I am breaking myself out of the creative block that I’ve been locked within! Here I go.

These last few weeks we have been settling into our new home and finally have some curtains up on the walls.  When I come home at night, I am greeted by a place that smells like our home and I just can’t get enough of our newfound natural light. Our cats could not be happier to have nooks and crannies to explore and I often hear them racing up and down the stairs (at all hours of the night).

While fall brings some of the most beautiful scenes in nature, it can also be a difficult time for the inner mind.   I can’t help but acknowledge how the darkening skies and cooling evenings push me inwards and I’ve found it hard to have a productive session both in the kitchen and when writing.  Tonight however, I had dinner with a dear friend who just finished a draft of her first series of short stories, and she is now setting out to begin a novel!  Just write, she encouraged.  Continue to fuel the creative side of your brain even if you don’t hit submit. So here I am.

In a few weeks my blog turns ONE!   When I first began the blog my cooking repertoire consisted mostly of soups and chili. Over the year I have pushed myself to try various cuisines, techniques, and ingredients that I never before had used.  This recipe has been a notable ‘experiment’ that has come out of this year of reading and learning for me. There are endless variations of these, and I make them slightly differently each week.  On Sunday afternoons I typically clean out the veggies that remain from the previous week and throw them together with various spices, eggs, a potato if I have it and perhaps some meat to form these bite sized breakfast treats that can be grabbed for an easy morning meal on the go.

Ingredients:

Makes 9 egg muffins

• 1 small onion – diced
• 1 small potato – cut into ‘sticks’
• 1 small tomato – diced
• 2 handfuls of spinach
• 1 – 1 1/2 cups of diced broccoli
• Ground flaxseed (optional)
• 1/4 cup feta cheese
• 10 – 11 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• Salt, pepper, and chili powder to your taste

Steps and Notes:

1. Saute the onions for 2 minutes in olive oil. Add some salt and pepper to ‘sweat the onions’
   • Note: I find it particularly helpful to add extra salt to any of the veggies, because when I’ve tried adding salt to the eggs it can result in clumps of salt in the final muffin
2. Add the potatoes and stir well to prevent sticking. Add a bit more oil if necessary. Cover and let cook for 5-7 more minutes
3. When done, place the potatoes at the bottom of each muffin cup
   • I use the non-stick ones. It is best NOT to coat them in anything, as that causes sticking.
4. In a side bowl, combine the tomato, spinach, broccoli, flaxseed, and feta cheese
   • Note: This is where you can experiment with your favorites!
5. Beat the eggs in a bowl on the side and then add them to the dry mixture. Mixing well
6. Use a 1/3 cup scoop to pour perfect muffins into each cup
7. Take a spoon and gently lift the potatoes at the bottom of each cup to allow a bit of egg to form the base
8. Bake at 375 for 25 minutes (or 30 depending on your oven)
9. Remove from the oven and from the baking cups and let cool on a cooling rack
10. Store in the fridge and enjoy all week long!

Thoughts for Next Time:

• Add any combination of your favorite veggies – my favorites are jalapenos, red peppers,
• Incorporate meat such as crumbled bacon or breakfast sausage
• Add homemade pesto, similar to my pesto and pepper frittata
• Use other cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, or pecorino romano
• The options are endless! Enjoy.