Onion & Ham Frittata

After Thanksgiving (and Christmas), I always have so many leftovers I don't know what to do with them all! I'm not the only one with that problem either, I bet. We have a tendency to cook excessively during the holidays. No one wants guests going hungry, right? But then the after holiday dilemma begins...

How do I use up all these leftovers in a new and interesting way?

I have a few tricks up my sleeve, and today I want to share one with you. I particularly like using my leftovers to create breakfast.

Onion and ham frittata

One of the easiest breakfasts around is frittata. Not only do I get to use my cast iron skillet, which I adore, but these recipes are quick and satisfying. Perfect for feeding those out of town guests, and using up a bit of your leftovers in an interesting way. Pair this with some potato pancakes (using your leftover mashed potatoes!), and you'll have a hit.

After this Thanksgiving, I used some of my leftover ham to create this Onion and Ham Frittata. Ready to make one yourself? Awesome! You can also use some of your leftover herbs in this, and any odds and ends that didn't get used in your holiday cooking. I had a block of cheese that didn't make it into any recipes, some cream, and an onion as well. Waste not, want not!

Ingredients

To get started, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together 8 eggs, ½ cup half-n-half, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Add in about a tablespoon of any fresh herbs you like, or a teaspoon of dried. I didn't have any fresh herbs left, but I used a bit of this mushroom blend I picked up at Target a while back:

To the egg mixture, stir in 1 cup of white cheddar cheese, or any other cheese of your choice. Always shred cheese fresh, my friends! Those bags of pre-shredded cheese usually contain cornstarch or other additives to prevent the cheese from sticking and to preserve them longer. You'll notice a difference with fresh grated cheese, I promise.

Enough of my soap box. Back to the recipe.

Set aside your egg mixture for now. Warm your 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the bottom. Add a diced onion to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, then add 1 ½ cups of leftover ham (diced) and 2 cloves of minced garlic, if you have it on hand. Cook another few minutes, just until the ham is warmed through and the onion begins to brown.

Pour your egg mixture into the skillet, but do not stir. Let this cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, and then put your skillet into the oven for another 10-15 minutes. You want the center of your frittata to just set before removing it. Cool on the counter about 5 minutes before slicing the frittata. Serve with fresh fruit, and perhaps some potato pancakes.

Yum!

Hubs and I love frittata in the morning. You can individually wrap the slices and freeze them as well. To warm them up, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for a minute or two. Delish!

What do you do with all your holiday leftovers? Comment below, peeps. And until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Onion and Ham Frittata

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups leftover ham, diced

1 yellow onion, diced

8 large eggs

½ cup half-n-half

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon fresh herbs of your choice, or 1 teaspoon dried (suggestions: basil, tarragon, chives, mushroom blend)

1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded (Or cheese of your choice. Suggestions: pepper jack, Monterey jack, Gouda)

1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together the eggs, half-n-half, salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice. Stir in the cheese and set mixture aside.

In a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onions to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes, then add the ham and minced garlic. Continue cooking until the ham is warmed through and the onions begin to brown. Pour the egg mixture over the top of the onions/ham. DO NOT STIR. Continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven. Cook the frittata for 10-15 minutes, or until the c enter is set. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Biscuits and Sausage Gravy

When we're both home on the weekends, the Hubs and I love to cook breakfast together. It's my favorite Saturday morning routine. We sleep in a bit, wake up lazy, wander downstairs in our pjs, and see what we feel like cooking. One of our favorite dishes is biscuits topped with yummy sausage gravy.

I made this for The Kid whilst she was here… can you believe she'd never had it before??? Total insanity. This is a ridiculously simple dish to prepare. You can even make it the night before, and then just warm the gravy up in the morning. I've frozen this too. You simply thaw and heat, and you're ready to go again. This is perfect when I have company visiting, because I don't have to spend as much time in the kitchen when I already have frozen meals prepared.

The ingredients

The ingredients are simple (and of course, I forgot one in the picture! Mentally add 2 tablespoons of butter to that picture). You need 1lb. of ground sausage to get started. I've always used the Jimmy Dean sage flavored one, but lately I like using the organic sausages and just adding a tiny bit of sage to the pan.

