Y'all remember how I told ya that I had been stuffing myself like the dang turkey come the big Thanksgiving day?

Well….we’ve upgraded. 

We’ve upgraded to and on our way to becoming the damn Christmas ham.

How do I know this exactly?

Well, here’s the thing: I have no self control.

When comes to brunch-y items.  

So much so that I had lost control and every intention of reshooting a few plates.

Why?

Because they didn’t last long enough. 

No lie. 

Yes, I ate them. 

All of them. 

In record time. 

Worse yet? 

For the most part, I ate them without sharing.

Eighteen muffins?

Okay, I shared six of those. 

I ate the remaining twelve muffins in three days. 

Yeah, it’s the four-muffin-a-day diet.

Oh, and did I mention that the uhh, dozen egg frittata lasted less than 48 hours. 

There was absolutely no sharing there.

Not one single delicious slice. 

Do I feel guilty?

Not in the least.

I wish I did.

My pants did feel like they were trying to strangle me the other day but for the most part, I am alright with it. 

Truth be told–I am totally coming clean here–I do feel guilty about one thing: the homemade Irish Cream. 

Yes, homemade Irish Cream.

In a quart sized Ball Jar with 10 ounces of booze. 

No, it’s not the booze I feel guilty about, it’s the fact that there’s one fourteen ounce can of sweetened condensed milk and 6 ounces of heavy cream. I’ve drank two now, straight from the jar–no coffee necessary.

In as, as many weeks. 

There’s the guilt, right. there.

So let be your warning before dipping your toe in on this mix. 

Brunch just got real…

So before you start judging. 

Just let me tell you that this is a three for one deal. 

Do make the Irish Cream + then tell me how much you love/hate me in the New Year.

It’s alright, I can take it. 

Homemade Irish Cream

Prep time: nil 

Cook time: non existent 

Yield: 1 quart Ball Jar of heaven 

Ingredients

1–14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk

6 ounces heavy cream

2 ounces espresso 

1 ounce chocolate syrup

(I made my own: double broiler, ¼ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, a few TBSP cream + whisk over medium-high heat until melted)

2 ounces Cointreau

8 ounces Irish whiskey

In a food processor blend all ingredients until well combined.

Pour into quart-sized Ball Jar + refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Yes, it really is that easy. 

Y'all remember that delicious Apple Bundt Cake situation a few weeks back?

Well, this is pretty much it, born again as a apple carrot cake muffin.

The changes:

1 ¼ cups applesauce

1 cup grated carrots (instead of chopped apple)

¼ cup of finely chopped dried cranberries (instead of currants)

¼ cup of candied pecans sprinkled on top before sliding into the oven

Bake time: 20-24 mins at 375F.

That’s it.

Yield: 18 muffins, just enough to share. 

Now on with the main course.

And if y'all wince at the fact there’s a dozen eggs used in this recipe then move along because like I said brunch this time of year ain’t for the faint of heart.

You’re here because you need it. 

And it ain’t rich in the way you might think. 

Just remember, its got kale…

Andouille Kale + Potato Frittata

Prep time: Overnight plus 20 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Yield: 1–10" skillet frittata situation

1 pound yukon gold potatoes, skin-on and thinly sliced

2 tbsp bacon grease

½ medium purple onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

¼ pound andouille, sliced

4 ounces lacinato/dino kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

2 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced

12 eggs, beaten

1 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

Topping

2-3 green onions, chopped

½ pint grape tomatoes, quartered

1 clove garlic 

¼ bunch parsley, roughly chopped 

2 ounces feta

a few dashes seasoned rice vinegar 

Night Before: 

Potatoes.

Wash/scrub yukon gold potatoes.

Thinly slice and place into a medium bowl.

Cover potatoes with water, add in 1 tbsp salt.

Cover with plastic wrap and put into fridge overnight.

Next Morning:

Strain potatoes.

What does this do?

It breaks down the starches + allows for A) less water B) faster or more even cooking/consistency.

While the potatoes are draining in a colander.

Go ahead slice + chop all the rest of the ingredients for the frittata.

Set aside.

Now is when you should make the topping–it’s best to let it marinate a bit.

Preheat oven to 375F

Back to the frittata:

Break out the 10" cast iron skillet, add in a few tbsp of bacon grease over medium high heat. Once, the pan is well slathered add in the purple onion. Cover + let sweat 3 to 5 mins then add in the garlic. 

Again, let sweat for a few minutes. 

Go ahead + toss in the andouille. 

After that, you can add in your potatoes. 

Cover and cook for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until tender.

Next add in the mushrooms, sautéing until soft.

Now add in the lacinato kale. Cover and turn off the heat. 

Onto the eggs:

In a large mixing bowl beat together: eggs, mustard, cayenne, and salt.

Assembly: 

Remove the cover from y'alls pan fried potatoes.

Move things around a bit in the pan so that the potatoes, sausage and everything is pretty even, flat. 

Pour the egg mixture over top of the pan fried potato goodness. 

Now carefully slide into the oven, uncovered and bake for at least 15 minutes or until the frittata appears dry and has set in the center. 

Serve.

And you’re done!

Let’s eat, shall we?