Dear Kid,

Nobody does banana pudding like southerners. And last night for dinner we went to a BBQ place that excels at banana pudding (and brisket and BBQ and crazy good side dishes).

As far as I can tell, the recipe for their banana pudding is to gather all the Yum in the world, mix it with banana pudding, bananas, ‘Nilla Wafers, and probably Cool Whip.

Yes, I had seconds.

Prior to the World’s Best Banana Pudding, I had BBQ chicken (which meant half a bird), corn bread (with jalapenos), and a baked potato the size of Montana. Meanwhile, other people in our group were doing the All You Can Eat approach to BBQ.

My conclusion so far on this trip is that there is a lot of food in Dallas.

Certainly, a great deal of food has literally thrown itself in front of me in the last 24 hours or so. (Did I mention the seconds on the banana pudding?)

A person in our group came up with the term “pre-redundancy” last night. As in to be redundant but before the thing you’re being redundant about has happened or been said. It is an excellent term that should certain work its way into the lexicon of everyone (but probably won’t).

Last night it was used in conversation around the idea of teaching (adult learners do well with repetition and therefore pre-redundancy is useful).

Today, breakfast is pre-redundant.

Doesn’t mean I won’t be helping myself to a lovely start of the day (and coffee).

Unfortunately, there probably won’t be any banana pudding.

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

Not sure if you’ve got the latest Calendar Update, but September is Better Breakfast Month.

As you know, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. (Except for brunch. I adore brunch. Brunch is mostly breakfast on steroids.) Breakfast is wonderful no matter what time of day it shows up.

I like breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. Cold pizza at 8am is fabulous. Chocolate is good for breakfast. Pancakes are good for dinner.

I don’t know who invented Better Breakfast Month but I like them. One of the great things about Better Breakfast Month is it doesn’t come with a definition of “Better.”

There are some people (and by “people” I mean websites) that say that “better” means “healthy.” IMO, there is nothing at all wrong with a healthy breakfast. But there’s also nothing wrong with a completely unhealthy breakfast every now and then.

Skipping breakfast is a terrible idea. Breakfast the most important meal of the day (all 12 months). It gets your body and brain going. In college, it’s important to bring your brain with you; it helps if your brain is awake when you take it to class.

Coffee is a good start to breakfast (and lunch, and dinner, and the 3pm coffee break), but it is an insufficient way to launch the day. Getting going requires real food. Like oatmeal. Or leftover pizza.

Even when you’re running late (which is pretty much the definition of most days in college, yes?).

What is your favorite running-to-class breakfast?

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

Dad has grown a bumper crop of zucchini this year. And by “bumper crop” I mean the zucchinis are big enough to be used as bumpers for Jeeps.

Faced with a giant number of giant-sized zucchini, I decided to make zucchini bread.

The good news is that the kitchen is still intact and even (mostly) cleaned up.

Also, the zucchini bread tastes good (even if it doesn’t taste overly zucchini-ed).

Being the kind of mom I am, I decided to share my methodology.

First look up a zucchini bread recipe. My Friend the Internet was happy to provide several options, and after considering the options for .000012 of a second I chose the first one that popped up.

I am so predictable.

I then proceeded and continued (extra points if you get the reference) to collect the ingredients. I decided to make two loaves (did I mention the jumbo sized zucchinis?) so I doubled everything.

Six cups of flour is a fair amount of flour, and it seems like even more when you sift it and occasionally miss the bowl. Once again, the Puppy (who was hovering hopefully) turned slightly whiter than usual. The baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon all made it into the bowl.

Then I mixed six eggs with 2 cups of oil (holy cow that’s a lot of oil) and some sugar while we held a group discussion about whether or not to include walnuts (no nuts, final answer).

As I added the dry ingredients, I glanced at the recipe.

And realized the original recipe was for two loaves, so I was making enough for four.

Oh.

I only own two loaf pans.

Ignore reality and continue.

The batter, however, didn’t ignore reality and it became pretty obvious that we were about to run out of space in the mixer.

Which meant we had partly mixed batter in one bowl, flour in another bowl, shredded zucchini pretty much everywhere, and I needed a plan to somehow convince everything to come together without exploding the mixer.

I tried talking to the batter. “Stay down. Stay. Down!” The batter ignored me and continued to climb the beaters.

