Hash Brown Surprise

This... is a mess.

A delicious, warm, breakfast mess.

My parents' friend Teresa (who we share to boat with) taught us how to make this breakfast recipe.

It's basically everything you would eat for breakfast all thrown together in a skillet and covered in cheese.

I love cheese.

You will need: 1 lb of hot sausage, 1/2 a medium onion, 1/4 a bell pepper (normally I would have used red, but green was all we had on the boat), 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 1 bag of frozen shredded hash browns, 1 cup of cheddar cheese (or more if that's how you roll), 6 eggs, and a splash of milk (not pictured).

Start by browning the sausage in the largest skillet you own. Break it up as it browns.

While the sausage is browning, chop up the 1/2 an onion and 1/4 of the bell pepper.

Once the sausage is cooked, add in the onion and pepper.

Stir it around and cook until the onion is translucent. Remove the sausage mixture to a paper towel lined bowl and set aside.

Add 2 Tbsp of oil to the skillet and add in the bag of frozen hash browns.

Stir everything around and cook the hash browns to your preference. I like mine super crispy. While the hash browns are browning (get it?), crack 6 eggs into a bowl with a splash of milk and whisk together.

At this point in the cooking process I started getting too busy to take photos so my boyfriend helped out. He wanted photo credit and for me to share this lovely picture of him. Since the camera I use is his anyways, I didn't mind at all.

Once the hash browns have finished cooking, shove them over to one side of the skillet and pour the eggs into the now empty side. Scrape the eggs away from the hash browns to scramble.

Once the eggs are all cooked, stir them back in with the hash browns.

Salt and pepper the mixture to taste and stir it around.

Throw the sausage back into the skillet and stir that around.

Throw the cheese on top...

And stir it around...

Until everything is mixed together.

Stand back and let everyone help themselves! This is a great breakfast serves with some sliced tomatoes on the side.

Hash Brown Surprise

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of hot sausage
• 1/2 a medium onion, chopped
• 1/4 a bell pepper, chopped
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 bag of frozen shredded hash browns
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese (or more if that's how you roll), shredded
• 6 eggs
• splash of milk

Instructions:

1. Brown sausage in a large skillet. Add in onion and bell pepper and cook until onions are translucent. Remove to a paper towel lined bowl and set aside.
2. In the same skillet, add in the oil and hash browns. Cook the hash browns to your liking. Scrape the hash browns over to one side of the skillet.
3. Crack the eggs in a bowl with the splash of milk and whisk together. Pour in the unoccupied half of the skillet and scramble.
4. Once the eggs are all cooked, add the sausage back in and mix everything together along with some salt and pepper to taste.
5. Mix in the cheese and breakfast is served!

Summer Oatmeal

Good morning! I just returned from my second houseboat trip of the year so I have some more recipes to share with you!

This is a refreshing and healthy summer breakfast. The first time I had this recipe was when my friend Diana and her family came on our houseboat. Her dad made this recipe for us and we've been making it ever since. And, it is an extremely easy breakfast recipe. It doesn't even require any cooking!

You will need: 2 cups of old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup of pecans, 4 Tbsp brown sugar, approximately 2 cups of milk, and assorted fruits. I used bananas, white peaches, and blueberries.

Add 2 cups of oats to a medium bowl.

Throw in the pecans...

and a 1/2 pint of blueberries.

Chop and slice two white peaches and a banana, respectively.

Throw those in the bowl too.

Remember, you can use any fruit you like. This isn't an exact recipe. I would have liked to throw some strawberries in here too but we didn't have any on the boat.

Now throw in 4 Tbsp of brown sugar.

You can leave the sugar out if you don't like your oatmeal to be very sweet. That's what my dad does.

Now pour in enough milk to just cover all of the ingredients.

Stir everything together and let it sit for an hour.

You can also make this the night before and let it sit overnight so you have breakfast ready in the morning. However, if you do that, don't add the bananas until the next morning. I speak from personal experience.

While you wait, admire the view of the lake. Drink your coffee. Think about how awesome summer is and how much you aren't ready to start grad school yet.

After the hour is up, serve it up and enjoy your breakfast!

Summer Oatmeal

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup of pecans
• 4 Tbsp brown sugar
• approximately 2 cups of milk (enough to cover all of the ingredients
• assorted fruits, chopped to bite sized pieces

Instructions:

1. Add all ingredients, except milk, to a medium bowl.
2. Add in milk until all the ingredients are just covered. Stir and let sit for an hour or overnight.
3. Enjoy!

Lasagna

Lasagna is my boyfriend's most requested meal (maybe tied with shrimp and grits). Since he moved to a new apartment recently, I made him a lasagna to enjoy after all the heavy lifting.

I'm not much help with moving but I bring dinner so things even out, right?

This is a recipe I have adapted a few times from a Southern Living recipe. It is not authentic Italian, but that's fine by me.

Also, I made 2 lasagnas at once so the amount of food in my pictures is twice the amount of food I'm telling you to use.

You will need: 1 lb lean ground beef, 1/2 lb mild Italian sausage, 1 package pepperoni (weird I know but so good), 1 small can of tomato paste, 1 can tomato sauce, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 onion, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1 8 oz. package cream cheese, 1 cup of cottage cheese, 1/4 cup of sour cream (not pictured), 2 eggs (also not pictured), 1/4 cup of red wine, 6 lasagna noodles, 1 Tbsp dried parsley, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 2 Tbsp fresh basil, 1 beef boulion cube, 2 cups of mozzarella, 1/2 cup of parmesan, and 1 tsp garlic powder.

I know, it's a lot. Also, I'm sorry I forgot to take photos of several ingredients.

In a large skillet, brown 1 lb of ground beef and 1/2 lb of mild Italian sausage.

Crumble the meat.

While the meat is browning, chop up a half of a large onion....

And a half of a red bell pepper.

After the meat is all browned and you've drained the grease, add the onion and pepper to the skillet.

Stir it all up.

Pour in half a cup of red wine and let all the liquid evaporate.

Add in a small can of tomato paste.

Stir it up and coat all of the meat in the tomato paste.

Pour in a can of tomato sauce...

Followed by a can of diced tomatoes.

Add in a tablespoon of dried parsley...

1 Tbsp of Italian seasoning and 1 tsp of garlic powder...

And 1/2 Tbsp dried oregano.

Grab some fresh basil, stack it up...

And give it a rough chop...

And throw it in too.

Now let the sauce simmer while you get the other layers ready.

In a medium bowl, throw in 8 oz of room temperature cream cheese...

1 cup of cottage cheese...

2 eggs...

and 1/4 cup of sour cream.

Blend it all together until the cream cheese lumps are as small as the cottage cheese curds.

Now it's time to layer! Spread a small amount of sauce on the bottom of a greased pan. If the sauce seems too thick after simmering, add some water. Or wine. Your choice.

Now lay 3 uncooked noodles on top of the meat sauce.

Now top the noodles with half of the cheese mixture. Then a layer of pepperoni. I forgot to take a photo of this.

Next, layer half of the meat sauce.

And top that with 1 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Repeat the layers.

Now top everything with 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Mmm... Cheesy. And a huge hit.