Apple Oatmeal Coffee Cake Muffins

I used to not be much of a baker. Something about measuring things precisely always intimidated me; I much preferred the creativity in cooking. But lately something has shifted. Somehow, I’ve found myself really enjoying following directions and always (almost) getting perfect results. Maybe I’m finally growing up.

The boys have started enjoying it too. They wake up on Saturday or Sunday mornings and ask me to make muffins, waffles, or banana bread. Ansen’s favorite was Amish Friendship Bread and I was really good about keeping a starter going for a while and then I finally failed at keeping it alive. So one morning when he woke up and asked for Friendship Bread, I had to break the news. No more friendship bread. But it got me looking through my Betty Crocker Cookbook for something Ansen would accept in its place and I found this amaze-ball recipe. I’ve made it several time since and I’m proud to say it has now taken the place of the Friendship Bread. And there’s no starter to babysit and keep cool but not too cool and massage/squash every day.

Apple Oatmeal Coffee Cake Muffins
(recipe from Betty Crocker)
Prep: 25 min; Bake: 20-25 Min for Muffins, 55 Min. for Cake

Ingredients
Oat-Streusel Topping (below)
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup stick butter, softened
1 cup buttermilk
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 large egg
1 ½ cups chopped apples (2 small)

Directions

1.      Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom and sides of two muffin tins (or for cake 9 x 9 x 2 inches)

2.      Prepare Oat-Streusel Topping; set aside

3.      Beat remaining ingredients except apples in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in apples. Pour batter in muffin tins (3/4 full) or in pan. Sprinkle with topping.

4.      Bake 20-25 minutes for muffins or 55 minutes for cake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.

Oat-Streusel Topping

Ingredients 2 tablespoons butter, firm
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup old-fashioned oats

Directions

1.      Cut margarine into flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl, using pastry blender or crisscrossing 2 knives until crumbly. Stir in oats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to make Big-Ass Belgian Waffles

My husband is a huge fan of Belgian Waffles. I never thought I could make them because we had a ‘normal’ sized waffle maker. So he asked for a legitimate Belgian Waffle maker for Christmas. His parents bought us a really nice one so I got to cooking one Saturday morning. While the bacon sizzled I looked up my usual waffle recipe in my Betty Crocker Cookbook and made waffles. Poor Andy wondered why they tasted the same as my regular waffles, only thicker and harder. Then he asked the question, “Aren’t Belgian Waffles made with like, different batter or something?” Doh.
Yes, my friends. They are. Turns out there’s more to a Belgian Waffle than a big-ass waffle maker.

The Belgian Waffle is formally called the Brussels Waffle, based on its origins from Brussels, Belgium. It was introduced at the World’s Fair in Seattle in 1962 but the Seattleites didn’t somehow know what or where Brussels was so they named it the Belgian Waffle instead. Its soft, crispy melty-in-your-mouthness has been taking North America by storm ever since.

So, after a lot of tries I found a great recipe that I then modified just a little bit to make it easier (this one doesn't require yeast) and healthier (really, two whole sticks of butter?) than some of the others. We think it tastes really delicious and authentic so I think you should try it and let me know what you think.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs, separated
1 ½ cups milk
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sliced fresh strawberries or syrup

Directions
In a bowl, combine flour, sugar and baking powder. In another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks. Add milk, butter and vanilla; mix well. Sit into dry ingredients just until combined. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form (this is the hard part. If you figure out a genius way to do this without making your forearm feel like falling off please let me know) fold into batter. Bake in preheated big-ass waffle iron until golden brown

 

 

Jack's Huevos Desperados

Once famous on this very same blog for his Trailer Park Margaritas, Jack Pirtle (my father) returns again, but this time for breakfast. (I realize I'm posting this a month too late for breakfast month but I figured you'd forgive me.)

Thanks to my wonderful, fabulous, truly talented cousin Janna, for posting this recipe on facebook. Janna visited her parents (my aunt and uncle) in Tucson over Christmas and documented this recipe and even took a picture of it!


From Janna: We had this for breakfast.  Sally told a ghost story.  Buz talked about the aliens.  Mark got the story from Regan about how she found Grandpa George on the Benson Highway with her psychic powers.  Just a regular Sobel/Pirtle/Kaufman/Roberts/Siek/Havens family breakfast.)

