Opposites attract and sometimes they repel. Some people are breakfast people. Some people are not. Case in point:
SPOUSE
WHAT in the world are you making?
ME
(mumbling under the covers, still conversing with
person tenuously attached to my dream)
Breakfast.
SPOUSE
In the crockpot?
ME
(most reluctant to let go of dreamlike conversation
near the seashore to enter snarky one in the desert)
Yes.
SPOUSE
But what IS it? It smells terrible.
ME
(dream bubble now fully popped. Must. Go. Toward. Light. In the
direction of annoying line of questioning coming from the bathroom)
It’s a slow cooker egg, potato and cheese dish I made for breakfast.
What about that particular combination smells bad to you?
SPOUSE
I just didn’t expect to wake up smelling something gooey. That’s all.
ME
(pulling covers back over head to go back in search
of alternate ethereal conversationalist)
< Pfft. >
Silence isn’t always golden in my house. Matter of fact, sometimes it’s an angry red-hot shade or icy blue hue. This morning was a decidedly interesting mix of purple.
I happen to love breakfast. Breakfast and soup. Not at the same time, but I love them nonetheless. Unfortunately, for over twenty-one years I have shared a cave with one who has managed to avoid both (unless it’s my mother-in-law’s chicken soup recipe*) whenever they show up at the table. Or in the crockpot.
They say opposites attract and they make that prospect sound so mysteriously enticing but what they fail to mention (THEY who deserve a sound kick in they bony lil’ shins) is that eventually all this opposition can be irritating.
My husband and I agree on a lot of the big stuff. Important subjects like politics, raising the children and how many lights should be left on when the sun goes down at the end of a day. But, there are a thousand little things and a handful of BIG things that we will never see eye-to-eye on (due in part to my being closer to five feet and him shy of six, I’m sure). We’re not alone in this either, from the stories I hear.
All across this great wounded nation are scattered houses filled with people in disagreement. She wants to sleep with the window open and fluffy down comforters and he wants the heater on with a cotton blanket. He could eat meat and potatoes every night for supper and she longs for baked fish and a hearty salad. They differ on the opinion of how Sundays should be spent. Autumn warms her heart and he is only happy in the heat of summer. Some couples argue bitterly about their differences and others quietly go along with whatever the other one wants. [There’s no guessing which camp I live in, sometimes I think I love red lipstick because it just highlights exactly where the noise is coming from.]
The other day, a friend related the story of a couple who was asked what the answer to their long and successful marriage was. The woman, having been married close to 40 years (and obviously a diplomat) answered, “Luck”. Well, if that doesn’t beat all.
Personally, I think the answer to a long marriage (we’ll leave success out of it, for now) is patience. Patience and a sense of humor. Maybe patience, a sense of humor and a strong cup of tea, as needed. And friends. Ooh! Even better, patient friends, with a sense of humor and a nice collection of fruit and spicy teas to choose from. Okay, obviously, I don’t have the answer – so maybe luck, it is.
Regardless of what the answer might be … I still like breakfast and I’m going to share my slow cooker recipe with those of you who happen like breakfast and have someone to share it with. If you have a coffeemaker with a timer you’ll wake up as though someone snuck in and prepared it for you. Lucky!
Overnight Breakfast
16 oz. bag frozen O’Brian hash brown potatoes (with onion and bell pepper)
1/2 lb. cooked ham, cubed
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Before you head off to bed, spray inside of slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place one third of the frozen potatoes in the slow cooker. Add one third of the ham and cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt and pepper until well mixed. Pour over the ingredients in the slow cooker, cover and turn on low. It will cook for approx. 7 hours while you’re sleeping (or tossing and turning to the tune of snoring), until the casserole is set and the eggs are thoroughly cooked.
*If you want my mother-in-law’s not-so-secret chicken soup recipe, let me know and I’ll gladly share! After all, there is nothing like a bowl of soup shared with those you care for.