PLEASE DO NOT PUT GREEN FOOD COLORING IN YOUR EGGS!

OK . . . so yelling is probably not the best way to start off a post. I understand that many of you now think I’m crazy and wonder why I would ever say that. I’ve been told I should write about things I’m passionate about, and this is one of them!

So before you click away to somewhere else on my site, let me explain. Today is Read Across America Day – the day schools celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. Now if you don’t have young children, or your kids are older and it’s been a while since you’ve had the privilege of celebrating this “Holiday,” feel free to browse to another category on my blog and I apologize for yelling at you.

However, if you know immediately what I’m talking about, please keep reading. 

I love to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday and Read Across America Day as much as the next person.  But I beg you, PLEASE DO NOT PUT GREEN FOOD COLORING IN YOUR EGGS! (I know I’m not supposed to “yell”, but really, I’m begging you, from a chef’s wife/mom to another mom, please don’t.)

Hopefully you are laughing at this point and haven’t decided to disown me as a friend, family member or stranger.

Here’s the thing. (I can’t believe I’m actually going to admit this.) A few years ago my husband was home on this “holiday” when I mentioned I was going to put green food coloring in the eggs for the girls this morning as we read Green Eggs and Ham to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ Birthday. (I have probably now lost all credibility for admitting this.)

As a former elementary school teacher, I remember seeing plates of green eggs and ham in the cafeteria each March 2nd, and the kids laughing about them and talking about how fun it was to have these for breakfast. Well truthfully, they loved the thought of them and the fact that they got to wear their pajamas to school that day, but all of the eggs actually ended up in the trash.

Really? Who wants to eat pastel green eggs? Not me!

I do not like them in a box.  I do not like with with a fox.  However you ask me, if you put green food coloring in eggs, I’m going to pass.

Fortunately on that day when I was having a momentary lapse in judgement as a Mom, my chef/husband, in the kindest way he could possibly think of, suggested I just add something that is naturally green to the eggs so they would actually taste good and not gross us all out. Brilliant! After feeling incredibly stupid for a few minutes, he added some zucchini to the eggs, the girls gobbled them up and we went on with our day.  So the eggs were not totally green, but the girls thought it was fun, they tasted good and we ate them.

So this year, being the organized person I am (actually thanks to a blog I follow who posted some Dr. Seuss activities recently), I planned ahead and grabbed a recipe from my husband so that I am ready to make our green eggs and ham!

So while I don’t plan to post many recipes on this site, I’ve decided to post one today. If you don’t want to use it, I promise I won’t be offended. Do a quick search on Pinterest and grab another idea. But please, I beg you, leave the food coloring in the cupboard.

Spinach Frittata

8 eggs

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

kosher salt

1/4 cup olive oil

1 pound spinach (wilted and drained well)

Combine eggs, salt, ricotta and spinach in blender and mix well.

Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat.  Add egg mixture to pan.    Once eggs start to set, use a rubber spatula to push eggs toward the center of pan, letting raw egg run out to edges.  

When eggs are lightly cooked on the bottom, sprinkle cheese on top and transfer to low broil in oven until eggs are set.

That’s it.  Green eggs, without food coloring, and that actually taste good.

So Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss.  Enjoy reading with your kids today and good luck with the green eggs and ham!

From one chef’s wife to another,

 

 

Follow Jennifer @ Emulsified Family’s board Having children with a chef on Pinterest.