From Jack:

Ingredients:

10 farm-fresh Mexican eggs (you may substitute American eggs)

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups low-fat cottage cheese

16. oz shredded goat cheese

1 cup or less diced green chilies

1 cup chopped mushrooms

1 cup diced red onion

Directions:

Throw the mess into a mixing bowl and mix.  Bake at 350' until eggs set (about 35 min?) Serve to Pancho with salsa, warm flour tortillas, and enough tequila to keep him tranquil for a couple hours or so.  Skip the tequila if you expect Pancho to fix the screen door.  He will be hungry by noon, whether he fixes the door or not, so what do you have in mind for lunch?

History:

Margarita, Pancho Villa's seventh wife, once was challenged by Pancho to present him with an egg dish worthy of a bandit's hearty appetite.  He followed the request with a threat.  Either create the egg dish, or he would leave her forthwith and start a revolution somewhere.  Margarita waited several weeks for him to carry out his threat and leave, until finally taking pity on him and whipping up her now famous "Huevos Desperados."  Having filled himself with the delicious dish one fine Mexican morning, Villa proclaimed everlasting love to Margarita, and promised that he would retire from the revolutionary scene and just hang out around the casa.  Pancho's retirement was not what Margarita had in mind... though perhaps he could learn to be of some help around the house... but she doubted it.  

Build a Better Egg McMuffin

The problem with making homemade Egg McMuffins is getting the egg to fit the English muffin just right. If you fry the egg, who knows what shape it will become, and if you bake the egg in a muffin tin, it ends up too fat and not wide enough for the English muffin – my opinion, of course. But I made a discovery recently that kind of blew my own mind (I’m easily impressed.) So, for breakfast month, I have more of a tip, a better way to assemble the Egg McMuffin.

First things first: Go buy a whoopie pie pan. I spotted this little baby at Jo Anne’s fabrics of all places and right there had my little epiphany about the perfect egg for the Egg McMuffin. They are shallower, wider “pie holes” (hehe) that bake the perfect English muffin sized egg. You can get these pans pretty much anywhere baking goods are sold.

Second: Simply spray the pie pan, crack your eggs into the pie holes, bake at 350 for 15 minutes and you can just pop those babies right out of the pan when they’re done!

Third: While the eggs are baking, prep the muffins. Place one to two pieces of American cheese, divided, on each half of the muffin. Place the muffins on a flat baking sheet and pop in the oven for the last 5-10 minutes of baking, or until cheese is melted.

Optional: Add Canadian bacon, real bacon, or a sausage patty. I microwave or fry up the MorningStar patties and pop them on there because it’s quick and easy.

Finally: Assemble everything and enjoy!

Tip: If you use egg whites only, they come out a little thin. I happen to think it’s just fine but you could absolutely double up on the egg whites to make a more egg-y muffin. If you leave the yolk in to bake, it definitely comes out a little thicker, more like the McD's McMuffins you're (I'm) used to. Pictured above left is a doubled-up egg white and pictured right is a regular with egg yolk.

This is such a fun, easy and quick way to feed a bunch. You can even get hashbrown patties at Trader Joe’s, fry those puppies in a skillet, and serve them up with your perfect Egg McMuffins.

McDonald’s who?

Mama's Perfect Scrambled Eggs

I had an epiphany the other day. It happened when I was feeling really burnt out and out of balance. I had been spending way too much time at work and not nearly enough time at home. My two year old, in retaliation, stopped letting me get him out of bed in the morning and refused to sit on me or snuggle. I was being shunned and although my friends and co-workers assured me his behavior was simply him being a two year old, I knew it was something more.

So I took Friday off and I kept the kids home. We played hookie! I started the day off making “Mama’s Perfect Scrambled Eggs” and then we went to Rocket Donuts and had a donut. And then we went to Boulevard Park and played on the boardwalk and threw rocks into the water. And then we went to Boomer’s Burgers for lunch and all shared a strawberry milkshake. And I’m proud to say that after three straight days of nothing but mommy time, my two year old finally called for me this morning.

No, it doesn’t solve all of my problems of course, but it does reinforce my need for finding balance. And I know I’m not alone in that one.