Brown your sausage in a deep skillet, because this makes a whole bunch of gravy. Once brown, add two tablespoons of butter to the pan and melt. Then, stir in ⅔ cup of flour. At first, the flour won't absorb. Keep stirring it around until you can't see the whiteness of the flour anymore. Then, let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes. This additional cooking time helps reduce the flour-y flavor later on. We don't want that taste in our gravy.

Cooking the sausage, step by step

Once the flour is totally incorporated, and you've cooked it down a bit, it's time to add the milk. Slowly drizzle in 5 cups of whole milk (organic if you want, it's the best). You can you use a lower fat milk, but it's not as good. Seriously. Plus, it doesn't thicken as well.

Th gravy takes a while to thicken, so just keep stirring it over medium-low heat. Ten to fifteen minutes later, you'll have deliciously thick gravy.

Once thick, stir in a generous amount of fresh cracked black pepper (about 1 tablespoon). Pour over warm biscuits, then get on your knees and thank the cooking gods that someone invented sausage gravy!

Also, don't be like the Hubs and add too much pepper. Add a little, taste, then add more if you need it. You can always put more in it, but you can't take it out once it's in there. The Hubs learned this lesson the hard way.

Do you make sausage gravy at home? If you've got any tips, feel free to add them in the comments. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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The Standard Form:

Country Sausage Gravy

Ingredients:

1 pound sage sausage (or your favorite sausage)

⅔ cup flour

5 cups whole milk

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Crumble and cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium heat until browned. Add the butter and stir to melt. Stir in the flour until dissolved, then cook an additional 3-4 minutes.

Slowly drizzle in the milk. Cook, stirring often, over medium-low heat until the gravy is thick and bubbly, about 15 minutes. Generously season with the pepper, to taste. Serve over biscuits. Refrigerate or freeze leftovers.

Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

With the summer months heating up, I've become really interested in recipes I can make and then freeze in individual portions. For breakfast, frittatas are a great solution. The combinations are endless, providing plenty of variety. And they warm up easy in the microwave. You might remember I shared my Bacon, Basil, and Feta Frittata recipe a while back, yes? It's so yum.

This is my newest combo. The potato adds some heartiness for those mornings when you just want a little something more.

Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

Ready to get started, peeps? Ok, here goes:

The ingredients

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Then, in a large bowl, whisk together 8 eggs with ½ cup of half-n-half, 1 cup of pepper jack cheese and some salt and pepper (to taste). Set this mixture aside for now and pull out your cast iron skillet (10").

Warm the skillet over medium heat and add 8 slices of chopped bacon, like so:

* Note: I often prepare my filling the evening before, then cook the frittata in my cast iron the next morning. You can do this too if you want to save some time in the morning *

When the bacon is cooked through, remove it from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. To the bacon grease left in the skillet, add 1 diced yellow onion, 1 diced bell pepper (any color or combination of colors), 2 cloves of minced garlic, and 1 grated potato (I used a yellow one, but I think a red potato would be awesome too). Potatoes grate easy using a regular cheese grater.

Cook this over medium heat until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 15 minutes. Then stir in an ⅛ cup of fresh parsley.

Pour your egg mixture over the potato mixture in the skillet.

Cook in the skillet over medium heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Sprinkle an extra ½ cup of pepper jack cheese over the top and then transfer your cast iron to the pre-heated oven for another 10 - 15 minutes,  or until the center of the frittata is set. Cool at least 5 minutes before slicing.

As always, the standard recipe is below. Until next time, happy cooking!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Bell Pepper and Potato Frittata

Ingredients:

8 eggs

½ cup half-n-half

1 small yellow onion, diced

8 slices bacon, cut into 1” pieces

1 ½ cups pepper Jack cheese, freshly grated

1 bell pepper (any color or combination), diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup chopped parsley

Black pepper and salt, to taste

1 small potato (either red or yellow), grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together the eggs and the half-n-half in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, and 1 cup of the pepper Jack cheese. Set aside.

