Hello Saturday!

One of the best parts of summer, believe it or not, is that we don’t have a hundred choices of what to do or where to go on a Saturday morning. In our part of the country, spring and fall are busy. Once the heat begins festivals and street fairs come to a halt.

This means we can set our own weekend schedule, and that often includes breakfast not just on Sunday, but Saturday too. Breakfast is my favorite part of vacations. Even when we have to hit the road early to get to a particular destination at a particular time, there’s always time for breakfast when someone else is doing the cooking and cleaning. My favorite breakfast spot is the cafe at the Driftwood Resort in Florence, Oregon. They have the absolute best Corned Beef Hash. I love hash. Okay, maybe it’s really about the potatoes. It’s in my blood after all. The Irish on my Dad’s side of the family tree loves potatoes in every form. Mashed, fried, roasted, broiled, baked – it really doesn’t matter how you cook them, it’s all good.

When it comes to Hash, you can make it out of just about anything. I’ve even made Bacon Hash. So why not Cajun Sausage as your point of inspiration? Thank you, Covid.

I know that sounds crazy, since Covid’s impact on the world wasn’t a good one. Our children might never recover from the loss of in-person learning. Family businesses closed. Historic hotels gone forever. Abusive situations amplified. The world was forever changed by our fears, our lack of understanding, and our assumptions. I met so many people who thought that we were all on an equal footing throughout Covid, when in fact we were not. The lasting effects of Covid were not economically balanced. But that’s a rant for another day, and it’s one that has little to do with race and more to do with city vs country living. Small towns were hit hardest in the lasting impact.

Our family was spared much of the anguish that others suffered. Our daughter died of cancer when Covid first hit, so we were forced to say good bye over the phone since no one was allowed inside the hospice center. That was hard.

Financially we were lucky. Hubby’s job was considered essential. I know, seems crazy that an event rental company would be considered essential, but it was. Tents were needed at hospitals and medical facilities for testing centers. Restaurants were eventually allowed to open their doors outside, so again the demand for tents, tables, portable ac and heating, temporary flooring – structures that could be raised overnight. Companies such as his pivoted to offer a whole new service. And thanks to all the down-time spent watching TV, I discovered the flavors of New Orleans. You’ve got to take the good where you can find it, learn from the mistakes and move forward, right?

As usual, I have wandered off topic. Today is all about breakfast. Breakfast sets the mood and tempo for the rest of your day. It’s more than just fuel for the body; it feeds the spirit, too. There is that quiet time in the morning before the world comes crashing in. Set the table, sip on that first cup of coffee, and listen to your family slowly waking to a new day. There is nothing better than that first hug or kiss of the day. Breakfast says take a moment to linger. Take a moment to savor all that you have for these are blessings from above.

Cajun-Style Sausage Hash with Eggs
4 Garlic Cloves
8 oz Andouille Cajun Sausage
4 tablespoons Butter
1 (20 oz) bag Potatoes O’Brien
Tabasco Sauce to taste
6 Eggs
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Cajun Season to taste

Heat oven to 350-degrees. Peel and mince garlic. Cut sausage into slices, place in a food processor fitted with a blade and dice into small pieces. (You can do this by hand, but a food processor is so much quicker). Set aside until ready to use.

Warm a large oven-safe skillet over slightly warmer than medium heat. Melt the butter in the heated skillet, then add minced garlic and diced sausage. Cook until the garlic is tender and fragrant, about a minute or so. Add the potatoes, cook according to package directions until crispy on the outside, tender inside. Season with Tabasco Sauce, stir to blend. Remove from heat. Smooth out the top of the potatoes.

With the back of a spoon, made 6 evenly spaced indentations into the potatoes. Carefully crack eggs one at a time into a small bowl, then pour into each of the wells in the potatoes. Season with salt, pepper and a little Cajun Seasoning.

Bake in the heated oven for 15 minutes or until eggs are done as desired. Great with iced coffee to cool down the heat. Enjoy.

---

Kindness and truth shall meet;
justice and peace shall kiss.
Truth shall spring out of the earth,
and justice shall look down from heaven.
The Lord speaks of peace to his people.