Toasted Bacon and Avocado Sandwich with Cheese

1 Portuguese Bun
1/2 Avocado
Two strips of Bacon
Two slices of Old Fashioned Cheddar
Sprinkle of Salt

I have been wanting to make a sandwich with avocado in it for a long time after seeing it on the Food Network, and I finally got the chance! For this one I used my favourite kind of bun, a Portuguese Bun, which I cut in half and toasted by placing it in a pan with butter and frying on low until the edges were golden brown and crispy. While the bacon was frying on medium and covered with a lid, I cut open the avocado and thinly sliced it, placing it on the bottom bun to cover the entire thing. After that I sprinkled it with a bit of salt to bring out a bit more of the flavour. Then I put the bacon over the avocado (I like my bacon extra crispy which worked well with this sandwich but I'm sure it would be fine no matter how well done you fried it) and the cheese on top of that. Because the bacon had had a chance to cool first it didn't melt the cheese so I did that myself; I find it tastes better with the cheese melted than not.

This was a really simple dish and tasted amazing. The flavours weren't too heavy and tied together nicely. I'm sure you could add veggies and seasoning but it was amazing the way it was.

Side note: Avocados are high in fat and calories (306 calories in a medium sized avocado) but they are very beneficial to your body. The fats contained are mostly healthy fats that actually aid your system in lowering cholesterol.

Cranberry Walnut French Toast with Banana Syrup

Two slices of Cranberry Walnut Bread
Two eggs
Cinnamon
Sugar

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 dashes ground cinnamon
3 bananas, sliced

When I woke up this morning and saw the Cranberry Walnut Bread on the counter I remembered having Cranberry Almond French Toast at a hotel once for breakfast with Banana Syrup. So I gave it a try! First I cracked two eggs into a bowl and beat them, adding a few dashes of cinnamon and sugar and stirring. Then I dipped the bread in the eggs and put it in a pan I had sprayed with Pam non stick spray, but butter would work just as well. While that was frying up I started the Banana Syrup!

This is a recipe I found on allrecipes.com, more specifically here. I adjusted it to only use one banana because I was only making this for myself this time. I thought the syrup would be too sweet but it was actually perfect. It looks complicated but it was really simple; over medium heat melt the butter and add in the brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Simmer until the sugar dissolves. The recipe says 2-3 minutes but for me it was only 1, so watch it carefully; you don't want it to caramelise. Then you add in the slices of banana and stir until they're coated, for a few minutes. I left them in too long and they got really nicely mushy and the sugar caramelised a little bit, which tasted really nice.

When the bread was crispy on the outside, nice and golden brown, I buttered it and spooned the Banana Syrup on top of it. It was surprisingly delicious and I shared it amongst my family. It was a big hit and it looks like I'll be making it again! Next time I'm going to sprinkle dried cranberries and roasted pecans on top for colour.

This is one I would definitely recommend for you to try out yourself!

The Perfect Hot Chocolate

Carnation's Rich and Creamy Hot Chocolate Mix
Mini Marshmallows
A Super Cute Mug

This one is extremely basic, and is pretty much a no brainer, but this was one of the best Hot Chocolates I've ever had. Also that picture is just way too cute not to share. First I boiled some water, then poured it into the mug. After that I added a package of the Rich and Creamy Mix (mine came in little brown packages, but it's also sold in other forms, so about three heaping teaspoons would be the same amount). Normally I don't use that much mix because I add milk and that makes it creamier, but this time I didn't use milk. I was delighted to find an entire bag of mini marshmallows so I put in about a handful; enough to cover the top of the hot chocolate, and then another layer after that. I let it cool enough to drink and by then the marshmallows were warm and mushy as well.

Perfect for a cold winter's day!

Sunny Side up Burger with Cucumber

2 slices of White Bread
Leftover Ground Beef
2 Eggs
Chopped Romaine Lettuce
Thinly Sliced Cucumber

I love making things out of leftovers because it takes what is usually bland and dry to another level. Tonight I made a burger with a sunny side up egg on top, something I've wanted to try for a while. I refried and season the ground beef with seasoning salt and regular salt, then mixed it up with a raw egg, returning it to the pan and pressing it down into a patty, and putting the lid on top to fully cook the egg. After flipping it a few times and ensuring it was cooked I put my two slices of bread in the pan as well to toast (it betters the flavour instead of just putting it in the toaster) and fried an egg in another pan. I fried it sunny side up, flipping it on its top for a few seconds to just cook over the yoke but leaving it runny inside. After that I put my cucumbers on the first piece of toast, then the lettuce, the patty, and finally the egg. It was fun to break the egg and watch the yoke running down the rest of the ingredients; the yoke acts as a sauce in itself which is why I didn't put anything else on the toast (all I had was Ceaser dressing and it would have been too strong; mayo or something similar would have been delicious).

This burger was a bit dry because the ground beef was leftover from the night before, but if made fresh, which I'll try next time, I think it would be awesome. I'll also add some sharp cheddar between the patty and the egg, which I think would give it a nice pop of flavour. I'm not a fan of burger buns unless for a traditional burger packed with ingredients, so the toast was really nice, especially because I managed to get it so nice and golden in the pan, but next time I think I'll use my favourite: the Portuguese bun. I'm also not a fan of tomatoes but I'm sure for someone who liked them they would go well with the others flavours in this burger, as would any other veggies you care to try.

Tips:
Keep the patty small and this is a nice light lunch idea. No over seasoning, just a bit of salt and pepper should be fine or it will overpower the simplicity of the flavours. Also make sure the veggies and lettuce are completely drained or they'll made the toast soggy.