Everything But the Kitchen Sink.....Literally

So I'm back and sad to say that I'm focusing this post on food. I tend to think of random topics throughout the day and today as I passed Waffle House on the way to work, I thought of their delish hashbrowns. Let me 'splain more....

Growing up, I was not a fan of breakfast. I didn't (and still don't) like cereal. Wait, let me clarify that...I don't like cereal for breakfast. When I eat it in the morning, I am hungry like 30 minutes later. I do enjoy the occasional baggie of dry cereal for a snack (Cracklin Oat Bran is pretty tasty). When I was a kid, I ate breakfast and for the first 10 years or so it was cereal. At some point in my teens, my mother figured out that I'd prefer to eat "dinner" food for breakfast, which I did, and I was happy. I'd raid the fridge with whatever we had leftover from the previous evening and would resort to hot dogs if the fridge was bare.

I also wasn't a fan of traditional breakfast foods: eggs, bacon, toast, grits, sausage, waffles, pancakes, or hashbrowns. What's weird is that I still don't enjoy cereal but have totally switched sides on my opinions of traditional breakfast food. Somewhere in there I started eating scrambled eggs and bacon. From there, my breakfast choices transitioned to eggs over medium with sausage and toast to sop up the yolk. Yummy....and I'd also take hashbrowns if they were offered. (Another thing I enjoy is eggs benedict, but since it's hard to find, I'll stick with the eggs over medium.)

But plain ole hashbrowns won't cut it. Waffle House (and Huddle House) offer their hashbrowns with all sorts of bells and whistles. Given that I like hashbrowns and other "regular" foods for dinner, it only made sense for me to become a fan of the hashbrowns from Waffle House.

As a kid, we didn't have a Waffle House in Key West. We didn't go out to eat much either, so I only got to experience the Waffle House breakfast when we traveled. I can remember ordering an omlet and having them put chili on top and enjoying it. So, it only made sense to take it a step further. Let me lay it out for you.....

At Waffle House their hashbrowns can be ordered with the following toppings:

*Scattered (this means they throw them on the grill...I think this is standard)

*Smothered (covered with onions)

*Covered (cheese)

*Chunked (diced ham)

*Diced (chopped tomatoes)

*Peppered (jalapenos)

*Capped (mushrooms)

*Topped (chili)

* Country (white sausage gravy)

I have to admit that I have the above mentioned items (except for the mushrooms) put on my hashbrowns. It's a wonderful thing. This would probably be enough but I usually add two eggs over medium, sausage (I love sausage), grits, and toast to my order. And I wash it all down with a Diet Coke. The good news is that I don't feel hungry for a LONG time afterward. Thankfully, I don't get to treat myself to this heart attack on a plate very often.

Side Note: The reason I don't add mushrooms to my hashbrowns is because mushrooms are a fungus. A fungus, people. That's just wrong. I also don't eat fried mushrooms, raw mushrooms with dip.....If I order a supreme pizza with the works, I usually don't take the 'shrooms off. Don't know why..... My family argues that I like bleu cheese crumbles and dressing and that's also a form of fungus, but since it's in cheese, I don't count it. I could eat my weight in cheese. I love it. There's no such thing as "bad" cheese. When I order a sandwich and I have a choice of cheese, I just tell them to pick any of them, because I'm a fan of all cheeses and love them equally. I wouldn't want them to get jealous or get hurt feelings.

So why the focus on food, and food that's bad for me? I don't know....I just know that I had those hashbrowns on my mind all day and I wanted to encourage you to try them if you haven't yet. And as for the mushrooms....well....put them on your hashbrowns if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you about the fungus part.