For the most part, weekend chaos is pretty much the same as weekday chaos, only with a change in activities and outfits. The Monday through Friday drill of getting dressed, making beds, walking/feeding/training dog, helping with lunches, scrambling to make it in the car by 7:30, going to work, racing to carpool, eating a snack, doing homework and booking it to who knows where, making dinner, walking/feeding/growling at dog, hanging up on telemarketers, bath, yelling, clean-up, wishing we didn’t have dog, more yelling, etc. is replaced by booking it to birthday parties, soccer, laundry, and requisite visits to Home Depot, interspersed with some occasional yelling depending on how much junk is lying around or how many neighbors my dog tries to hump. And you wonder why people turn to substance abuse?

A few weeks ago I met up with some old friends from college at a getaway in Nashville. Hadn’t seen most of them for years so it was really nice to catch up. We stayed at a farm owned by one girl’s family. There were horses, sheep, cows- the whole kit and kaboodle- nestled in a picturesque setting outside of the city. Beautiful views, amazing scenery and the perfect opportunity to do absolutely nothing. Except for one thing. I can’t do that. I was the only one up and dressed by 7 am ready to go. Too bad there wasn’t anywhere to go — the nearest Starbucks was at least fifty miles away! Curses! Everyone else was content to sleep until 9 or 10 am which really threw me for a loop. Who sleeps until 9 am? Oh yeah, they don’t have kids. That’s why. By 9 am at least 50 percent of my day is over! Okay, I know. I’m supposed to do what most normal people do in the mountains: read, look at the trees, reflect, smell the cows.

Nah. Who am I kidding? I can’t do it. I’m just not really a look at the trees kind of person. I need a project. I’m a project kind of person. My entire life is a series of mini projects. Our days are programmed, our weeks are programmed, our weekends are programmed and then all of a sudden you pull the plug on the programming, throw me in front of a mountain and expect me to turn all Zen?

There have got to be some farm fresh eggs somewhere, even if I have to find the chickens to get them. Now there’s a project.

The anniversary of my 20th birthday is coming up soon and as my gift to myself I’m embracing my inner scramble. That’s who I am no matter where I go. So when life gives me quiet mountains and chirping birds, I will make scrambled eggs. And the people who can somehow sleep until 9 am will awaken to a delicious smell wafting into their rooms and will love me for  being so type A for making breakfast while they’re sleeping.

And that will give me the greatest inner peace of all.

Scrambled Eggs and Potato Skillet

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 4-5 Large Eggs
• Splash of milk
• Green onions (3 stalks)
• Handful of sliced mushrooms or one small box
• Pat of butter
• Handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
• Bag of frozen cubed hash browns
• One yellow onion (diced)
• S&P
• Oregano, Basil, Chives or other dried herbs

*Note* You can pretty much use any vegetable or cheese you want based on your taste. It’s all good! But I love the flavor of green onions with scrambled eggs.

Directions:

1. Cook hash browns in skillet according to directions, adding chopped white onion for extra flavor.
2. While potatoes are cooking, dice green onions and saute with mushrooms in pat of butter until soft.
3. Whisk eggs with a splash of milk in separate bowl.
4. Add a pinch of kosher salt and pepper.
5. Spray skillet with cooking spray (or use a dab more butter) and turn on low. (*Secret* Eggs turn out great when they’re cooked low and slow!)
6. Cook those eggs!
7. Add herbs and shredded cheese after eggs have started to take shape.
8. Mix often and remove from skillet while still soft.
9. Serve atop your hash brown mixture or do what I do and mix it all together for great flavor!
10. Embrace your inner scramble.

Tags: Eggs and Hash Browns, Skillet, Veggie Scramble