Cook the bacon pieces in a 10” cast iron skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Add the onion, potato, bell pepper, and garlic to the skillet with the bacon grease (if necessary you can add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet). Cook over medium heat until the potatoes are tender and browned, about 15 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Cook over medium heat, without stirring, for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle the remaining  ½ cup of pepper Jack cheese over the top of the egg mixture. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.

Cook 10-15 minutes or until the center of the frittata is set. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Bacon, Feta, & Basil Frittata

I love breakfast food. I mean, like I could eat it for every meal and be totally happy. The Hubs on the other hand, he thinks breakfast is a turkey sandwich.

I've been trying to break him of this habit, but it's no easy task. You see, the Hubs grew up with what I like to call "food prejudice". Certain foods are simply not eaten, and others are disregarded even if they've never been tasted. He also has an annoying habit of claiming he doesn't like something, when in reality, he has no reason for this assumption. Or he doesn't like a particular item because once, many moons ago, someone (not me) made said item for him and did a bad job. 

Sometimes I think I live with a 10 year old. I love him like mad, though, I really do. 

Anyway, the Hubs is prejudiced against breakfast food for the variety of reasons named above. My mission for several years has been to prove him wrong. Slowly but surely, I've been changing his mind. We have breakfast on weekends, and he actually eats it. And enjoys it! We sometimes even have breakfast for dinner. 

My latest attempt to convert him resulted in this wickedly good fritatta, inspired by my pal Jen the Baker. 

Bacon, Basil, and Feta Frittata 

If you're wondering, the Hubs is a fan! I froze a few slices, but he ate the whole fritatta in a couple days. Since he's been telling me for years that he doesn't like eggs (?!?!?!?), this is a minor miracle. 

I love frittata because it's fancier than scrambled eggs, but really doesn't take any time at all to whip up. Plus, this can be made in advance and then frozen. The wedges thaw and heat quickly in the microwave (about 2 minutes), so this is great when guests are visiting too, or for a grab and go breakfast. 

Ready to make your own? Let's do this! 

The ingredients,
but ignore the Parmesan! 

Sorry about the Parmesan in the picture above. I thought I might use some in the dish, but it turns out the frittata didn't need it. You could always add a little if you want, but I didn't. 

To get started, slice 8 pieces of bacon into 1" pieces. Cook in a skillet until done (you can make this entire recipe in your cast iron skillet and have only one pan to cleanup!). I prefer my bacon to be less chewy and more crispy. Remove the cooked bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the grease. Why? Because everything is better with bacon and/or bacon grease.

Add a diced yellow onion to the skillet with that last tablespoon of bacon grease. Trust me peeps, this makes the onion delicious. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are tender and begin to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes. 

At this point, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 8 eggs, ½ cup half-n-half, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Once combined, stir in the bacon and onion, along with 10-12 large basil leaves cut in chiffonade style. Also add about 3 ounces of crumbled feta cheese. 

Now, if you weren't already using it, pull out your cast iron skillet (10 inch) and warm up a tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom. 

Swirl the oil around so it coats the bottom of the pan. Then, simply pour the egg mixture in.

This is very important… do NOT stir. Leave your skillet over medium-low heat for 5 or 6 minutes without stirring. This gives the bottom of your frittata time to set before we move it into the oven.  

Transfer the skillet to your preheated oven, and let cook an additional 10-12 minutes. If your skillet is smaller or larger, adjust your cook time to reflect that difference. Smaller skillets will require more time, larger skillets less. 

The frittata is done when the center is set and no longer jiggles. Remove from oven and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. 

If you'd like to freeze the wedges, the process is simple. Wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then freeze in the container of your choice. To thaw and warm up, remove from the plastic wrap and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat in microwave 2-4 minutes, until hot. 

Easy peasy, right? 

The Hubs liked this frittata so much, we have plans to make it again this weekend. I'm so excited we can finally share breakfast together.

That's all for now, but I'll be back again soon. As always, the standard recipe is below. Until next time, happy cooking! 

