National Days and Omelette Time

Today is the 6th day of May. It is also the Friday before Mother’s Day. May 6th is National Beverage Day, Crepe Suzette Day and Nurses Day. The Friday before Mother’s Day brings even more to the National Calendar. We have Military Spouse Appreciation Day, Provider Appreciation Day, National Space Day and School Lunch Hero Day. So what does that all mean? Good question.

National Beverage Day and Crepe Suzette Day are fairly self evident. National Nurses Day is a bit more complicated. It is a day designed to bring awareness to all the contributions and commitments made by nurses. Those valuable skills that were so keenly appreciated during the early days of the pandemic, yet cast aside once we thought we had the answers. You know, that get the jab or lose your job mentality. We went from being dependent on health care workers, first responders, truckers and grocery store employees who risked their lives to keep the train on the tracks to everyone is expendable in the name of flawed and every changing science. Those are discussions for another place and time, aren’t they? Just for the record, I am vaccinated. Not because I was told to do so but because I had a conversation with my doctor and together we made a medical choice that was right for me. As it should be. So moving on . . .

Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Be it times of peace or times of war, the spouse left behind to keep the home fires burning are amazing human beings. Once upon a time, their service was reserved for women. Today, with men and women serving together in the Armed Forces, Military Spouses aren’t just women anymore. Military Spouses carry a heavy load. Their lives are often uprooted. Their careers are put on hold. Often they wear the hat of a single parent while not single. With every reassignment, they set up a new home, find new jobs, settle the children in new schools, all while giving valuable support to those who serve. When we think of the sacrifices of our fighting men and women, we need to remember that there are families who serve as well. And we should be a grateful nation.

Who are the providers and why should we appreciate them? Provider Appreciation Day was created to recognize the important role that child-care providers play in the lives of our children. Provider Appreciation Day was established in 1996 by a group of volunteers in New Jersey. As the movement grew to show appreciation for Day Care Providers, Teachers, Nannies and others who care for the children of working parents, many states sign a proclamation each year to recognize the day. While that’s great, I’ve never needed a public proclamation to remind me of the value of appreciation for others.

That brings us to Space Day and School Lunch Hero Day. Space Day is about more than just the astronauts involved in exploration. It’s a hat’s off to a vast array of careers – from engineers to Meteorologists, chemists, physicians, biologists, and even accounts and public relations managers that all contribute in one way or another to the exploration and preservation of Space. So here here! Have a Moon Pie.

Finally, there are School Lunch Heroes. While you might thing that means the kids that keep bullies at bay in the School Cafeteria, turns out it’s a day to recognize those men and women who develop the meals served in our schools. These people are charged with not only creating meals that are packed with foods for the brain and the body, they also have to come up with things children will like. They need to keep the kids happy, satisfied and safe from all the allergies out there. In mass production. I don’t know about you, but wow – that’s a heavy load. For many families, the School Lunch Program is the difference between eating and going hungry. For some, it’s the most important meal of the day.

During the pandemic when schools were closed, some took it upon themselves to make sure those families who depended upon School Lunches were still fed. Some delivered meals, others volunteered at the closed school or church halls to package and hand out meals every day. Those are the true School Lunch Heroes.

How ever you celebrate the day, start with a breakfast that is packed with flavor and so quick to make. I don’t know about you, but I adore all things omelette.

Spicy Tomato Pepper Omelette
Per Omelette –
Handful Grape Tomatoes
1 Mini Bell Pepper, any color
1 tablespoon Hot Nacho Jalapeno Peppers, minced
1 tablespoon Butter
2 large Eggs
1 tablespoon Half-and-Half
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
½ cup Mexican Cheese Blend

Slice tomatoes into small pieces, set aside. Stem and dice bell pepper, set aside. Finely mince Jalapeno Peppers, set aside.

Melt butter in an omelette or sauté pan over medium-low heat.

Whisk eggs in a bowl until pale and well-blended. Add minced jalapeno peppers and half-and-half. Whisk, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour eggs into the warm pan. Cook until just beginning to set around the edges. Shake pan, tipping and pushing cooked egg toward the center, allowing raw egg to seep beneath. Continue until nearly all of the egg has set.

Scatter diced bell peppers, tomatoes and cheese over half of the omelette. Fold, remove from heat and let sit for a minute or two to allow cheese to begin to melt.

Serve, garnished with more tomatoes if desired. Great with sausage, toast or all on its own.