the hubs works nights, so the bulk of our time together is spent hanging out in the morning.
we are big believers in enjoying our morning routine. we start with the news or netflix food documentary as we sip our french pressed coffee. we spend some time scoping out our small side yard garden and then cooking up some breakfast before we go our separate ways for the day.
wes found a great deal on eggs so i'm currently working my way through five dozen eggs.
the garden is booming so we had some great fresh ingredients to inspire us. the jalapenos, bell pepper, oregano and basil we picked fresh really took this bold breakfast to another level. 

chorizo baked eggs
serves: 2-4
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 40 minutes
total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 4-6 eggs. 2 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 small bell pepper, diced. .5 onion, diced. 1 jalapeno. 1 c vine tomatoes, diced. 8 oz chorizo. 5 garlic cloves, minced. .25 c basil, chopped. 1 tbs oregano minced. 1 tsp cumin. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 c sharp cheddar, shredded. .25 c parmesan, grated. cilantro and your favorite crusty bread for serving. 

start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f.

in a large, oven safe skillet, combine the bell pepper, onion, tomato and jalapeno and 1 tbs of olive oil. saute over medium high until the onions are translucent. about 5 minutes. 

cook, stirring every few minutes until the chorizo is browned and the garlic is fragrant. stir in the fresh herbs. 

turn off the stove and make small nests for each egg you are using. fill the nest with a handful of cheddar. 

crack and egg onto each cheddar nest. 

top the eggs with parmesan and bake for 15-18 minutes until the eggs are set. 

serve hot with fresh bread or tortillas.
xoxo
a

chorizo baked eggs
serves: 2-4
prep time: 20 minutes
cook time: 40 minutes
total time: 1 hour
ingredients: 4-6 eggs. 2 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 small bell pepper, diced. .5 onion, diced. 1 jalapeno. 1 c vine tomatoes, diced. 8 oz chorizo. 5 garlic cloves, minced. .25 c basil, chopped. 1 tbs oregano minced. 1 tsp cumin. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 1 c sharp cheddar, shredded. .25 c parmesan, grated. cilantro and your favorite crusty bread for serving.
start by preheating your oven to 400 degrees f.
in a large, oven safe skillet, combine the bell pepper, onion, tomato and jalapeno and 1 tbs of olive oil. saute over medium high until the onions are translucent. about 5 minutes.
push the veggies to the side of the pan and add in the chorizo, salt, pepper and cumin. cook, stirring every few minutes until the chorizo is browned and the garlic is fragrant. stir in the fresh herbs.
turn off the stove and make small nests for each egg you are using. fill the nest with a handful of cheddar. crack and egg onto each cheddar nest.
top the eggs with parmesan and bake for 15-18 minutes until the eggs are set.
serve hot with fresh bread or tortillas. 

it seems like my husband and i are in what could now be considered a lifelong battle. 

an epic battle of function vs style. 

when i first met wesley, he didn't know style from a hole in the wall. literally. if we for some reason put a hole in the wall i'm sure he would have tried to convince me it looked fine and added some functionality to the living situation.

these days wes is usually bettered dressed than i am and feels almost a little too comfortable with interior design. but the function vs style battle wages on. most commonly in our kitchen. 

the new practice when i arrive home is to quickly survey the scene to see what if anything wes has decided to move. the next decision then comes down to two scenarios… 

1. is this something i can live with?

2. how can i rearrange this so he doesn't really notice?

usually, i opt for option two and the dangerous dance commences. i move it. he moves it. i move three things. he moves four. and after about seven battle rounds, enough blood has been spilled and we agree on some compromise and move on to the next area lacking functionality/style. 

but, of course there are some things we don't need to argue about. this cake base is a tried true favorite i have been serving up for years and never disappoints. it's light and fluffy and can easily be tweaked to match the flavors you are feeling with just an adjustment or two. plus the sprinkles make it freaking adorable.

sprinkle cakes
serving size: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 10 min
bake time: 15-20 min
total time with frosting: 1.5hrs

2 cups flour. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. .5 cup shortening. 2 eggs. 1.5 cups sugar. .75 cups buttermilk. .5 cups whole milk .5 tsp vanilla extract. .5tsp almond extract. 1 cup confetti sprinkles.

preheat your oven to 350 f. with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening.

with the mixer on a medium speed, add in the eggs until just combined. 

still on medium, pour in the milk and buttermilk and mix till smooth. pour in both extracts. 

with the mixer on a slow speed add in the dry ingredients until just combined. 

mix in the sprinkles with a spatula and spoon the mixture into a large ziplock or piping bag.

into prepared cupcake pans, add 2-3 tbs batter to each pan. 

bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 15 to 20 minutes

allow to cool completely, frost and serve. 

xoxo
a

sprinkle cakes.
serving size: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 10 min
bake time: 15-20 min
total time with frosting: 1.5hrs

2 cups flour. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. .5 cup shortening. 2 eggs. 1.5 cups sugar. .75 cups buttermilk. .5 cups whole milk .5 tsp vanilla extract. .5tsp almond extract. 1 cup confetti sprinkles.

preheat your oven to 350 f. with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening.
with the mixer on a medium speed, add in the eggs until just combined.
still on medium, pour in the milk and buttermilk and mix till smooth. pour in both extracts.
with the mixer on a slow speed add in the dry ingredients until just combined.
mix in the sprinkles with a spatula and spoon the mixture into a large ziplock or piping bag.
into prepared cupcake pans, add 2-3 tbs batter to each pan.
bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 15 to 20 minutes
allow to cool completely.
frost with your favorite frosting and serve.