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

Bacon, Basil, & Feta Frittata

Ingredients:

8 slices bacon, sliced into 1” pieces

1 small yellow onion, diced

10-12 large basil leaves, cut chiffonade

8 eggs

½ cup half-n-half

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 ounces crumbled feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:

Cook the bacon in a skillet until done. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of grease from the skillet. Add the diced onion to the reserved bacon fat in the skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are tender and begin to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, half-n-half, salt, and pepper. To this, add the cooked bacon, basil, onions, and the feta cheese.

Warm the olive oil in a 10” cast iron skillet over medium–low heat. Pour the egg mixture into the skillet and let cook, without stirring, for 5 minutes, to set the bottom of the frittata. Transfer the skillet to the pre-heated oven, and cook an additional 10-12 minutes, or until the center is set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing in wedges.

Note: This recipe freezes quite well. Wrap each individual wedge with plastic wrap, then freeze in the container of your choice. To warm, remove plastic wrap and cover with a damp paper towel. Heat in microwave 2-4 minutes, until hot.

New York Style Crumb Cake

One of my absolute favorite things ever is Entenmann's crumb cake. I was completely devastated when Hubs and I moved to Fort Bliss, and no one there sold it! 

Depression quickly ensued. Not only did no one sell it, but Entenmann's doesn't deliver. What's a girl to do???

Each time we move to a new duty station, there are things I'm glad are gone and there are so many things I miss. At least when it comes to food, I have options. Rather than pout about the unfairness of army life, I have learned to make so many things for myself. Remember my Zuppa Toscana imitation? It's so good, better than the original even. I was absolutely positive I could re-create my favorite coffee cake too.

And I did.

NY Crumb Cake

This crumb cake is genius, if I do say so myself. And I do!

The recipe has been through several incarnations, but I've finally got it just right. Now I can share it with you. If you've never tried crumb cake, let me tell ya…. it is buttery, yummy, delicious goodness. Especially served with a cup of coffee or tea.

Ready for the recipe? Here goes:

You'll start by making the crumb topping.

Ingredients for crumb topping

Mix together ⅓ cup of white sugar, ⅓ cup of dark brown sugar, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, and ⅛ teaspoon  salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl.  To this, add 1 stick (8 tablespoons) of melted, unsalted butter. You want the butter to still be a bit warm. Mix until combined, then stir in 1 ¾ cups of cake flour.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, PEEPS!!!! 

Please don't use regular, all-purpose flour. I promise your cake will not taste the same. It won't even be close! Cake flour has a much finer consistency that improves the texture and crumb-factor of your cake. It also doesn't rise as much as all-purpose, which is a bonus in this case. Listen to ArmyLife.

Back to the recipe, mix until your dough is thick and cohesive. Set the bowl aside to cool to room temperature. The crumb will be ready once you've finished mixing the batter.

Process for making crumb topping,
from upper left to lower right 

Next, preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9x9 baking pan with a spray that includes flour, OR butter and flour the pan. Start your batter by mixing together 1 ¼ cups cake flour, ½ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon salt.

Ingredients for batter

To this, add 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter which has been softened and cut into chunks. Cut this into your mixture using a pastry cutter. Once blended, there should be no visible chunks of butter and your batter will resemble coarse, pea-sized crumbs.

Butter cut into the flour mix

Blend in 1 whole egg and 1 egg white, along with 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, and ⅓ cup buttermilk. I use my hand mixer for this, I think it makes the cake light and fluffy. (Side note: For a different flavor, try using almond extract instead!)

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan and smooth into a nice, even layer. Now, return to the crumb topping you mixed earlier. You have two choices for crumbling the batter:

           1. Use a fork to break up the pieces, then pour on top of the cake batter. OR…
           2. Use your hands to smoosh the dough into a solid piece, then break off both larger and smaller chunks to top the batter with.

I generally go for option two. I like getting my hands in there and I love the size combination of chunks, from tiny to gigantic. Totally up to you, peeps. Pick your favorite.

Top: Batter
Bottom: Crumb topping

There's no need to press the crumb into the batter. As the cake cooks, it will rise around the crumb, so no smooshing, ok?

