Carbs. Give me ALL the carbs. Just typing those words makes me hungry. Did I mention I’m especially drawn to anything resembling a carb…oh yes, and salt. No sweets or cookies here, but I will destroy you in a game of who can eat more Lay’s potato chips. DE-STROY. Ok, where was I going with this…

When it comes to food, I am in my happy place. I’m not picky or snobby. I literally have an equal love for both Jack in the Box tacos and filet mignon. I’m also one of those weirdos that LOVES to cook. I find calm and peace when I am cooking. Pour me a glass of champagne or a good craft beer, put some Ben Harper on, leave me in the kitchen, and I am one happy girl. The problem is, I hate recipes. The measuring, the sticking to a set list of ingredients. It’s probably the reason I am an absolute horrible baker. Substitute mushrooms for olives and you’re good. Substitute italian bread crumbs for sugar and you’re kind of screwed. I like to look at a recipe and then, kind of like my use of grammar rules, make my own. Maybe that’s why I love it so much. There is no “recipe police” taunting my process the way many readers probably pull their hair out at my lack of respect for English rules. I love taking a fleeting glance at recipes and then figuring how to make them my own way. More often than not, my fridge is a random mixture of applesauce, four dozen eggs, and about 52 different condiments. Needless to say, I have learned to improvise.

The recipes shared here, unless directly linked to a website, are my best “guesses” at measurements. Sorry. That’s the best I can do. Spending endless hours trying to calculate exact measurements takes all the fun out of what I love about cooking. And to be honest, the way I learned, was by just doing it. I pretty much start almost every single recipe with what I call my “base”. It’s a combo of onions, chopped garlic, butter, and olive oil (remember, I don’t bake). It smells divine. Keep in mind that it’s not the end of the world if your creation doesn’t turn out perfect. If all else fails, have the humility to laugh at yourself and order take-out when needed. Oh. And always cook with a cocktail nearby.

How to…frittata:

Last year, my husband and I tried a diet…scratch that. We tried a food “lifestyle” change if you will. Before I get into that, let me tell you that one of the many things I love about Ryan, is that he shares the same passion I do for anything and everything related to food. I love to cook. He loves to eat. It’s a match made in carb heaven. Luckily, I have free reign over food choices since Ryan will try just about anything. Whether I spent 2 hours slaving over homemade BBQ sauce and grilled ribs or I threw together some mac and cheese from a box, he happily gobbles it up. Being married to a firefighter means our dinners aren’t usually spent as a family around the dinner table, so I try to make meals in advance that he can take to the station. Meals that are hearty and will last a few days in a ziploc or tupperware.

So back to the epic food lifestyle change. We did a program called The Whole 30 last year. It’s basically a “reset” of the way you look at and cook food. It eliminates all forms of dairy, sugar, carbs, and anything remotely related to being processed. Sounds like fun right? It really was an amazing program and I felt great at the end. But such is life and well, those damn J in the B tacos found their way back in. However, I took a lot of great recipe ideas from those thirty days, one of which was the delightfulness known as the egg frittata. The beauty of this little gem is that you can literally assemble a frittata with just about anything you’ve got leftover in your fridge. As long as you have eggs, the rest will figure itself out.

So. Here goes nothing…

Start with the base: ½ chopped onion and 1-2 cloves of minced garlic, sauteed in olive or avocado oil until translucent. Use a nonstick skillet that can go in the oven. Add garlic in towards the end so it doesn’t burn. See. I’m already being vague.

Add in: Literally, anything. Chopped veggies, meat, pork, tofu, roasted potatoes. I love to use leftover steak, tri-tip, or sausage from dinner the night before. You can also never go wrong with bacon. Ever. My absolute favorite mix is mushrooms, spinach, red potatoes, and leftover New York steak strips.

Once everything is cooked through, beat 6-10 eggs and pour them over your creation. The number of eggs will depend on how many ingredients you added earlier. The more “stuff”…the more eggs. My average is 9. Move the mixture around to let the egg spread out through the bottom of the pan and throw the whole thing under the broiler on high for 3-5 minutes or until the egg seems set. Again. Make sure you are using a skillet that can go in the oven. No plastic handles! Pull the skillet out, throw your favorite shredded cheese on top, and then put it back under the broiler until it melts. Maybe a minute? Just don’t walk away! Slide the frittata onto a cutting board and roll away with a pizza cutter. I like to top mine with chopped fresh parsley, sour cream, and sriracha. Leftovers will stay fresh for about two days.

Ready? Go.