Anyway, this post is supposed to be about breakfast! The plan had always been to start our day off with Rocket Donuts but I always worry about my children having too much sugar and not enough protein. So I made my famous scrambled eggs. It might seem strange that I’m doing an entire post on something as simple as scrambled eggs, but in the same vein as Megan’s “Perfect Hashbrowns” I strongly believe there are few people out there who actually know how to make good scrambled eggs. It truly is a science. So I thought I’d enlighten you.

Ingredients
eggs
milk
butter
salt
shredded cheddar or jack cheese

Directions
I will scold you throughout these directions. I’m sorry about that but it is necessary.

Scramble your eggs with a little milk in a bowl. Heat nonstick skillet on medium low. Butter pan well. If butter browns the skillet is too hot. The number one key to cooking perfect scrambled eggs is to cook them slowly which means the burner cannot be too hot. After you pour the eggs into the pan wait patiently for a minute. Then, take your spatula and simply scrape it along the bottom of the pan. Do not flip, do not break apart. Scraping the bottom will simply move the cooked parts of egg away from the heat of the pan and make room for the other parts that have to cook. This also helps make the eggs fluffy. When eggs are halfway cooked, sprinkle with salt and stir around a bit. At this point it might be ok to break the eggs up a bit into chunks but don’t over scramble. One of the biggest mistakes I have seen people make, if they get past the too-hot-of-a-burner problem, is that they over-scramble. My husband, for example, makes his eggs into teeny tiny egg bits and that’s just frankly hard to get on a fork, and is not at all fluffy. At the very end of cooking time, sprinkle shredded cheese on the top and turn off the burner. Stir cheese around a bit and let sit until it melts, then stir it around a bit more. The cheese adds a bit of extra flavor and makes the eggs more creamy and oh so delicious!

Heat on medium low and butter a non stick pan well

After a minute or so, simply scrape the cooked eggs off the bottom with a spatula

continue to scrape the bottom until the eggs all begin to cook, then...

Add salt and stir...

Add cheese and turn off burner.

get cheese all melty and stir around and break the eggs up a bit into forkable pieces.

To recap: Cook on low. Butter pan well. Use your spatula to simply move eggs from bottom of pan to top. Do not over scramble. ADD CHEESE!

And, a couple of pictures from our beautiful day...

Gallo Pinto aka Costa Rican Breakfast

I'm usually a French toast kind of gal when it comes to favorite breakfast dishes, but after Curtis and I spent our honeymoon in Costa Rica we were both hooked on their traditional rice and bean breakfast: Pinto Gallo. When we came home from our trip, we created our own version we call "Costa Rican Breakfast" that's more of a hash and it's one of our favorite meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It's simple, you just need rice, black beans, whatever veggies you have on hand, a few spices and eggs cooked your favorite way! It never tastes quite the same any two times. And we always have this with a steaming cup of coffee (notice our faded coffee mug we brought home from Costa Rica that we've been drinking out of for 6+ years) so we feel like we're back in Costa Rica.

Every year for Christmas my mom gives us a big bottle of Salsa Lizano, a Costa Rican condiment that makes this dish. It's available at Mexican grocery stores like the Latin Merchant at Pike Place Market. The salsa is a nice combination of tang and good spices, so when we don't have it I just add a few shakes of a balsamic based salad dressing (for the tang) and some hot sauce.

Six weeks old and chillin' while mom & dad cook breakfast

We made this for breakfast on Thursday in celebration of Graham turning six weeks old. I always make a big batch so we have leftovers and that night we used the veggie/bean mixture in our fish tacos when Beauty Jolie came over to meet Graham.

Having a cuddle with Beauty Jolie 

Costa Rican Breakfast

Ingredients: 
Rice, cooked (we use Thai Jasmine rice, but brown or any kind will work!)
Black Beans
Onion, chopped
Bell pepper, chopped
A variety of veggies, chopped (can include celery, sweet potato, kale, carrots, broccoli, spinach ... just throw in whatever you have on hand!)
Spices such as cumin, coriander and Salsa Lizano
Eggs, fried or scrambled
Cilantro and hot sauce for condiments
Coffee

Directions: 

First make a pot of coffee, then: 

1. Cook rice

2. Make a hash by combining all your chopped veggies with a can of black beans and season with your favorite seasonings. We use cumin, coriander, Salsa Lizano and Sriracha for spice.