Bake around 30-40 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for another 30-40 minutes.

THEN (this is the best part), cover the WHOLE THING with as much powdered sugar as you can stand. I like a lot. Don't skimp here, I promise you'll regret it.

And there you have it, NY Crumb Cake!

Slice the cake into good sized pieces, brew a cup of coffee, sit back and enjoy. This is a great way to start your Saturday morning.

I'll be back again soon, my friends. But until then, happy cooking! As always, the standard recipe is below.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

The Standard Form:

NY Style Crumb Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

For the crumb topping:

⅓ cup sugar

⅓ cup dark brown sugar, packed

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 stick unsalted butter, melted and still warm

1 ¾ cup cake flour (do NOT use all-purpose)

For the cake batter:

1 ¼ cups cake flour (no substitutes!)

½ cup sugar

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg

1 egg white

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

⅓ cup buttermilk (can substitute plain yogurt, but buttermilk is best!)

Powdered sugar

Directions:

Make the topping first. Combine the sugars, cinnamon, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the melted butter. Stir in the cake flour, until the dough is thick and cohesive. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes. It should be ready by the time you are done mixing the cake batter.

Make the cake batter next. Start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees, Spray a 9×9 baking pan with baking spray (or grease and flour the pan) and set aside. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Cut the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter, until it resembles coarse peas with no visible chunks of butter remaining. Add the egg, egg white, vanilla, and the buttermilk. Beat with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until the batter if light and fluffy. Pour the batter into the cake pan and smooth into a nice, even layer.

Go back to the crumb topping. Use a fork to help crumble it into pea-sized pieces, if desired. I like to use my hands to smoosh it together and break off larger chunks. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the cake batter, covering it completely.

Bake cake until golden, about 30-40 minutes. A toothpick inserted in center should come out clean, indicating doneness.  Cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Generously dust the cake with powdered sugar before slicing and serving.

Mary Kay Brunch

Yesterday, I attended a fun little brunch with some of my neighborhood gals (and a few out of the neighborhood ones too!). Jen the Baker was hosting us all for a Mary Kay event.

Now, I've never been one to have, or even go to, these kind of parties. But I gotta admit, we had so much fun!

Jen cooked an amazing spread for us, including muffins, a frittata-style egg bake, fruit tray, and coffee service. Her coffee set is so beautiful, I love drinking out of the delicate cups. I contributed with my favorite NY-style crumb cake and a cheesy potato bake (keep an eye out for the cake recipe tomorrow!).

Our consultant was one of my favorite people, who also runs Freedom Birds Jewelry. If you haven't yet checked out her work, what are you waiting for??

Everyone had their own place at the table, complete with mirror and makeup tray. As Courtney guided us, we all had a mini-facial using the supplied products. Then, our skin was color-matched before applying foundation and eye make-up. And lip masque, and colors!

I loved the SatinLips line. In fact, that's the product I wound up purchasing. Everyone loves soft lips, right?

I thought this was such a fun idea for a girls' day. Food, makeup, coffee, and good friends = a great, relaxing day for all involved.

Good job, Jen the Baker! Your party kicked serious booty. Since we started at 11, and I didn't leave for home until after 5, I must have been having fun!

What are your favorite ways to spend your girls-only time? Feel free to comment below!

Thanks for reading, everyone!

Follow me on Facebook @ OurArmyLifeAccordingToTheWife

or on Pinterest, my newest obsession @ ArmyLifeFromTheWife

Email me: armylifefromthewife@gmail.com

Guide to Fort Bliss: Best (and Worst) Restaurants, Part 3

"Since this post is so close to the last, can you tell I'm trying hard? Seriously, I promise to finish this restaurant guide before our upcoming move if it's the last thing I do. Hopefully I'll not only finish the restaurant guide, but I will also have time for grocery stores, entertainment... and a few other things."

This is how the post originally started, when I began writing it several months ago. Obviously, none of these things happened on schedule. I didn't even finish one post, much less all of them. Moving has certainly played havoc with my timeline. But, today is a new day! Let's get this show on the road, people.