I tried teeny bursts of power. The batter climbed in teeny bursts.

I gave up and stirred all ingredients in by hand.

I looked at the loaf pans, then at the batter. “You will fit. You WILL fit.”

Turns out I had larger than usual loaf pans. The loaves baked up and over but didn’t cause an oven disaster. An hour or so later, we had two HUGE zucchini breads. Another super yummy kitchen mess.

And with all that, we still had half a zucchini left over.

Did I mention the size of the zuchs?

Love, Mom

Dear Kid,

Me: Want to go for a walk?
Puppy: I love walks! Yes, yes, yes! Let’s go for a walk!
Me: Come here, you need a leash
Puppy: I’m too excited! We’re going for a walk! I have to run around!

Me: Don’t you want to go for a walk?
Puppy: Of course I do, I love walks
Me: Sit nicely, please. I have to put your leash on
Puppy: I love my leash. It means we’re going outside
Me: Well, then sit down so I can put it on
Puppy: I can’t sit down. My tail is too happy

Me: Good boy, let’s go for a walk
Puppy: This is wonderful. I love walks
Me: I’m glad
Puppy: And I love my leash
Me: I’m glad about that too
Puppy: And I have something very interesting over here to sniff
Me: We’re not even off the driveway yet!

Puppy: Today smells wonderful
Me: I thought we were going for a walk
Puppy: Busy over here
Me: A speed of zero miles per day is not a walk
Puppy: Busy
Me: So I guess we’re going for a sniff not a walk
Puppy: Don’t see you sniffing

Puppy: The world smells wonderful after it rains
Me: You don’t like rain
Puppy: I like AFTER rain
Me: I see
Puppy: Because there are so many wonderful smells to sniff
Me: Doesn’t the rain wash away the smells?
Puppy: You know nothing about sniffing
Me: Let’s pretend it’s because I haven’t had coffee yet
Puppy: Silly mommy
Me: Silly puppy
Puppy: Be quiet, I’m sniffing

Me: Remember that coffee I was talking about?
Puppy: Puppies don’t get coffee
Me: True. But you get breakfast if we go home. And I get coffee
Puppy: Sniffing
Me: You love breakfast. You love all food
Puppy: Right now, I love sniffing
Me: I’m in desperate need of coffee
Puppy: Don’t think that impacts me
Me: Let’s go home and have breakfast
Puppy: Breakfast? Why didn’t you say so!

Love, Mom

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Dear Kid,

Once upon a time (my favorite way to start a story), there was no such thing as brunch. The first meal invented was dinner (although it was called Feed Me I’m Starving). Then Moms were invented and they unionized to create breakfast (known as It’s the Most Important Meal of the Day Now and Forever).

One day, however, Mrs. Joe Neanderthal decided she didn’t feel like making breakfast (The Most Important Meal of the Day). Not only did she not feel like cooking, there was nothing in the Neanderthal cupboard. No leftover sabretooth tiger, no soggy vegetables, and definitely no Fruit Loops for small Neanderthals to snack on.

Now, as I have mentioned, Mrs. Joe Neanderthal was one smart lady—especially for a Neanderthal.

Therefore, as all the little Neanderthals started clamoring for food (breakfast being the most important meal of the day), and Mrs. J. N. rolled over and pulled her fur blanket up around her ears, she grunted, “Brnch s bttr.”

Mrs. Joe Neanderthal wasn’t big on using vowels first thing in the morning.

Once she got up, Mrs. J invented a new meal, proving that “Brunch is better.”

The thing about brunch is that it’s not available most days. So when we have brunch, it’s something special.

Brunch is about the event as much as it’s about the food. It’s about taking time and savoring the meal (there is nothing rushed about brunch). It’s about who you’re dining with. It’s about friends or family (or both if you’re lucky).

But let’s be honest: brunch is also about the food.

Brunch food is luxuriously rich. It’s food you don’t make for breakfast because who has the time? Brunch is creamy eggy deliciousness and extravagant bagel toppings and extraordinary brunchy pastries. Brunch is mimosas and bloody marys. Brunch is seconds and thirds and even fourth helpings.

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but I’m pretty sure brunch is the best meal of the month.

What’s your favorite brunch food?

Love, Mom