Food: Making Meals for a New Mom (and Freezer Meals for Me!)

Babies!! They are everywhere! I kid you not, in the past month, I have had 7 (yes, seven) friends have a baby.  And for those who know me personally, no, I was not part of this baby boom. But it sure gave me the opportunity to get my baby fix...and to serve the mamas who are either brand new moms or moms to a brand new baby. I love (love, love, love, love) to be able to help out new moms as they make that transition from hospital to home. I remember what it was like to get visitors in the hospital, but when I got home, there was a bit of loneliness. Once Joe went back to work, I was home, by myself (and now, looking back, suffering postpartum depression) with my little one(s). So getting visitors was actually kind of nice. So I want to be able to do that for new moms. What better way than to bring some yummy goodness for the family to enjoy for at least the first week home?!

I didn't want to bring the traditional lasagna over. I had just read a blog about a new mom who was grateful for the food-gifts, but had a freezer stocked full of lasagna. So, lasagna was off my list...sort of. I researched recipes that would be easy to freeze. Also, I wanted something that, in the most part, could be removed from the freezer by single servings. When it's just mom at home, there's no point in heating up an entire casserole. I found a lot of helpful recipes. So I collected all my ingredients, strapped on my apron, and spent an exhausting, but rewarding, 6 hours cooking in my kitchen. It was totally worth it! And since I doubled the ingredients, I was able to also finally able to do some of that freezer cooking that's on my New Year's Resolution list. Below I am going to show the picture of what I made, give a brief explanation when necessary, and give you the website where I found the recipe.


1. BBQ: I didn't really need a website for this one. I just got about 2 pound of pork, a bottle of bbq sauce, and my trusty crockpot. Making bbq in my crockpot is the norm in my house. Anytime I make a roast (whether beef, pork, or chicken), I normally make bbq out of what's left. And because I made so much, I was able to split what I made in half to give to my friend and the other half went in my freezer.

2. French Bread Rolls: What better thing to go with bbq than rolls? You can eat them separate or make a sandwich. And since I love to make bread, making bread once a week is part of my NYR, and my french bread rolls are a house favorite, these were a perfect choice. YUM!

3. Muffin Pan Chicken Pot Pies: I have not been a fan of chicken pot pie. I just don't like bread mixed in with my food. BUT, the idea of using  my large muffin pan to make meal-sized servings was appealing to me. And most people like CPP, right? So I figured I would give it a shot. And they turned out great! I had enough to make for my friend and still had enough left over for my hubby to take to work....and then I braved the recipe again last night to make for my family. They LOVED it! A side note if you plan on making these: The recipe calls for you to make your own crust. The first time I made this (for my friend), the crust turned out great. The second time, it was too flaky. The next time I'm going to try to make it, I'm going to use the Pillsbury ready-made pie crust that you roll out (the same stuff I use when I make pop tarts). If you are nervous about making your own pie crust, first, give it a try. If it doesn't work, then try the pre-made stuff.

4. Lasagna Cups: Here was another opportunity to use my muffin pans. For this recipe, I used the regular-sized muffin pans (because it makes good serving sizes AND my large muffin pan was being used for the chicken pot pies). This made a TON of little individual servings. This recipe I started the night before with the bbq. I used a smaller crockpot, dumped in my lean, ground beef, set it on low, and let it brown my meat overnight. In the morning, I drained the fat, and prepped the rest of the ingredients. What I really like about this recipe is that it used wonton wrappers instead of pasta noodles. So cool! Anyway, this turned out great. I wrapped each one individually to be pulled out for evenings when my husband has to work late, and I don't want to make an entire meal for me and 3 kids who don't normally eat a lot anyway. I pulled them out of the freezer, opened up (but did not remove) the foil, and put them in my toaster oven at 350 until the cheese started bubbling again (maybe 15 minutes). These are great and would also work great at parties as well.

So for some reason I didn't take pictures of what was left. Sorry! If I make it again (which I am SURE I will do), I will upload a photo. :) 

5. Summer Porridge (or cold oatmeal) Yum. Seriously yum. The website has about 6 different recipes for summer porridge (really, all have the same base, but what you ADD to it varies). I made the Maple Blueberry and the Vanilla Raspberry. I doubled the recipe so my family could have some as well. I really wanted to try this. AND I really think you could freeze this as well. I was taken back by the first taste of mine. My head was saying, "Oatmeal should be hot" but my tongue was saying, "This porridge is cold!...but lovely." It tastes a lot like those yogurt parfaits. I wanted to provide some breakfast or "lighter" snacks for my new mom friend, so this worked great!

