Posts Tagged ‘English Muffin’



Egg and Muffin Sandwiches

Monday, January 3rd, 2011





“Deserve” Leads to


“De-Serve”



(A Recipe To Serve!)



OK, so that was kind of a crazy thing to write, but I was thinking about that place with the golden arches and their old slogan. Remember? It was that catchy song about what you deserve – you know – like a break today? However, as I grow older and older I am finding that what I think I deserve ain’t all it’s cracked up to be! I bet you can’t get that song out of your head now, can you?


 photo PICT0855_zps3ba02d25.jpg



In my youth, I had the “prestigious” honor of being a “crew member” of the McDonald’s Restaurant team – aka, a “hamburger flipper”. I lived, breathed and literally ate McDonald’s. I don’t know how it is now, but back then, McDonald’s was run like the army and there was a real pride in the job and a sense of ownership in the company. Each year there was a competition for all crew members in order to become part of the “All American Team”. The more All American Team members at a store, the more prestigious the store in the eyes of the corporation. Competition was fierce and hard and not just a little scary. It was like participating in the Olympics, only instead of swimming you were waiting on and serving customers in under a minute, or in place of throwing the shot put, you were assembling, wrapping and tossing cheeseburgers onto a warming tray to a stop watch. The competition went on during the day while customers were actually being served and “The Suits” were there watching your every move. The one year that I decided to take the plunge, I competed at the cash register and outside the restaurant in grounds cleanliness. I won. I have proof. But I’m still waiting for the endorsement offers.


 photo cashregister_zps1cc15936.jpg



Now, I need to remind you that cash registers at the time were not the electronic wonders they are today. Computers were something only ‘brainiacs’ even considered and, as far as we were concerned, still occupied an entire room with magnetic wheel thingys (my hubby tells me they were called column tape units and he would know) whirling synchronistically . If that isn’t a real word, it sounds good – can’t you just see it?? Yep, the cash box on which I registered counter sales was an upright mechanical monster with round, brown keys in rows all down the front of the unit. The first vertical row was for the cents, the second, tens of cents, the third, ones, the fourth, tens and so on. The number totals showed up in white on black placards, side-by-side, in a window above the buttons. In order to put in a monetary amount, one had to punch each row of places matching the numbers of the entry. I remember starting out punching one button at a time with one finger as the customer stood there looking at me like, “You moron, can’t you work any faster than this? My Big Mac is gonna mold before I get it.” However, I eventually mastered the beast and could use multiple fingers to put in a total all at once – three fingers for “$1.99” and the thumb and first finger to “enter”. I thought I was hot stuff. And, oh yes, I was there when the Big Mac was first introduced. I had a “Mac Attack” on a regular basis.


 photo Youdeserveabreaktoday_zps8d07c29f.jpg



I learned to count back change. Those cash registers only told you what the total due was, not the total cash back. A $20 bill for that $1.99 order? A penny – two dollars, three dollar bills – three dollars, four dollars, five dollars, a five dollar bill – ten dollars, and a ten dollar bill – twenty dollars. Give a clerk today, if there is no computerized cash register, a ten dollar bill and a nickle for a $1.95 purchase and watch him slowly come unglued trying to figure out how much money you should be getting back!!!


Crew members were required to be “versatile” and one’s pay scale and evaluation was based on just how many things one could do in the restaurant. That meant that I didn’t just work the front, but I cooked too and I loved it. It was a fascinating process and I am here to tell you that a McDonald’s hamburger or French fries are no more unhealthy for you than a hamburger or French fries that are fried at home. Food is food and frying is frying. Back then, however, there was one breakfast ingredient that seems to be missing these days and that was butter. But I’m getting sidetracked – back to versatility. Another job that was a requirement back then was being a morning host or hostess. That has gone by the wayside too, apparently, but it was a fun job that involved making sure tables were clean, visiting with the customers, refilling coffee and bringing extra food items requested. It is a job that taught me the value of a servant attitude. I found that the more gracious I was and the more willing I was to do for the customers, the kinder they were and the more appreciative they were. Even when I would get a real grouch, I found that if I didn’t take offense and just treated them kindly, their grouchiness didn’t bother me and they seemed to leave a little less grouchy. It’s a lesson to practice every day.


