Ultimate Breakfast Toast

Why is it that every time I go to the grocery store looking like I was caught in the middle of an elementary school food fight, I run into 17 people that I know?  It never fails!  It's not that I love the idea of grocery shopping with stains on my shirt and food in my hair but let's be real - it happens more often that I'd like to admit. 

I'm innocently working away in my kitchen on a clients cake when I suddenly realize that I'm completely out of cake flour.  Epic fail for a baker.   (Have I mentioned lately how much I miss having my kids at home to help with emergency grocery store runs?)  Since another shower and complete wardrobe change aren't in the schedule for the day, my only option is to run to the store with flour hand prints on my butt and cake batter in my ears.  (Believe it or not, I've actually done that.)    

So, if you happen to catch me running up and down the aisles of the grocery store trying to avoid eye contact with the other shoppers, it's probably because I'm embarrassed about being splattered with buttercream and I'm hyper-focused on my objective.  Please don't take it personally if in my haste to gather my supplies and get back to my cake that may or may not be baking in the oven while I'm shopping, I walk right past you.  It's not that I don't want to stop and chat, it's more a matter of distraction and utter humiliation about my appearance.  ​

I make a LOT of trips to the grocery store.  I would estimate that only about 15% of them are pre-planned trips.  The rest are out of necessity and it only happens after I've called several neighbors in search of my missing ingredient.  

Sometimes when I have the option, I like the challenge of NOT going to the grocery store and using up whatever I happen to have on hand in my refrigerator and pantry.  A spoonful of ricotta, a handful of nuts, a half of a bag of frozen mixed fruit, a leftover peach, a few blueberries and a slice of multigrain bread - ultimate breakfast toast.  My original idea was to use frozen raspberries and fresh blackberries but since that would have required a trip to the store - I used up the fruit that I had on hand.  I think it turned out pretty well.  

Ultimate Breakfast Toast
2 cups mixed frozen berries
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon lime juice
1/4" thick slice fresh ginger
1/2 cup part skim ricotta
4 multigrain bread slices, toasted
1 peach, sliced
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
5 Tablespoons toasted, slivered almonds, chopped
2 Tablespoons honey

Stir together berries, sugar, lime juice and ginger.

Microwave 5 minutes.  Stir. Cool to room temperature. Remove ginger. 

Spread 2 T. ricotta on each toasted bread slice. 

Top with 2 T. jam.  

Top with peach slices. 

Sprinkle with blueberries and almonds. 

Drizzle with honey and enjoy.

My only saving grace really is the fact that a 5 foot nothing cook dressed in a food stained t-shirt isn't actually tall enough to make the camera in the self checkout line.  It's true.  My forehead is the only thing visible on that tiny little screen while I scan my grocery items.  As long as I don't check out with flour splattered on the top of my head, my unkept appearance can go undocumented.  LOL.  

​Ciao!

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