6. Corn and Potato Chowder. The recipe calls for the frozen corn to be "roasted". Uh...Wal-Mart didn't have "roasted", so I just added some Mrs. Dash to the corn. This was decently easy to make (and if I wasn't making 6 other things at the same time, I don't think it would have taken so long). Once this soup cools, it's great to freeze and then reheat later. We are quickly approaching warmer weather (yesterday was a record 93 degrees!! In April!) so I didn't want to do too many soups, but I figured one would be okay.

7. Homemade Biscuits Like Grandma Made: These I prepped but did not cook. If you read my post on them, they make great individual biscuits. I thought these biscuits would go well with the chowder. So they were a natural choice for me to provide for my friend. Here's a picture of what I've done in the past:

8. Pre-Made Pancakes. Wal-Mart has these bags in the frozen food section. When I was still teaching and my boys were itty bitty, I found these little treasures. They come 3-in-a-pack and take about 45 seconds to heat up. Before I started making my own pre-made pancakes, these were a life saver. They work great on Sunday mornings. We are rushing to get out the door for church, and the kids normally eat something that is filling but can be eaten in the car. These fit that bill. If you are looking for a recipe to make your own pre-made pancakes, I use this recipe at least once a week. My addition is about 2 tsp of vanilla to the batter. I normally make about 20 small pancakes (about 4 inches). Whatever is leftover, I freeze for those mornings we need a quick breakfast or I just don't feel like cooking.


So it took me about 6 straight hours of cooking. I studied the recipes the night before and planned which course of action I should take. It was worth every second. I was able to serve my friend and her family, and I was able to finally get my freezer cooking done. It would also be a good idea to make one or two of these and freeze so when a friend, family member, or someone in your church or community gets sick, has a baby, or is just in need of being served, you can pull one of these out, get a nice little cooler bag and spend some time loving on your neighbor.

And just so you can see why I love doing this, here is the joy I get in helping new moms:

Mmm...See how I'm getting my baby fix? Love holding those little ones! 

Devotion: Keep Forgiving

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, 'I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.'" Matthew 18: 21-22


"I'm sorry." The words were spoken with so much conviction. It was the type of scene you see in a Nicholas Sparks movie were the guy is gently grasping the girl's face between his hands, looks deep into her eyes, and whispers "I'm sorry" in a way that would melt any girl's heart. And this was happening to me. In my kitchen. My husband and I had gotten into a disagreement the evening before over how to fix a tire on a bike stroller. It was a silly argument, and really, at the time, I couldn't understand why my husband was getting so upset with me for asking if I could fix it since he was so busy. But it happened, and he apologized. And I forgave him.

That evening, though, he got upset with me again. We took the entire family to a baseball game. Two-thirds of our kids weren't really into the game (if you know my kids, you know which ones) and were climbing all over the seats, bumping into other spectators, begging for more food, and just being kids. I was getting frustrated because I just wanted to spend some time with the kids and my husband, but I ended up spending the entire time making sure those restless two weren't disrupting other people. So when he asked me to scoot over a little more, I sarcastically said, "Oh, sure, honey." And that started another argument that ended with him picking up our other child and moving to another seat so the two of them could see the game. Both of us were in the wrong, but my feelings were so hurt and I was frustrated already, that I just couldn't believe we were back to square one. When we got home, he tried the "I'm sorry" route again. This time, though, I knew it was coming. I knew he was going to apologize and do something like clean up the kitchen while I was getting the kids into bed as a way of apologizing. And what did I do? I rejected his apology. He apologized, and I said, "Really? For what?" We both went to bed without speaking to each other.

The only problem was I couldn't sleep. As soon as the house was quiet and I was lying in the dark, a voice as clear as could be said to me over and over again "Not seven times, but seventy-seven times." I immediately knew that my words and actions were not called for. All night long I kept thinking, "Who am I to judge his apology?" "What if someone didn't accept my apology?" And honestly, I was reminded of the other times God has opened my eyes to forgiveness (see here and here). Then my thoughts turned to how often God has forgiven me of repeated offensives. Oh man, I was feeling so incredibly guilty. My husband, a kind and gentle man, who gets along with most everyone around him, was having a stressful couple of days. He does not normally get upset with me so easily, and I should have taken all of that into consideration. Who  was I to not forgive him?

