My Mother Called Them Gas-House Eggs...

It was easy to fib or make things up when Younger Daughter Rebecca was a child. I have a vivid imagination. If I put enough conviction in my answer it usually sounded plausible. "Of course I know. The brown spotted cow originates in the southwestern foothills of Arizona." I inherited this from Irving who was a notorious story teller. 

Years ago inventing answers was an art form. These days it's a waste of time. Using computers we can tap into the entire knowledge of the world, around the clock. If I want information on a movie I can go from reading a book on Kindle to Flixster in about ten seconds. I even get my spelling corrected when I try to spell Flixster...Flickster. Wasn't that a movie, My Friend Flickster?

I just learned this is called a BRAT diet. The next time your feeling a little queasy (I love this word) with an upset tummy remember BRAT. Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (dry toast). I had my favorites when I was a kid, ginger ale, orange sherbet, and what my mother called Gas-House Eggs. What are Gas-House Eggs you ask.....

The preparation is easy; you need a little butter, a little salt and pepper, a little fry pan, a piece of bread. Heat the skillet on medium, butter both sides of the bread. Cut (or bite) a two inch hole in the center of the bread. Place the bread in the skillet and brown. Drop a little butter in the center, crack the egg and drop it in the hole. Season with salt and pepper, fry until golden brown and crispy and if desired, flip and cook until done. This is a couple hundred calories and about 10g total fat.

You can make all types of adjustments to the eggs, add cheese, ham or bacon, lettuce and tomato, even onions. I only ate these when I was ill and haven't had one in years. 

Nothing planned for dinner last night we were talking about omelets. I brought up the egg dish and told Wanda I thought the name was made up. "I have no idea why, my family called them Gas-House Eggs." Wanda said, "Look it up." So, I did.

Now...You can call 'em Gas-House Eggs. Or you can call 'em Egg in the Basket, Egg in a Window, Egg in the Hole, and even Toad in the Hole. Pirate-Eye, Adam and Eve on a Raft, Bird's Nest or Bull's Eye. How about, Cave Entrance, Camel's Eye and Eagle Eye. Maybe Egg-Holey-O, Egg Castorini, Egg in a Blanket, Egg in a Frame or Egg in a Hat and Coat, Egg in Bed, and even Egg in a Nest.

Don't forget, Eggy Toast, Eye of the Beholder, Gaslight Eggs and Hobo Toast. Hobo Eggs, Nest Eggs and O'Johnnies. Then you have your Submarine Egg, Victory Egg, Rocky Mountain Toast and Yolky Pokey. The Hole in One and Man in a Boat. One-Eyed Jacks, Baby in a Hole, Eggs in a Bonnet and Bird's Nest Eggs. You also have the Knothole Eggs, Ox Eye Eggs, Chicky in a Nest, Navy Eggs and Breakfast Bulls Eyes. Egg in a Basket, Egg in the Middle, Sunlets, and the always popular Boy Scout Eggs.

And these are only the eggs using white bread. Now, using wheat bread....

Since I'm sort of on a food roll, ha ha ha ha....food roll, get it? 

Today is National Catfish Day. It is proclamation 5672

On June 25, 1987, President Ronald Regan began a presidential proclamation with the words "More and more Americans are discovering a uniquely American food delicacy, farm-raised catfish."

Farm-raised catfish have come a long way from their bottom-feeding ancestors. The catfish that are available today, fresh or frozen in markets nationwide, are products of state-of-the-art methods of aquaculture. They thrive in clean freshwater ponds on many American farms, where they are surface-fed soybean meal, corn, fish meal, vitamins, and minerals. Farm-raised catfish not only furnish American consumers with a tasty delicacy but also provide a nutritious, low-calorie source of protein that is also low in cholesterol.

I like catfish, fried with hush puppies and a side of slaw....yummy. However, we don't eat farm raised fish in this house. Maybe it is OK? It sure sounds like the fish are really happy, fresh water and surface-fed soybean meal and all. I'm impressed by the state-of-the-art methods of aquaculture. All this going for the fish and I still think back to a W.C. Fields statement. When asked if he wanted a glass of water Fields supposedly replied, "Water? I never touch the stuff, fish F#$% in it."

I'm more concerned about eating something that swims in it's poop.

According to other sources today is also "Please Take My Children To Work Day." Mothers have a day to themselves by pawning off their offspring. Sure, if you can find someone willing to take YOUR child to THEIR workplace, go for it. I don't think this "Day" is going to generate much steam. It's supposed to raise awareness that mothers need their own holiday and quality time from their children. I'll give you a holiday....Remember Your Birth Control Day.