Marie Cookpad

  When I worked at the Manor I always had to have a fresh plate of cooked Chicken Tenders in the refrigerator for the Mrs. to snack on at all times.  I also had to have a tray of fresh vegetables and dip and a tray of devilled eggs at the ready for the Mrs and Mrs.    It used to really annoy me if I got them done and in the refrigerator and the daughter came home with her friends and then they snuffled them all up without a second thought.  That meant I would have to make a quick trip to the shops and do them all over again . . .  along with my other duties.    I did not have a very understanding boss.  The daughter and her friends eating all that you had prepared was not a good enough excuse.  Those things had to be there no matter what.   It was my job after all  . . . so I shouldn't really complain.  It wasn't that I didn't like doing these things, I just didn't like having to do them twice in one day.   ...

  If you are a Vegetarian or a Vegan, you might want to look away now.  What follows isn't going to be pretty for you, however tasty it might seem to the rest of us. Sorry about that!   When I was a child I used to love it when my mom made us Egg in a Hat  (or Egg in a Hole) for breakfast.  It was a real treat.  A lovely runny egg, cooked into a piece of golden brown buttery toast.  Oh boy was it ever yummy.   I've been thinking about that sandwich all week long and pondering how I could make it even better . .  . in a way that has never been done before.  I think I might have cracked it! (No pun intended! Seriously!)    As you know at the weekend I like to pull out the stops a bit and give Todd (my husband) a bit of a treat for breakfast on at least one of the mornings.  When I first moved over here we would pop into town and go to one of the shops and have a fry up at their cafe.  We haven't done that in a long time...

  A friend of mine on Instagram posted a ham and cheese panini on her feed the other day and it looked amazingly delicious.  I thought it was bacon, but she said no, ham . . . it looked sooooooo good! I have been thinking about it ever since   . . .  except in my mind it was bacon, not ham  . . . I do so love the occasional bacon sandwich.    Back in my early days here in the UK, Todd and I worked together at a BP service station that had a cafe attached.  They sold tons of bacon, sausage, as well as  bacon & sausage baguettes every morning.  You would see the same guys buying them every day.    I was always mystified by the draw of them.  They used the cheapest nastiest bacon and sausages.  You should have seen the grease in the bottom of the warming cabinet that would have to be cleaned out at the end of every day.  Blech!  Blech!  Blech!    I only like to use a good quality bacon ...