As I continue to work on my relationship with my Lord, He is showing me more and more that everything is about the condition of my heart. Living for Him means to have a pure and honest heart. It means to see others where they are and to not get upset over the little things. It means to admit when I am wrong and to seek forgiveness. And it also means that when others ask for forgiveness, it is my responsibility to show them God's love in accepting their apology and to get back on the road to making things right with them.

Because He loves me so much and has forgiven me for the countless ways I have disappointed Him, I, too, have the responsibility to love others and forgive others "seventy-seven times" and more.

Photo Credit 

Thursday's Craft: Spring Wreath

I has been a looooooong time since I've posted something about crafting. Mostly because I haven't done anything new in a while. So here I am and ready to post a new craft just in time for Spring!

This year I have been looking at Spring like a dieter looks at chocolate. I don't want to get excited, but I find myself indulging anyway. I wasn't exactly happy with winter this year, so I'm dreading the awful heat of summer in a few weeks. But here I am, sitting in my kitchen, writing this blog, and waiting for the 89 degree weather Spring has in store for me today, and I'm going to share with you my newest craft: a Spring Wreath.

Yup. Wreaths. They are super easy, and I almost didn't post because they really are just that easy. But I figured there's got to be someone out there who needs a quick tutorial on how to make one. So here goes:

Spring Wreath


What You'll Need:

• 1 medium round or oval wicker wreath (they are the pre-shaped wreaths made out of sticks in the craft section of the store) 
• Fake flowers of various spring colors 
• "Spring" ribbon with wire
• Hot glue gun and glue
• 2 feet of ribbon without wire
• Scissors
• Wire cutters (optional, but may be necessary depending on the flowers you get)

Instructions: (in pictures) 

1. Glue the ribbon to the inside of the wreath, loop around one time, and then glue the ribbon to the glued end on your wreath. Begin wrapping the ribbon around the wreath until you get all the way around (see spacing in step 3)

2. Fold over the end of the ribbon once to hide the frayed end and then glue down. 

3. Try to maneuver the ribbon around the wreath to get as equal as spacing as your ribbon and wreath with allow. 

4. Using scissors or wire cutters, snip the flowers off the stems. Make sure you leave a little stem. In the past, when I cut it too short (like the yellow flower in the picture), the flower eventually fell apart. So flower on the left: good. Flower on the right, not so good. You could also cut some of the leaves and add those if you want (I did not). 

Note a step, just a note: I put all my cut flowers in the center. I didn't want any real pattern with my flowers. I just wanted to make sure that there was either a purple or white flower in each section around the wreath. 

5. Add a little glue to the base of the flower. 

6. Begin placing the glued flowers around the wreath. You will cover some of the ribbon, but the ribbon is only working as added color. Work your way around the wreath. It helped me to also put the flowers in their place before I began gluing. That way if I didn't like the order, I could change it before I started gluing. 

7. Loop the ribbon through the wreath and tie a pretty bow on the ends. 

8. Hang the wreath. I used those little hooks the commercials talk about at Christmas (you know, the ones that can be removed and help you get your deposit back? Yeah, I use those to hang wreaths at my front door as well). 

And voila! Done! Here's what my finished product looks like: 

My ribbon was already cut from another project, so it was longer than 2 feet. This is what it looked like  hanging long. 

So I shortened the ribbon by tying a bigger bow. But I'm pretty happy with the way it looks. 

Happy Spring, everyone! May yours be pleasant and full of colorful fun! 

Food: Starkist Bolder Burger...a "Meatless Monday" Meal

Every Monday, I try to make a Meatless Monday meal for my family. Not only does this help save us money from having to buy expensive meat for every day of the week, but it is healthier, gives us an opportunity to try new foods, and gives me an excuse to use the food I'm finally getting from my garden. And because I only do it once a week, my husband doesn't complain about it so much (like he did a few years ago when I gave up meat for Lent and tried to make a new vegetarian meal every night).

