Kalamazoo Social Media Week

It's Kalamazoo Social Media Week. That's pretty darn cool. Today, Tuesday, is Foursquare Day and one of the events is a Food Truck Lunch featuring our local favorites. Wish this Foodie didn't have a lunch meeting so she could go visit them! If you can... you SHOULD!

In other news... Kalamazoo Foodies has been nominated for a Social Media Award for Best Blog. That is super cool and very unexpected. Thank you for the nomination. We are sad we won't be able to attend the award ceremony but are very grateful for the nomination.

Crow's Nest

What I ordered-Captain's Ration Omelet with seasoned red skin potatoes and an English muffin

So as you can see by this post, I had visited the Crow's Nest before. A long time ago. Like almost 5 years ago (woah! Have I really been in Kalamazoo this long?). And, was unimpressed. For awhile now, Mr. Foodie has been saying that we needed to go there for breakfast. That opportunity finally arose when we both had a day off and dropped Little Foodie off at daycare so we could be productive. First stop, the Crow's Nest.

The decor and atmosphere is just as I remember it. Kitschy. Cutesy. Divey. And other words ending in "y". The menu,  however, seemed different to me. My  memory of this place is VERY divey. With a plastic cover menu with too many things on it. That is not what we got on this visit. So, now I am asking myself if my memory is way off, or if things have changed a lot in the last 5 years!

The breakfast menu is so awesome sounding, in fact, that I had trouble deciding what to order. A lot of trouble. I landed on this gem of an omelet with basil walnut pesto mixed into the eggs, sausage, sun dried tomatoes, and provolone inside, and a really great red pepper aioli on top. Add the side of potatoes (YUM) and the house made English muffin (SUPER YUM) and you've got yourself quite the breakfast.

The omelet was truly fantastic. The flavors all came together in such harmony. Not one really stole the show, though the pesto stood out. But, if you know me, you know I love pesto! The sausage was great and added to the hardiness of this meal. I really probably shouldn't have finished this whole thing but (don't judge me!) I did!The potatoes were really well seasoned and with a little of the housemade ketchup were really yummy. I tried them with the red pepper aioli too... that was super tasty.

I was really blown away by the English muffin. I LOVE English muffins and have never ventured into the English muffin making place. And, knowing that these gems are available around the corner makes me not want to. The outside had the right amount of crisp. The inside was the right amount of chewy. So, so very good.

One surprise was the pricing. With this being such a hot spot for college students in the area, I expected it to be uber cheap. It was not. I didn't have to take a loan out to pay for breakfast, but it was pricier than I expected. It is absolutely worth the money, but that took me a back a bit.

Had this been my first trip to the Crow's Nest, I probably would have gone with 5 forks, but I can't forget that other trip. So, let's average it out, and 4 it is.

four golden forks out of five

Frona's Pantry, Richland

What I ordered- Housemade granola, fruit and yogurt cup with a side of bacon and coffee

Little Foodie and I met a friend for breakfast at this little place on Gull Lake. I had never heard of it, but she highly recommended it. I tell you what, we will be back!

A little off the beaten path, Frona's sits right next to the lake. The decor is kitschy with the feel of an old diner. The pastry counter beacons when you walk in with yummy looking treats. Though, I did get the sense that this is where the locals really are. So, when I walked in, I felt like the whole place, which isn't really that big, looked at me wondering who we were. But, I got over the pretty quickly.

We found a table and waited for our friend. The one high chair they have was in use, so Little Foodie and I played a bit until it was available. I also tried to look at the menu when he wasn't trying to put it in his mouth and was immediately torn. Prices are GOOD. Really low. And, once I say the servings sizes, I realized they are really low as you get a good plateful of food. So many things sounded good. Pancakes? French toast? Housemade bagel? What did I want????

It came down to decision time and I, of course, still had no idea, so I went with what I looked at first. And this, my friends, was the granola (also housemade),  fruit and yogurt cup. But, wanting so more protein, I opted for a side a bacon as well... GOOD CALL!

My goblet of goodness arrived with my granola on the side. Fresh strawberries and bananas over a very creamy and thick vanilla yogurt. The raisin-free (this is a thing for Mr. Foodie) granola was loaded with nuts. I dumped it on top and mixed it all together. Now, maybe I was super hungry. Or maybe this was one spectacular start to my day! Light and fresh and creamy and yummy. I could eat this every day!

And, let's not forget about the bacon. I am new to bacon eating. Until recently, the last year or so, I was a turkey bacon girl. I have been converted, however, and this bacon tops my list of best bacon I have had so far. Thick cut. Slightly peppered. Crispy. Substantial. So good.