3. Cook eggs to order
4. Top off your cup of coffee
5. Dish up rice and bean/veggie mixture

6. Top with a runny fried egg or scrambled eggs if you prefer.

Garnish with hot sauce and cilantro and we usually serve it on a bowl so we can break the egg and mix it all up.

7. Take a walk so you'll be hungry for your next meal!

March Food Theme: Breakfast

Ricotta Doughnuts {Recipe Below}

Breakfast: It's the most important meal of the day! I think breakfast tells a lot about a person... are you savory or sweet? Or are you like me and want the best of both worlds?

Weekend breakfasts used to be one my favorite things. Sleep in, brew a huge pot of coffee and spend time puttering around making favorites like sourdough pancakes or breakfast burritos. But with a newborn, sleeping in and leisurely breakfasts may be a thing of the past (for now) but I do intend to teach our little guy about cooking and weekend brunch! I'm sure in no time Graham will be requesting his favorites.

Here are some of our past breakfast posts. I'll look forward to seeing what new recipes the beauties and their friends come up with this month.

Dahlia Lounge French Toast

Perfect Hash Browns

Secret Ingredient Banana Bread Muffins

Ricotta Doughnuts

Avocado Breakfast Burrito

Huevos Rancheros

Breakfast Casserole

Breakfast Casserole

This doesn't really need an explanation. I think a lot of people have mastered their own version of the breakfast casserole. This is how I do mine...

Sausage Egg Casserole

6 slices white or sourdough bread, crusts removed (croissants are an awesome choice as well)
1 pound ground sausage
3-4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dry mustard
2 cups half and half or milk
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Italian seasonings, to taste

Brown sausage with onion and bell pepper. Add seasoning and mix well. In separate bowl whisk eggs, salt, mustard and milk. Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish and line bread in pieces. Add sausage mixture on top of bread. Add cheese on top of sausage. Pour egg mixture on top. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until casserole is bubbly and lightly browned on top.

I also have a cinnamon-sugar grinder from Trader Joe's so I couldn't resist making some Cinnamon-Sugar Monkey Bread...

2 tubes grands biscuits, cut in half
Cinnamon
Sugar
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c butter

Coat the biscuits in cinnamon sugar mixture (in a bag works, if you don't have a grinder). Toss in a bundt pan or a loaf pan, buttered or sprayed. Melt butter and brown sugar together in the microwave and mix well. Drizzle on top of biscuits and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Breakfast Post Part Deux: Megan's Huevos Rancheros

View of Quebec City from my porthole

If you recall in my last post, I talked about being in Quebec City.  This was a beautiful spot and we were able to take advantage of many things it had to offer:

Yes, those are Chocolatine's freshly baked.  Yes that is my ipod next to it because
I picked them up when I was on my run

Hungry for late night food? You should definitely have your chef make Poutine (this is a French Canadian speciality and is French Fries, Gravy, and Cheese Curds. Michelle made the ones below with Horseradish Cheese Curds):

Poutine!

The one thing Quebec City didn't have to offer is Mexican food. I left Hermosa Beach two and half years ago. When I left, I admit I had some not nice things to say about California. I know, crazy right? I mean I was a little tired of it taking forever to get to the bank, a million dollars a year in taxes no matter how much you make, and the shame in others eyes if you wore your sweat pants to the grocery store. However, the more I travel the more I love California. The irony is not lost people! I mean it has amazing National Parks, California Mexican Food (you might remember Emily's California Breakfast burrito), California Sushi, California Cuisine, the beach, the mountains, my family....you get the picture. I also found out a shocking piece of information. Are you ready? South Africa (where I'll traveling in, in November) doesn't have Mexican food. Can you imagine? I have been busy trying to help Michelle improve her Mexican portfolio. In my noble effort, I was able to come out with a serious winner. Beauties, you better be ready.  This may be made on every Beauty get together from now until eternity.

I have to admit, it is pretty cool to be in charge of finding the best produce, freshest fish & seafood, and the nicest cuts of meats in any new town. Again, my kudos goes out to Wisconsin. We hit up the most amazing meat market I have ever been to. It was this adorable market called Miesfield's. The morning I decided to make my new breakfast speciality, I hit the yacht freezer jackpot. Yes, that is right: I found a lone package of Miesfield's chorizo sausage. My inspiration was born. The best part about this meal is there is really no cooking involved, the hardest part is timing.

