saves you uber minutes. I would cook these first while something bakes and then when the oven is free. Set the temp to warm setting (200 degrees) and keep pancakes in there.

3) Meat - Most meats are really quick, however it gets intense if you've got a lot of bacon left to fry and guests come knocking at your door. Most people are happy to eat that room temp, but if you do meats in your second to the last round of cooking you can always pop them in the warm oven.

4) Eggs - Last of all. I believe these dry easily so it's best to finish these last to serve warm and fresh. For scrambled, you can do 2 batches of a dozen eggs to serve just the right amount on the side. I just have to have eggs w/ any breakfast meat.

5) Fruit - Cut it up the night before. All you have to do that morning is set it out on the table. Or serve fresh fruit uncut. Strawberries. Blueberries. Bananas. Whatever is in season.

Hope that helps ya'll. I hope to host another brunch in the near future.

Scrapbook: First Child's Firsts

Before Tiz was born, I got this scrapbook as a baby shower gift and was excited to put one together. Moms, I know, for some of you, the idea of a first photo album of your first child's firsts weighs on you. Okay, maybe not. But at least for me it did. For a whole year it did. I finally finished it when she was about 2. I had to do some documentation of the hundreds of pics we took of our first child. Soooo sorry our third child doesn't have as many.

Okay, this was great. Had the stickers, the pages, the colors already picked out for you in this package. However, I went through a torturous ordeal to get the pics the sizes I wanted. In order to make them fit in the placeholders the pages had, I had to shrink the pics proportionately in Photoshop. Then after printing them on gloss stock. I finely cropped them, all 53 photos, w/ my xacto knife. Yes, this took hours to consider, measure, print, and cut. Ugggh, first and last custom scrapbook I'll do. But maybe one day, a larger one to put standard sizes in. I still have to do my college road trip to the Northwest. Arghh. Too many projects to hold on to, so little time.

First day she was born. Missing hair lock on the right, which I saved in a ziploc bag somewhere.

Bath time & little feet & hand pics

Daddy & Tiz

Her first adventures

I must say, it took FOREVER. Like, in Sandlot when the boy repeatedly says, "FORever...FORever...FORever..." It was worth it and now I can look back and appreciate, cry, reminisce those days when I thought it was hard to have one child. The adjustment to motherhood just keeps progressing.