While I didn't order the most complex or special thing on their breakfast menu, I was thoroughly pleased. The ingredients were of high quality. The service was good. And, I understand that when the weather is warmer, they have a lot of outdoor seating, which sounds like a dream.

We will be back to Frona's Pantry. There is no doubt in my mind.And, you should go too! It is worth the drive.

four golden forks out of five

Little Foodie getting big!

Our little foodie is getting so big!
Look at him helping daddy with his delicious homemade sweet potato puree!

New Favorite (Shareable) Cookies

Clearly I suck at this right now. I have three drafts sitting here waiting to be written. And, they are all for new restaurants. And, are dying to be shared. But, life is crazy right now, and we will get there eventually.

In the meantime, I will make it my goal to give you something every week. Even if it is just re-posting some recipes that we are using at home and love.

So, here you go. Here are the Foodie Household's favorite cookies as of right now:

Giant Rainbow Cookies
Puffy Peanut Butter Cookies

Funny, they are based on the same recipe!

I have been making the Giant Rainbow cookies with regular, semi sweet chocolate chips. They are to die for! In fact, I had to stop, because there was a danger of much increased waistlines in the Foodie home. I will now reserve them for special occasions. The kicker in these is the melted butter. The cookies are so buttery and decadent. And, it is a super easy recipe.

The Puffy Peanut Butter cookies are amazing because it is the perfect amount of peanut butter. It is subtle. Not punch you in the face peanut butter. I love them!

So, make some cookies. And, share them. Share them because a) they are amazing and people will think you are the world's greatest baker, and b) no one needs to eat this whole recipe... they are a treat. Not an everyday thing. Unless you want to gain 25 pounds!

So sorry... and a DELICIOUS PIZZA

Hello fellow Foodies!

Sorry to be such a disappointment as of late. I promise. This foodie is still eating good food and still wants to tell you about it. We've got blog posts in the works (BOLD Dining in Kalamazoo, A visit to Cleveland and a few Food Network featured places, and East Egg in Richland). We also are still exploring food with our crockpot and need to share some of those recipes with you. And, we will. I promise. Someday.

In the meantime, enjoy this DELICIOUS PIZZA. So glad I saw Giada make this. And, so VERY glad that we tried it out last night.

Until next time, happy eating!

East Egg (Richland)

That One Breakfast with Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, House Potatoes with Cheese and Onions, and a Pancake (First and Second Visit), and Crepes with Strawberry Compote and Yogurt with Granola (Third Visit)

This post is long overdue,I realize. As are a few others (can we say "anniversary dinner in December!?!"),  but better late then never, right?

I had been to East Egg once before. The one in Portage. For lunch. And, was unimpressed. Nothing too fancy. The food was ok. I wasn't planning on going back.

During our first visit after a lovely hike with our friends!

Then our friends who also have a little one suggested a morning of fun including a family hike and breakfast at East Egg in Richland. Sounds fun, right? So, off we went on our adventure. And, an adventure it was. We got really turned around on our hike and ended up having to walk a large section on a busy road. Oh well, as ended with no incidents. Next, it was off to breakfast.

East Egg was highly recommended by them. And, we love breakfast, truly we do. I was not surprised by the bright and cheery decor. It was much like the location in Portage. Bright colors. Lots of sun. A nice spot to wake you up! They also recommended several items from the menu including corned beef hash. Mr. Foodie jumped on that option, while I declined and ordered a large breakfast for my hungry self.

The food was delivered to our table, and it didn't look unlike other breakfasts I had. And, in many ways, it is a common breakfast-type joint. But, the difference is the care that goes into crafting these plates and the fresh ingredients they are using.

Visit #2! Eating pears with Grandma Marme.

The house potatoes with cheese and onions (there is an upcharge for that) were OUTSTANDING! So good. My mouth is watering now thinking about them. And, holy pancake, Batman! I love pancakes, and this one is up near the top of my list. Fluffy. Flavorful. A perfect sponge for the maple syrup. YUM!

I was so blown away with East Egg for breakfast (did I mention that all their breakfasts are under $7???) that we went back the following weekend when my parents came for a visit. And, I ordered the exact same thing. (And, note the picture, Lil' Foodie was in on the fun this time!)

I was there again this past weekend with a group of other mom friends and their babies and branched out to try the crepes with strawberry compote and the yogurt with granola. Another home run. The crepes were thicker than I am used to with crepes, but they were soft and the strawberries were the perfect compliment.

 All that said, I would go back to the one in Portage to try breakfast, though the Richland location is more conveniently located to our home.

Do not overlook East Egg. There are several locations in the area. The breakfast is outstanding!

four golden forks out of five

 http://www.easteggs.com/