“Honey, wake up! Aren’t we going to make brunch for your family today?”
Grunts emanate from the enormous tangle of covers on the bed.
“We promised to cook breakfast for our New Year’s Day celebration. You really need to get up now, o.k.?”
More grunts, but the pile of bedding begins to stir.
“Why did we offer to do this?” HCFG mumbles in a tired, put-upon tone.
“We were being good guests, remember?”
“Oh, right. Next time we’ll know better.”
I rolled my eyes for show but I quietly agreed with him.
HCFG reluctantly got out of bed. He groaned horrifically all the while giving me dirty looks. But he soldiered on and left the room. HCFG then paid it forward and went to wake up his son, CFT (aka Cute Fun Teenager). Our exhausted little team went to work while HCFG’s parents watched the Rose Parade and enjoyed their coffee.
HCFG is a fabulous brunch chef. First, he made scrambled eggs with two types of cheese for garnish. He then grilled tomatoes English style, while simultaneously making crispy bacon. I mixed up a batch of cornbread while CFT grated cheese, set the table, and generally made himself useful. The piece de resistance (i.e. dessert) we didn’t actually make. His parents had told us about an amazing Norwegian bakery in the next town. We bought cinnamon sticky buns which made your mouth water just looking at them. Carbohydrate-sugary-cinnamon goodness! Anyway, the whole meal was divine and HCFG’s parents loved it, which made it all worthwhile.
The rest of the day was spent in a relaxed lazy heap. We watched football, read, and were generally too lazy to move off our respective couches, armchairs or pile of pillows. Just the way New Year’s Day should be! Even better, no hangover remedies were required.
Happy New Year, Everyone. Hope 2009 is the best year ever for you and yours!
(This post originally appeared on Kizmeet)
That sounds like an awesome breakfast.
@ Evyl: It was wonderful!
You had me at sticky buns. (Do the Norwegian ones prefer kipping on their backs?)
I’m having brunch with you guys! Breakfasty stuff is a fave of mine. Of course, liking breakfast/brunch the way I do, I wouldn’t have complained about getting up to cook. I’m into that as well. Nothing like making waffles from scratch!
He agreed to make BREAKFAST–and now you are expanding the term to bind him to “brunch” preparation…
D@mn, you white womens keep changin’ the game on a bruthah!
MMMMMMMM sticky buns. Grilled tomatoes. I’m JEALOUS!
Happy New Year to you, too!
@ GW: I’m not sure about the answer to your question but the cinnamon buns rocked
@ Vince: Come on over, we’re big fans of brunch as well!
@ Zen: Well, he may have agreed to make breakfast, but by the time he got up it was more brunch
@ Nat: I’m remembering it quite fondly. Back to healthy eating now…. sigh!
Oh yummmmmeeee! That made me hungry just reading all about it. And he grilled tomatoes too? Get outta here! That sounds like a great New Years Day all around the house to me
Happy New Year, everybody!
First, Lisa made one mistake in the description. The giant pile of uncooperative covers actually belonged to my son, CFT. I am just naturally perky in the mornings, no matter what the hour. I’m like a little gift of sunshine, no matter how early Lisa decides I need to get up. Twittering like a bird, I am. And if you believe that, …
Second thing is that CFT actually was helpful with all the details, as described. I think the time zone change must have gotten to him, since this was a big departure from the usual glacial sloth displayed at home. How many college kids can be persuaded to suck it up and help without causing oodles of parental stress? He worked on the omelette bar one term at school for his job so he also knows his way around the kitchen, especially when it comes to cooking eggs. And he really did help, especially since the bacon cooked up way faster than it was supposed to so things ended up being a real scramble (no pun intended).
Third thing that Lisa forgot to mention is that we gave the kitchen back to my parents cleaner than we found it, with all the dishes done and put back, etc. My mother was starting to wonder about whether alien abduction was real, since I had never exhibited this sort of behavior growing up.
Seriously, though, the three of us kicking in together made the breakfast (really fairly simple from a cuisine point of view) a true gift to my parents – Lisa, CFT and I did it as a team thing, not just something that I threw together. Since this trip was their first time meeting Lisa, I think that was really special.
GolfWidow: Norwegians do prefer kipping on their back. Keeps their beautiful plumage from getting ruffled.
Vince: Agree about breakfast stuff. I have discovered that not only do I like to eat it but the ratio of brownie points earned versus effort expended is the most of any meal, and even outshines doing laundry. But don’t tell anybody!
ZenWizard: Actually, I was the one that “upscaled” it to “brunch.” Sounds more impressive but it’s still the same food. And then you can get out of taking them out to lunch somewhere.
Nat and Carolyn: Grilled tomatoes are the easiest thing in the world to prepare, and they really provide a unique accent. Most people don’t think to make them. It’s truly one of the great contributions of the English to the cuisine of the world.
@ HCFG: Nope, the big lump of covers was definitely you. I’d recognize that grumpy voice anywhere
I can’t speak for CFT as he was in the other room, undoubtably passed out in his own heap. Like father, like son.