French toast – Loving Food, Fashion, & Life

Ooooo—A New Hometown Cafe!

Posted on March 15, 2014 by LFFL

Baked goods at their finest.

Oh, I just LOVE when new little cafes pop up around town. I had the fortunate pleasure of being invited to a “Grand Opening” of this new cafe in town. Meaning FREE FOOD for the invitees. O-kaaaay! Who am I to turn down a free meal?

I just happen to know the manager who will be running this little shindig called Corner Bakery Cafe. The place is marvelous and I could not possibly speak enough about the baked goods that I saw through the glass case as my eyes got bigger and bigger.

Egg Scrambler with potatoes, toast, and muffin.

French Toast with bacon and fruit.

Egg Scrambler made with eggs, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, green onions, cheddar cheese, and avocado; served with potatoes, toast, and a cinnamon muffin.

French Toast made with cinnamon-swirled brioche bread baked in vanilla custard and a side of maple syrup; served with applewood smoked bacon, and fruit.

I was offered the chance to come to either breakfast, lunch, or dinner and I chose to go early morning to breakfast. My, my, my—how I just LOVED my egg scramble. That sucker was amazingly good. I’m definitely going back for another helping of that at some point.

Why do all of these hometown cafes have to be so good? I mean, now we’re talking this makes the THIRD different cafe I will now be shuffling back and forth to. All three of them literally make a big triangle in my city—or at least a funny looking shaped triangle, but a triangle nonetheless.

They are spaced country miles apart from each other—which doesn’t help ME any! Who’s bright idea was this? I don’t understand why they can’t all be right next door to each other to make MY life easier.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, search high and low for new cafes/hometown diners opening up in your part of town and give them a try. You just may discover some new deliciousness in your part of the world.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Running around between three different cafes in town spaced miles and miles apart from each other is a lot of work—but someone’s got to do it so it might as well be you.

More Fun Times At That Newfound Diner

Posted on December 1, 2013 by LFFL

French Toast made with thick sourdough bread dipped in a secret batter, topped with butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.

How can you not love three thick pieces of buttery goodness French toast?

Ranch Wrap

Wrapped Up

Ranch Wrap made with fried chicken, avocado, bacon, tomato, ranch dressing, Jack & cheddar cheese, and a spring mix wrapped in a garlic-herb tortilla.

Wrapped Up made with egg whites, turkey, avocado, mushrooms, and Jack cheese wrapped in a spinach tortilla; served with salsa and fresh fruit.

Fried Chicken Salad

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Fried Chicken Salad made with fried chicken, chopped romaine, tomatoes, Jack & cheddar cheese, onions, cucumbers, bacon, egg, croutons, and ranch dressing; served with a muffin.

Chicken Salad Sandwich made with chicken salad, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese on a croissant; served with fries.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, keep going to your favorite diner till you’ve tried everything on their menu at least once.

Take-Away Life Lesson: There’s nothing wrong with having found a new little diner as your second home.

My Rule Of Thumb

Posted on November 17, 2013 by LFFL

Pancake, French Toast with thick sourdough bread topped with powdered sugar, and a Waffle topped with powdered sugar; served with loads of butter and maple syrup.

You all know my rule of thumb: When you can’t decide between one or more things, just get one of each and save yourself the headache and stress of deciding. Why put yourself through all the torture for crying out loud?!

Here was such an occasion. I decided to go eat breakfast at that newly discovered diner I found. (Not to be confused with the regular diner I go to for 6″ x 5″ x 2″ cinnamon rolls and whatnot.)

I knew all morning I wanted something that required syrup—a pancake, a waffle, or French toast. And at this new diner I discovered, all three are phenomenal. So it was tough choosing.

After all, I had given this a lot of thought on the home front from the moment I woke up and up until I left the house. It also consumed my thoughts on the 20-minute drive out to the diner, and during the 10 minutes or so that I told the server to give me after I was handed the menu once I arrived. Geez!

It was IMPOSSIBLE to decide! In my head, they all seemed so great that I knew I could devour any one of them at a moment’s notice. As I was sitting at the table, it hit me all of a sudden—my rule of thumb! If there ever was a time to apply my rule, this was it. I mean, I had already marinated on it a little too long as it was, ya think?

Man! Once I realized my rule of thumb was available to use—the stress of thinking about it all and making a decision about what to order just seamlessly floated away. ‘Just give me one of each.’ Now I can consume my thoughts with something else or leave it entirely blank. Ahhh, the good life.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, see if you can apply my rule of thumb to any given situation you find yourself in.

Take-Away Life Lesson: No need to rack your brain with hard decisions. The rule of thumb is there for a reason.

Still Loving The Diner

Posted on November 3, 2013 by LFFL

Burrito Platter served with Spanish rice and soupy beans.

Here are more of my little trips to my hometown diner. Such yummy good food.

Catfish Fillet with tartar sauce and a side of Cabbage, Corn Nuggets, Ham & Beans, and Cornbread.

Chicken Fillet Sandwich

Chicken Fillet sandwich deep-fried with cheddar jack cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles.

This here is why I like dealing with the same one or two servers over and over once they know me well enough and I realize they are really good at their jobs.

The day I ordered the chicken sandwich on the left, I specifically called-in my order and asked for LETTUCE ONLY with my sandwich. I told them to leave off the pickles and tomatoes.

As you can see, my sandwich came with the usual on it—EVERYTHING.

Another day I called-in and ordered the chicken sandwich on the right and specifically asked for LETTUCE ONLY. I told the person what happened the last time I ordered and she said she would check the order herself personally AND give me EXTRA lettuce even.

Now as you can plainly see, the one on the right came with absolutely NOTHING on it. I even looked under the bun to make sure the lettuce wasn’t hidden inside the sandwich somewhere. Needless to say, I didn’t get the EXTRA lettuce she said she’d give me because I didn’t even get the regular lettuce they normally put on it.

Unfortunately when I placed my orders, I couldn’t ask for the person who usually takes care of me because he had already gone home for the day. So I just placed my order with whomever answered the phones on both occasions.

I cannot understand how I can be so specific, thorough, and detailed—even down to explaining how my order was screwed up the last time, only to have it screwed up again!

French Toast

Apple Pie

French Toast made with thick-cut egg bread dipped in egg, topped with whipped butter and powdered sugar; served with maple syrup.

A slice of Apple Pie.

Another day I walk into my local diner and I’m standing at the counter for 5 long minutes waiting to place an order to-go. I turn and I see a diner pow-wow meeting or gossip-fest of some sort going on.

I’m not sure what it was, but no one even looked up to say hi or take my order. After 5 minutes of standing there, someone else in the restaurant (who was NOT part of this group) finally came and helped me. Unbelievable.

But, nevertheless, I still love my local hometown diner.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, continue to frequent your favorite diner even if you get irritated every now and again with the little mistakes that keep happening to you.

Take-Away Life Lesson: We’re all only human.