 photo mcdonalds-arches_zps4f482024.jpg



I never would have picked McDonald’s as my career of choice at that time. I was fresh out of college with a degree in Fine Arts, but there weren’t any jobs out there in “Art” even if one did think that one’s art was “Fine”. McDonald’s was the only job I could land. I found out however, that even though I was not getting what I thought I “deserved”, I was learning an enormous amount of information and wonderful skills that would serve me the rest of my life. I’ve found that to be true in everything I’ve done that hasn’t jived with what I thought I had to have. I have figured out that I really don’t know what is always best for me and that I just have to chill and let God do the leading to whatever “best” is. It has led to a much more peaceful life, believe me!! We are at the beginning of a new year and stress is pretty heavy in the country and in the lives of many individuals. Seeking to serve rather than to be served is a heck of a way to deal with stress. When we seek to serve, rather than focusing on what we think we “deserve”, there is a change in attitude and actions for everyone involved.


Anyway, because with any life’s lesson there really has to be food involved, it is time for a recipe. The following is my way of using the homemade English Muffins, from the last post, for egg and muffin breakfast sandwiches. Your kids will love you for them!


Egg And English Muffin Breakfast

Sandwiches



Per Sandwich:
1 egg or two egg whites
1 English Muffin
1 slice American Cheese
1 slice Canadian Bacon or 2 slices thin-sliced Smoked Ham
Melted butter or olive oil


 photo PICT0487_zps27497e1c.jpg



In a skillet, melt a tsp of butter or olive oil until bubbly into oiled egg rings or tuna cans that have had the top and bottom removed. Make sure griddle is hot before adding eggs.



 photo PICT0489_zpseaf92eff.jpg



Break eggs into single cups and pour each egg into the egg rings or tuna cans. If you are concerned about cholesterol, use two egg whites instead of the whole egg. Using a spatula, catch any wayward egg and put it back into the ring.



 photo PICT0490_zpsd30e7b4d.jpg



With a spatula, break the yolks



 photo PICT0499_zpseecaac24.jpg



When eggs are very firm, gently remove the egg rings by sliding spatula around the inside of the ring and flip the eggs to cook on the other side. Remove eggs and place on a plate in a warmed oven to keep warm.



 photo PICT0493_zpsf1fcebb0.jpg



Brush the tops of your split English Muffins
with either melted butter or olive oil. Place them face down in the hot skillet.


 photo PICT0496_zpsddbdb74c.jpg



 photo toastmuffins2_zps81f5a7df.jpg



Use a kitchen press or heavy pan to weight the muffins, providing an even cooked surface that is warm and crunchy. These muffins have been turned over. See how pretty and browned they are?



 photo PICT0503_zps3c03b5b2.jpg



Remove muffin halves to plates and immediately place a slice of American cheese on one half



 photo PICT0505_zps17a39015.jpg



Place egg on top of cheese



 photo searham_zps9d1d14b5.jpg



Return to your still-heated skillet and quickly heat Canadian bacon or thick slices of smoked ham for each sandwich . Fry meat on one side for just 15 seconds, turn and then cook the other side for 15 seconds.



 photo PICT0507_zps25305041.jpg



Immediately put ham on top of egg



 photo PICT0508_zps3f2c71c8.jpg



Add salt and pepper and cover with the other half of the English Muffin to make a sandwich.



 photo PICT0801_zps96296424.jpg



I promise, it will melt in your mouth when you take that first bite!!




Happy Cooking!


MB

Please join in the conversation by leaving a comment below. And join us on FaceBook