Megan's Huevos Rancheros

1 egg per serving
1 can black or red kidney beans - your preference
1 can enchilada sauce
1/2 of chorizo per serving, chopped
1 corn tortilla per serving (Michelle ate three, but she was unable to eat for almost a whole day after)
Shredded Cheese Blend
Vegetable Oil for frying the tortilla

You will also want all your Mexican condiments: Salsa, Sour Cream, Avocado/Guacamole, hot sauce, etc.

Turn your oven on to 350 degrees. Cover a cookie sheet with foil.  Cook the chorizo, set aside.  Heat up the beans with the enchilada sauce in a sauce pan, set aside. Fry corn tortillas in vegetable oil until the tortilla is almost crispy. Pat dry the tortillas.  Place tortillas on cookie sheet.  Put cheese, chorizo, and beans on each tortilla.  Get the egg pan nice and hot and ready to go.  Put cookie sheet in oven.  Fry eggs per your preference.  Pull the cookie sheet out of the oven and top each tortilla with an egg.  Top with your favorite mexican condiments.  This of course goes perfect with Hashbrowns.
 

Pumpkin Biscoff Bread with Biscoff Glaze

I was thrilled when Missy announced this month's ingredient was sweet spreads because I have two jars of Biscoff spread in my pantry! I ordered them from Amazon to make a cookie recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod and wasn't quite sure what to do with the rest of it (well besides eat it by the spoonful straight from the jar). But it didn't take me long to find a fall inspired recipe to try!

Biscoff spread is made from Biscoff cookies and has a sweet cinnamon flavor. If you don't have Biscoff spread at your local grocery store, I'm sure Trader Joe's cookie butter would do the trick for the purpose of this recipe.

This fully loaded pumpkin bread is really good with a smear of cream cheese on it!

Pumpkin Biscoff Bread with Biscoff Glaze 
recipe adapted from Love From The Oven and King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

2 Cups Flour
1 1/4 cups Oatmeal 
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Cinnamon
2+ tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (I used a little less)
1/4 cup Flax Seed Meal (optional)
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups Canned Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2/3 cup Oil (or applesauce) 
1/2 cup Biscoff Spread
2/3 cup water
2 tsp vanilla
2 Eggs
2 Egg Whites
Walnuts or pecans as desired

Directions: 

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Grease two bread loaf pans.

Combine all dry ingredients in bowl and stir to combine.

Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.

Mix wet and dry ingredients until combined - do not over mix.

Pour mixture into two loaf pans that have been sprayed with cooking spray and lined with parchment paper. 

Bake both loaves together for approx 50-65 minutes or until knife inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Drizzle Biscoff glaze over each loaf. 

Biscoff Glaze 

4 tablespoons Biscoff spread
4 tablespoons milk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
pinch of salt

Stir the glaze ingredients over low heat until soft and creamy. Spread over your pumpkin loaves. 

Megan's Big Breakfast Post Part Un: Perfect Hash Browns

I LOVE summer and I have been drooling over all the amazing ingredients that have been featured here each month. I feel bad for my lack of participation, but here's my excuse: 

Update on the life of a girl working on a private yacht: We are currently in Quebec City waiting out Hurricane Leslie. Next on our itinerary will be working our way back through the St. Lawrence seaway on our way to Maine. In case you don't know how living on a yacht works, I have a private chef. Oh wait?  Have I told you that at least 100 times? Okay, there is a chef on board specifically for the guests but I have to eat too, so I get the bonus of sampling all the delicious food. Lucky for me, Chef Michelle is also my roommate, travel buddy, and when we get a chance, drinking buddy. She's an incredible cook, and takes care of us daily with a wide variety of food. Curry is one of her latest specialties that I'm addicted to. Since I no longer get to cook and rarely have the time, I have been dying to get in the galley. I obviously love food and cooking but I also quickly adapted to getting my meals made for me. Spoiled - I know. I promised Michelle I would make her some of my specialties and it turns out I excel in breakfast dishes.

Michelle & Megan. Not only is she pretty, but she can cook too!

