Perfectly Poached and Pretty Eggs

Thank you all for your egg-cellent ideas yesterday!  I'll definitely be using them so look forward to a few more egg posts.  Unfortunately, on Saturday, thanks to a shady job done by our builders, the power went out to our kitchen and conservatory.  Which means no washing machine, no dryer, no dishwasher, and no oven.  Oh and the power to our fridge went out so we have extension cords all over the kitchen.  Anyways I didn't cook too much this weekend.  But our gas stove still worked (thank god for that) so I was able to light it up with a match and make some poached eggs.

Now I know this isn't innovative and it's probably old hat to a lot of you foodies out there.  But I love poached eggs and surprisingly every time I make them for company the person is shocked at how easy and delicious they are.  So I figured someone would benefit from this post.

Ok so you start with a pan of water.  Turn the heat way up and wait for it to boil.  Add a splash of cheap white vinegar.  Then crack your eggs and slip gently into the water.  A little trick I've learned is that if you put toast in the toaster at about the same time as you put the eggs in, they'll be finished at almost the exact same time (maybe 3 minutes or so).

When the egg whites are solid (you can check by cutting a little into the white bit - if anything spills out its not finished! - this isn't rocket science I know!) take them out of the water using a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel to dry.  This is a delicate procedure.

Now you can butter your toast, or if you live England, your crumpets.  Oh how I LOVE crumpets.  I mean its basically just bread with extra nooks and crannies for the butter to melt into.  Yum.

Personally I always add that delightful Australian yeast spread, Vegemite , to the crumpets.  I think it makes everything just extra tasty.  But Vegemite haters can skip that step.  Make sure you add some salt and pepper and you're ready to slice into it.

You should have a nice gooey yolk.  Doesn't that look de-lish?  Well I ate it and I can tell you it was.  Simple perfection.  Enjoy!

Egg-cetera!

Dear Friends,

  

It looks like Easter came early this year.  I am writing to you to seek your advice.  I know I usually post recipes for you, but today I need your help.  You see, since we don't have a car in London, we have our grocercies delivered.  We received an order today, and instead of getting a dozen eggs, we got 7 packs of half a dozen eggs.  They didn't charge us for them, so we decided to keep them.  However, now we have 42 eggs!

Do you have any fabulous recipe ideas involving huge numbers of eggs?  What's your favorite way to eat eggs?  Do you like them over easy or sunny side up?  Hard or soft boiled?!  Please do share!

We eat poached eggs all the time.  And I have a feeling we'll go through a few for omelets.  Maybe we'll make eggsalad... But do you have any better ideas?  This seems like a great opportunity for eggs-perimentation.  hahaha get it?.... well I think I'm funny. 

Thanks for your help!

Cheers!

Kelly

Heidi's First Walk of Shame

We took Heidi for her first walk this morning!  She finally has all her puppy shots, but she won't be 100% immune until next week, so she's still not allowed to go to the park and play with other dogs.  But we took her for a little stroll around our neighborhood today and she was ever so excited.  In fact, she was so excited she vommed.  Right outside the front of our house.  It was like a really bad walk of shame at 8 am.

You know, since she is a pedigree dog she received a "show name" from the Kennel Club - Meadowlane Marlene.  How ridiculous of a name is that?  It makes her sound like a 65 year old smoker, you know with a hoarse voice that can only be the result of smoking since the age of 12.  And the Meadowlane part of her name sounds like a nickname she got when she became a Madame.  Can't you just picture her, cigarette hanging of her mouth, blonde curly wig, and a cheap bottle of beer between her paws saying as she swirls her words in a raspy voice, "Room number 4, honey...."

DeCourcy Family Photos

Will someone take our picture please?  

These all suck. A LOT.

We need a DeCourcy family photo for our mantle piece.  

We don't have a mantle piece.  

But maybe we will when we move.

Where We Live

It rains every day here.  Cold, grey, nasty rain.  Not a big thunderstorm of rain coming down in massive droplets on a sweltering hot day in the middle of summer, like in a music video for some awesome Meatloaf power ballad.  Just gross rain.  Drizzling, chilly rain.  Whenever I don't like the weather, I try to think to myself, at least you don't live in Chicago anymore.  Because the weather really sucks in Chicago, as in it is so freaking cold it sucks the life out of you.  Then you go into hibernation and get SAD.  The weather in England doesn't suck that much.  It's just extremely mediocre.

Then I wonder to myself, why do you put up with mediocre?  We don't have to live here.  We could move to Australia... There are a lot of reasons why we don't live in Australia.  But none of them are very good... See?

Reasons Why We Don't Live in Australia

1.  Nick has a job in England

2.  Neither of us are from Australia

3. Our families wouldn't be happy with us

4.  We'd like our kids to know their extended family

(Note: We don't have kids, except our dog-ter, Heidi)

Reasons Why We Should Move to Australia

1. The sun shines more often there

2.  If you live in Australia you're probably happier

3.  Everyone is really nice in Australia

4.  Australia is a good compromise for a mixture of British and American culture

5.  We both really like Australia

6.  My freckles would reappear 

(I kinda miss them.  They go away when the sun doesn't shine)

7.  I would have more motivation to have a bikini body

8.  We'd live close to a beach

9.  It's probably easier for us to get a visa to move to Australia than it would be for us to get a visa for Nick to move to America 

10.  The best dance parties of my life occured in Australia

Exhibit A:

I think that's all my reasons for now.  Though I'm sure there are many more.  Until then, I guess I'm stuck in England.  And..  
"That's the way it's gonna be lil darlin'"





ps.  Sorry if my videos bore you.
pss. At least watch the 2nd video.  That song needs to be in your life I think.
psss.  Where do you live?  And why do you live there instead of somewhere else more awesome?  Or is it the most awesome place to be living?