Oh wait... I'm already on the road. Hubs and I are in the middle of our cross-country jaunt as we count down the days for our flight to Germany. I'll try to actually finish this time, but I'm not making any more promises.

If worst comes to worst, I'm going to tap one of you as a guest blogger for the rest of this guide! Volunteers? Anyone?

Well, you can get back to me on that.

So today, I'm going to talk about the best and worst of our local bakeries and breakfast eateries. Those two feel like they should go together. If you missed out on Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, check them out!

As usual, keep my disclaimer in mind: Depending on when you view this guide, times may have changed. Some of these restaurants may have closed, and newer ones may be open. Your favorite place could very well be on the "bad" list, and I'm sorry for that. Truly. If possible, I will update when I can, but the Hubs and I won't be living here then, so I wouldn't be able to speak from personal experience. Please comment below if you've had different experiences, or if you know other restaurants you want included. I welcome your input, always.

Best and Worst Restaurants (Fort Bliss and Surrounding areas), Part 3: 

Bakeries:

I love me an excellent bakery! Though we had a hard time finding bakeries when we first moved here, I did eventually find a few that I like. These are established businesses, with a storefront. However, I also suggest you look for at-home bakeries. These are often extremely talented people (many of them fellow spouses!), who simply cannot afford a storefront. Their pricing may be better, even. Because these people will constantly change, I won't be including them here. Search community Facebook pages, however, and you are sure to find them!

1. Bake Me Happy - This is, by far, my favorite bakery to date in El Paso. Go forth and eat cupcakes, peeps! Not only is the shop tastefully decorated, the cupcakes themselves are divine. Specialty flavors abound, I've never been disappointed. My only note is this - If you arrive promptly at opening time, not all cupcakes may be available yet. If you're looking for something specific, I suggest calling in advance to ensure your cupcakes will be ready. The owner here is fantastic, extremely friendly, and willing to work with you to suit your needs. Visit at least once and see what you think.

2. Marina's German Bakery - The bread, the bread, the bread! Also, did I mention the bread? While this bakery sells pastry, sandwiches, and other assorted items, the bread is (in my opinion) what they are known for. Many friends have mentioned this to me over the years, and they are right. In fact, some of Marina's products are used to stock the commissary on post. Urbanspoon gives them a huge 92% positive rating as well... this many people can't be wrong!

Photo from Marina's website

3. Belle Sucre Bakery - I haven't tested this particular bakery, but I wish I had. Their online ratings are high and I've had several recommendations that I go and try them. The 'menu' promises delicate French pastries, breads, cookies, and candies. If you've been, I'd love to hear about your personal experience. Pictures would also be excellent, if you've a mind to snap a few. As most of El Paso bakeries are either American or Mexican in style, I think Belle Sucre offers a nice change of pace.

4. Valentine's Bakery & Kitchen - Unfortunately, I've been unable to find a web address for this particular bakery. I have extremely mixed reviews, but I'm including them on the "good" list because Valentine's is a local El Paso favorite. Personally, I didn't much care for the cakes I've tasted here. However, they serve more than sweets. Also on the menu are local favorites, such as burritos, tamales, and menudo. If you enter expecting typical American flavors, you are doomed to disappointment. If you keep an open mind, though, you might find yourself surprised. My tip is this: don't drop by during mealtimes and expect to be served quickly. Instead, try to go a little before or after lunchtime.


Now for the bad news... the following places just didn't make my cut. 

1. International Bakery and Deli - This is another bakery where there is no website reference, sorry folks. I've been to this bakery once or twice, but after a while they shut down and moved to a new location. While online reviews are mixed, I think this bakery has good points and bad points. Their cakes and sweets are average, their sandwiches somewhat better. The local reviews took a small nosedive when the new location opened. If you happen to visit the new spot, let us know how your experience is.