 Traveling this summer has brought some unexpected culinary adventures. For example, when we were in Sheboygan, Wisconsin we had the  most amazing meal I have EVER had at a little place called Il Ritrovo .   Being in the service industry, I find that service really sets the stage for an amazing meal.   We met a wonderful bartender who recommended a delicious Italian wine.  The owner sends his staff to Italy.  We started with  Fonduta Al Forno which was wood-fired terracota filled with melted mozzeralla, smoked mozzarella, San Marzano tomatoes, topped with slices of prosciutto di Parma.   This was followed by the best wood-fired pizza EVER.  I have also had some of the worst meals I've ever had.  It gets a little frustrating when you pull up somewhere and are so ready for an amazing meal and fantastic service and it completely disappoints. The handful of times we have gone out for breakfast have been mediocre- okay I take that back they have been bad.  I have worked in restaurants for over 15 years now (gulp) and even I have been sending food back (which I thought I'd never do)!

When I go out to breakfast, this is typically how it goes:

Me:  "Can I please have the hash browns extra crispy?"

Whoever I am dining with - usually the whole table:  "Me too please!"

Waiter:  "Of course!"

How often have I ever gotten nice crispy golden hashbrowns?  I am sure a handful of times but I can only remember once at this little gem in Portland, Oregon: Pine State Biscuits.  Instead, what typically happens, is I get a pile of mushy potatoes with a couple of crispy pieces.  This is unacceptable!  I started cooking breakfast in beautiful Bridgeport, CA at Hunewill Guest Ranch many years ago. I continued this last year as a line cook in Dubois, Wyoming at Crooked Creek Guest Ranch.  I tell you this only to confirm that I have lots of breakfast cooking experience and it is possible to make crispy hash browns for the masses! It is so easy. Here's how it goes:

I often use frozen shredded hash browns. These are easy and organic versions are available too.  If you want fresh, you have to be careful. Potatoes retain a lot of water. One of my favorite food memories is my Aunt Donna shredding leftover dinner potatoes from the garden for hash browns in the morning.  This turns out to be the perfect way to do it and they are so amazing.  If you have the oven on the night before, throw a few potatoes in to cook.  They just need a good start.  Scrub them and throw them right in but no need to wrap them in tinfoil or anything.  Leave them uncovered for the night and shred in the morning.

Heat up your pan and put in a good amount of oil.  I put in a generous amount - about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of vegetable oil.  You aren't eating hash browns to be healthy and for them to get nice and crispy you have to do it. Get over it. Get the oil really nice and hot. This is very important. Once the oil is really hot, put in a thin, even layer of hash browns, fresh or frozen.

Raw, frozen spuds

Here is the  MOST important step of perfect hash browns.  Are you listening?  Okay, here it goes.  DO NOT TOUCH THEM!!!!!!  I am serious. The quickest way to ruin your hash browns is to touch them.  I know as home cooks, chefs, and newbies we all have the urge to move things around in a hot pan.  I know this urge - resist it. You can put the heat on Medium to Medium Hot. If you need to peek to see how they are cooking (so they don't burn), just lift up the corner. This step will ensure a perfect crispy crust. When they are as brown you desire, you should be able to flip the whole amount over in the pan in one or two pieces.

You get extra points if you can flip them all at once!

This is why it is important to use a good amount of oil.  They may seem oily at first but the potatoes will absorb it.  It will also move to the bottom and coat the other side.  Make sure and use a lot of sea salt and pepper. I often like to add fresh, finely chopped Rosemary to them (this counts as my rosemary post!). Get the other side nice and crispy and voila, you have perfect potatoes!  You will never be disappointed again. If you have to keep them warm, put them uncovered in the oven. If you cover, they will steam and you will lose the crispiness.

Perfection!

As I write this, it gets me all worked up. I am obviously passionate about crispy hash browns as seen by the essay I just wrote about them.  I also think EVERYONE loves crispy potatoes as you can see by my conversation above. I think as consumers in this economy we need to demand better quality for our breakfasts when we actually go out to eat.  I go out to eat significantly less than before the recession and I am sure many of you are the same.  That is why eating out should be truly a treat and not a chance to eat crap potatoes and be dissapointed.  I think we should start a movement.  I am calling it "People Against Mushy Potatoes" or PAMP.  Maybe I should do stickers?  Facebook page? We can always slap the stickers on the bill when we get this offensive problem. What do you think? Who is with me?