A Proper British Breakfast

I discovered poached eggs in 1996, on my second, wondrous trip to London. I do not exaggerate when I say I ate poached eggs and porridge every. single. day. for 2 weeks! I never got sick of it, and poached eggs remain my favorite still.

I was excited to make my perfectly poached eggs for ABF. On the day of the Royal Wedding, I turned on the television telly and sashayed into the kitchen to get cooking.

We had organic, free-range eggs (courtesy of my new favorite store, Waitrose) that I poached up on his electric (ugh!) stove.

I had to relearn patience as I waited for the pan to heat up with the appropriate amount of bubbles.

The porridge was a simple heat-up move, as ABF makes a big batch every week ahead of time. ABF bought the Waitrose brand, fortified with oat bran for extra fiber and heft (I normally eat the regular, smoother porridge, but this was lovely, too). Zap it for 20 seconds in the microwave and top it with 2 teaspoons of IKEA's orange-elderflower marmalade (must get this for home!!!)

In about 5 minutes I had toasted bread with a poached egg for each of us (normally I would make 2 per person, but we were running low on eggs!), a cup of porridge, and a hot cup of coffee in the French Press.

Mmm...yolky.

What a delicious way to start the day. What's the one thing YOU can eat every day and not get sick of scarfing??

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Back to IKEA

ABF & I have made many a trip to IKEA over the past few months, and we hit up the cafe one Saturday for an early dinner.

ABF & I were on the exact same page that day. You can't go and NOT get the meatballs--it's their thing! They are always tender and delicious. But we wanted to try something else for the second dish, and in my mind , it was NOT the cold shrimp salad. Instead we got the chicken fingers, which is something I haven't ordered for myself in ages, but it was exactly what I wanted at the moment. And these were great! Not greasy, not heavy, just juicy white meat with a savory breading. WIN.

We also split the 'Greek salad,' which comes with Italian dressing, so I guess it's more of a 'Mediterranean salad.' Either way, it was crunchy, fresh, and satisfying. This was a good pick, and a nice balance to our heavier entrées.

I've never been a super huge fan of the desserts there, but the offer that day piqued my interest: princess cake (I'm not a policeman, I'm a princess!-name that movie). Someone near us said "It looks like half of a tennis ball!" I remained undeterred and picked up one for us, along with a surprisingly delicious cup of hot coffee for 99 cents (free refills at IKEA!!)

The princess cake is basically a soft sponge cake with a thin layer of raspberry jam and fluffy cream, coated in a thin, almondy layer of marzipan. ABF isn't the biggest fan of raspberries, but even he liked this dish. I loved it, of course! It was light, not too sweet, and delicious. It cost a whopping 1.99, and since we split it, it was as affordable as it was yummy.

I resisted the urge to bring home a package of these--better that I have to travel to taste one. Better for my waistline, that is. ;),p.

IKEA!

My love affair with IKEA goes back many, many moons. I first noticed them in the credits of MTV's "Real World," back when all they made was cheap MDF-board items that were great for dorm rooms, but not so much real life. When I moved to Houston, there was an IKEA right off I-10 (and 15 minutes from my apartment!) Their items were already getting better, and I was soon a devotee. I still love the kitchen table I bought in 2000 for 80 bucks (they no longer make this model). It's sturdy, well-made, and I still adore it! God bless those Swedes!

My BF is in the process of buying a new apartment, which will require new furniture/furnishings, so I was more than happy to join him this weekend for a trip through the Hicksville IKEA. But the furniture, dishes, etc. aren't the only draw. It also happens to be a favorite Cheap Eats spot of ours.

Can you believe this chick had never eaten at an IKEA before last year? I was always there on a mission, and didn't want to 'waste time' eating there. Ah, foolish youth.

This weekend, after a few hours of walking around on an empty stomach, I got a sudden buzz of head rush while still standing. I brushed it off, but the BF wisely said "I think it's time to get some lunch." You don't have to tell me twice--Swedish meatballs!!! We got in line at the cafeteria-style eatery and hit the ground running. I ordered the Swedish meatballs. They used to come with mashed potatoes (one of my favorite foods in the world), but I was disappointed to see now they offered red bliss potatoes instead. I asked sweetly (and politely) if I could have another scoop of gravy for my meatballs. The BF darted a look at me (he's SOOOOO not the special request type) but I just kept smiling at the woman, who smiled back and ladled on another splash of the creamy brown gravy. Excelsior! I may have shot a 'look' back at the BH (with a twinkle in my baby blues, of course) as I moved down the line.>{?

The BF ordered Chicken Marsala, which wasn't on the menu last time we went. He also got a side salad. We both got drinks, and the total was 16 dollars and change. Ka-ching! Cheap Eats!

Of course, there's little point to touting a Cheap Eats spot if it's not tasty. IKEA Café always makes us happy. The chicken Marsala was a real chicken breast (not that scary, pounded, processed kind) and the veggies were crisp and perfectly cooked. The Marsala wasn't exactly like we're used to, but it was still delicious. While I was at first bummed to see boiled potatoes instead of mashed, I was quickly won over. The potatoes were perfectly cooked: smooth, creamy, and just fabulous. I loved my dish so much that I dared to let foods touch. That's right. Not only did I let the gravy go everywhere, I even added bits of lingonberry sauce to each bite. I combined sweet and savory with (little to) no trepidation!
I took a close-up shot to email to my mother, who will require proof of such a claim.

On our way out, Kevin grabbed a coffee and a cinnamon roll. I didn't think I wanted one. When you have a mom like mine whose rolls are like cinnamon-laced crack, it's a tough act to follow. However, Kevin asked me to 'hold' his roll while he ran to the restroom. So maybe I sampled a bite (or four) while waiting. I was trying to get to the soft center of the roll before he came back. I wish I'd taken a shot of his expression as he saw he had maybe 2/3 of a roll left. Sucker! ;) I mean...thank you for sharing, Sweetie. :)

IKEA
1100 Broadway Mall
Hicksville, NY 11801
(516) 681-4532