2. Dirty Mouth Cupcakes -  I'm sure a lot of you will disagree with me, but I don't care for the cupcakes at Dirty Mouth (don't judge me!). Local reviews are mostly positive, but I find myself agreeing with those who think the cupcakes have dropped in quality over the last bit of time. I find them overly sweet and artificial for my tastes, especially for the price. However, I do appreciate that they offer a military discount. Also, they bake 'Pupcakes' for your dog if you want to buy 1/2 dozen with one shot. Try this place for yourself and see which side of the line you fall on.



Breakfast:

Many of the bakeries above would qualify for breakfast, especially if you're talking pastries. But there are a few places I'd like to add who serve more traditional fare. Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day. Sometimes I even eat it for dinner! The Hubs, on the other hand, could take it or leave it. When eating out, we try to compromise on brunch so we each get a taste of what we love most.

1. Ripe Eatery - This is my favorite place for brunch, you MUST try it at least once. Seriously. Although they are open every day of the week, brunch is only served on Saturday and Sundays. The staff is friendly, the food is fantastic, and the online reviews reflect this. You'll be seeing Ripe Eatery again when I talk about local American restaurants and gastropubs. If you're having breakfast, don't forget to try the fresh biscuits. They come to the table with house-made strawberry preserves, yum!

Goat cheese, caramelized onion, and ham quiche

2. Crave Kitchen and Bar - This is another restaurant you'll be seeing on my list again, for their lunch and dinner items. However, their breakfast takes the cake! Unlike other places, Crave serves breakfast every day of the week. I've eaten at the Eastside location more times than I can count, and will personally testify for their blueberry pancakes and Croque Madam. We've moved before I could try all the breakfast items I wished, and I'm dying to know what their Nutella waffle is like. If you visit, please snap a pic and tell us your story.

My mom and sister join me for a meal at Crave
during one of their visits

3. Lucy's Coffee Shop - A tiny, local cafe, Lucy's is a popular spot for both breakfast and lunch. Though I haven't eaten here myself, I know several people who visit often. It's their favorite spot! Urbanspoon and other reviewers rate Lucy's positive as well, so I'll be stopping in here on my next pass through El Paso. Closed on Sundays, the cafe is open the rest of the week, serving great breakfasts in the morning and popular Mexican dishes at lunch. Email me or post your pictures of Lucy's on my Facebook page and show everyone what all the fuss is about.

4. The Lunch Box - Open for breakfast 7 days a week, the Lunch Box is always ready to serve you breakfast. Their menu offers many Mexican specialties (both for breakfast and lunch), is competitively priced (a.k.a. inexpensive), portions are large, and reviews are great. Why wouldn't you try them at least once?? If I'd known about them sooner, I have a feeling I would have gone back more than once. Here's a quick view of their breakfast menu (click on image to enlarge):

5. Ardovino's - Another hot spot which serves weekend brunch. I missed an opportunity to eat here, and I wish we'd taken the time one weekend to enjoy it. An Italian restaurant for lunch and dinner, I hear the weekend brunch is delicious. To top it off, a farmer's market runs here every Saturday during the season. I would completely enjoy a relaxing breakfast followed by some browsing, and likely purchase, of fresh fruits and veggies at the market.




As for the not-so-great places to eat, the news is good for local places. Most of the negatives are chain locations. I won't even bother to review most of them, just know that they are not up to snuff. When it comes to breakfast, eat local and be happy!

1. IHOP - I shouldn't have to say anything else... I mean, it's IHOP. You get what you expect, which is mediocre food and long lines to be seated.

2. Village Inn - Though well-known for their pies, the rest of the menu leaves a lot to be desired.

3. Denny's - Here, I'd like to be a bit more specific. I know that many of you reading are affiliated with the military in some shape or form. Because there is a Denny's on post at Freedom Crossing, I know there will be those of you which eat here. In my experience (and those of several good friends), this is not a good bet. Service is poor, and the food is questionable. Do yourself a favor and try one of the other places I've listed here. I doubt you'll go back to Denny's.


So, that's all for now folks! Get out this week and try something new. Have a quiet breakfast with your spouse or your kids, or heck, have a quiet meal to yourself. I hope you enjoy some of these great local spots while you can.

Happy eating, my friends.

Thanks for reading, everyone!

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