Breaksfasts when I was a child included whatever my mom put together quickly -- she worked, was a single mom, and had three kids. As I grew older and was able to take on my own care, I passed on breakfast and slept instead. That continued on into adulthood, but somewhere along the line, I started eating breakfast again. It was the quick stuff -- pop tarts, donuts, McD's bacon egg and cheese biscuit; not healthy! This year, my standard breakfast is a piece of fruit, one boiled egg, and oatmeal or oatmeal toast. Much healthier. But my favorite breakfasts are those from my childhood. Those that my mom made on weekends or holidays.
The breakfast we had on Christmas was called kuchen. It was a homemade sweet dough, more bread than cake. When it had risen sufficiently, Mom poked holes in the top and poured cinnamon and sugar and real cream into the holes. It was good! Somehow we've lost the ability to duplicate this treat -- maybe because we don't get heavy cream like that anymore.
More regularly, she fixed us breakfast rice. It's a long-grained rice, boiled until almost done, then butter and sugar is added, and it steams finished. Very good. My kids enjoyed this but guests or those who have married into the family think it's unappetizing at first. That's okay though because it leaves more for the rest of us.
My all-time favorite is Mom's fried corn meal mush. She uses yellow cornmeal to create the mush -- it's like thick and sticky hot breakfast cereal. Then she fries it in the skillet until it's crispy on both sides. From the skillet to the plate, add butter and syrup (just like pancakes), some crispy bacon and a glass of milk. I could eat this stuff until I'm sick!
I've never fixed it myself. It's a lot of work for breakfast, and we don't do those often with our schedules. Plus it was nice having my mom make it for me the few times she's done so over the last twenty years. She cooks for her adult children and their families because it's how she shows her love for us, and we eat it because it tastes wonderful! But we also love her back.
Yep! Definitely my favorite breakfast. It's not all about the food either; it's about the love and the memories.