So when this past Monday came along, I was all ready to make black bean burgers for dinner, but I didn't have all the stuff I needed (namely black beans), and I didn't have to the time to make it to the store, but I did have tuna. Ok, I know. Tuna is a fish. Isn't that meat? I don't know. Joe and I have debated it. I have researched it. I have looked for the answer, and I get a legitimate amount of "yes" and "no" on whether fish is meat or not. My personal opinion? I think if you can keep it as a pet, name it, and have to feed and clean it, then it's meat...unless you have a pet rock, but that's a different story. :)

So anyway, I decided we would have a "kind of" Meatless Monday with Tuna Burgers. I don't not really like fish anything. I'm not a seafood (or fresh water food) kind of girl. I know! I live in Charleston, and I don't like seafood? What's wrong with me?! Sigh. My life story. :) Back to the burgers. StarKist has these little seasoned tuna packets that Joe and I love to take with us when we go backpacking. They are light, easy to eat out of, filling, and actually pretty good. On the back of one of the packets (Herb and Garlic Tuna) is a recipe for StarKist Bolder Burgers. I tried it one day, and actually really like it! This past Monday I did not have the Herb and Garlic tuna, so I had to adjust the meal just a little, but I want to share it with you.


Almost Starkist Bolder Burgers (original StarKist recipe found here)
 Makes 4 LARGE burgers or about 6 smaller burgers

Ingredients:

• 1 large can of StarKist Tuna (10 oz) 
• 1 1/2  cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup non-fat ranch salad dressing (I have also used 1/2 plain yogurt too) 
• 2 Tbsp spicy mustard
• 1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning 
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

Steps: 

1. In a large bowl, mix tuna, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, dressing, mustard, seasoning, and egg. Go ahead, use your hands. 
2. Form into patties. Place the rest of the bread crumbs on a plate. Coat each side of tuna patties with the crumbs. 
3. Heat the oil in a skillet on medium heat. They should cook about 3-5 minutes on each side until they are brown.  

Serve on french bread rolls. I like to have a side salad and some sort of steamed veggies to go with it. This meal makes a great lunch OR dinner. Really. It's filling. These would also be really good as mini-patties as an appetizer (oh my goodness! I just thought of that, and watch out, friends who come over for parties! I am going to do this for sure!).  If you suddenly have guests, this is also a really great meal to have ready in a bind. Most of these ingredients are found in most pantries anyway, so it's worth trying. 

Give these a shot. It only takes a few minutes to make (15 minutes TOPS), so it's a great go-to meal on those last minute days. Please check out the links below for information on Meatless Monday and other Meatless Monday meals I have tried. 

1.  Meatless Monday
2. Waffled Falafels
3. Spinach and Feta-Stuffed Calzone
4. Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes  (this link has meat in it, but I made it a few Mondays ago with the ham, and it was still good, just add some more seasoning)
5. Crockpot Pesto Fish (another fish recipe) 

Devotion: Being the Prodigal Son's Brother

"My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found." 


My middle child is, well, a typical middle child. He is full of energy, loud, doesn't always think things through, but is the most loving of all my children. And because of his constant need to move and laugh and in the center of all the action, he gets in trouble a lot at school. We have tried everything to encourage him to behave, and we are currently working on 4 different award/punishment projects: 

• He gets an "apple" to go on his chore chart every day he doesn't get in trouble at school. Once he gets 5 apples, he can choose from an award list we have for chores (movie, family activity, get a dessert, get an allowance, pick 1 thing from the dollar store, etc). No matter how long it takes him, once he gets the 5, he gets an award. 
• If he makes an entire week of school without getting in trouble, he gets to pick out a dessert at our favorite local bakery (Ever So Sweet). 
• If he loses a BEE (what his teacher uses in his class...they are all Bees because that's the school's mascot), then he is grounded the rest of the day. 
• And because there is a field trip coming up, and he has lost a bee almost every day for the past few weeks, if he loses 3 BEEs, he does not get to go on the field trip. It's a "3 strikes, you're out" type of deal...and it seems to be working best for him...so far. 

So last week, Jed made it the entire week without getting in trouble. Not only did he make it all week, but he earned his 5 apples. So he got to go to the bakery and he chose to pick out a movie for Friday night (kind of a tradition for us). And this is where God presented an opportunity for me to teach my son about rejoicing in other's accomplishments. 

My oldest son is normally the one to go to the movie store to pick out the Friday night movie, but since Jed earned that right, my oldest had to stay at home with me while the hubs and Jed left. As they pulled out of the driveway, my oldest tearfully stared out the window mumbling, "It's not fair. It's just not fair!" When I asked him what was wrong he told me that he didn't think it was fair that Jed got to pick out a movie, but he didn't. I told him it was Jed's reward for being good at school. "But mama!" he said said tearfully, "I'm always good at school! Why don't I ever get rewarded?!" 

Sigh. 

All you first-borns, or "more mature" siblings can totally relate, right? Why is it that the "bad" sibling gets rewarded for something that you always do? I instantly thought of the older brother in the story of the Prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32). After the "bad" sibling took his father's money, ditched the family business, and quickly wasted all the money, he came crawling back to daddy...only to be received openly and was given a HUGE party. The older son, who responsibly stayed with the family business, and had always done what was right, got upset. Every time I read this story, I say "I know, right?! It's not fair!" right alongside the older brother. I always got frustrated with this part of the story. Even after teaching this Parable in Sunday School, when I got to this part, I summarized it by saying, "We should just be happy for others who have suddenly realized they behavior was unacceptable." It didn't hit home God's truth until I was staring at my handsome oldest child as his eyes filled with tears. 

And this is how the conversation went: 

I reviewed the story of the Prodigal Son with him. Then I asked him, "When you first started going potty in the toilet, what did mom and dad do?" 

He answered, "You gave me prizes." 

"Yes! But do I still give you prizes?" 

"No." 

"Why?" I asked. 

"Because I know how to do it now." 

"Yup. But when Abigail was learning how to go potty in the toilet, did we give her prizes, too?" 

"Yes ma'am." 

"Did we start giving you and Jed prizes again for going in the potty?" 

"No ma'am."

"And that's because you already learned to do what was right, and it became habit. It became part of your life; it was just what you did." 

Realization began to dawn. 

"And just recently, what is something you have learned to do?" 

"Ride a bike," he said. 

"Could Jed learn how to ride right now as well?"

"Yes ma'am."

"But we aren't letting him learn right now because we are making this all about you. We are letting you learn first, and are rewarding you for doing so well on the bike. And once you get it down like it's second nature, you will learn new things to get rewarded for, and you will no longer get rewarded for learning how to ride a bike." 

His face clearly showed he was starting to understand. 

"So what does that mean for Jed right now? What does mom and dad, and most importantly, God want us to learn from this?" 

"That I should be happy for Jed that he is learning how to behave at school?" 

"Absolutely!" 

Just like the father in the story was trying to tell his oldest son to be happy that his younger brother finally learned the right way to live, we should be happy for the little accomplishment for those around us. We need to rejoice with them; be happy when they learn a new concept that we got down a long time ago. 

This whole situation was not only a moment God gave me to help console my oldest son, but it was also a moment God gave me to understand that part of the story that I have struggled with most of my life. I must remember to love others as God loves me. I should be happy when others are getting rewarded for something that just comes natural to me. My love and support for my friends is just another way God loves others through me. I pray that in the future I reflect that love more often. 

Photo Credit 

Curriculum: Holy Week (Easter) Activities

I'm a teacher. I plan things. And ever since I became a SAHM, I have been able to use my 10 years of experience to supplement my children's education at home. So when a big holiday comes around, it's no wonder I get into "teacher-mode" and begin planning. Last year, my first Easter not teaching, I started kind of planning a Holy Week Activity Week. At the time, I realized that what I was doing was fine, but I knew that future Easters were going to be different, more detailed, and with more specific activities.

So starting about a month ago, I started researching different activities, traditions (Christian and Jewish), and recipes. Then about two weeks ago, I sat down with a bunch of printer paper and began making my curriculum guide (or pacing guide). All you teachers out there know exactly what I'm talking about, right? That BIG OL' document that pretty much sets up an entire unit. I have printed it and put it in a nice little folder, and will be doing the same for some members of my church family, and also some close friends. I want to share the basics with all of you. The copies I am making has a printout of all the activities, recipes, and songs, but if you are making your own, I am providing a copy of the resources I used so you could also make your own notebook.

Here's a sneak peek at a few of the pages:

I turned the picture here so you wouldn't have to turn your head to read what was in the folder. :) 

Here's a copy of the Intro I put in the booklet:

This Holy Week Activity Booklet is a resource for you, your family, and your church family  to use to help children get a better understanding of why we celebrate Easter. Each day takes a step closer to Jesus’s death and resurrection through activities, lessons, and food. You do not have to do every activity in the booklet, and most of the activities can be adjusted for different ages. Please utilize the resources at the end of the booklet for more information or a deeper explanation.

The Setup

The first three pages are an overview of the lessons available. Each day has at least one set of scripture, at least one activity, but not all days have a recipe. Some days have a recipe preparation for food to be enjoyed later in the week.

After the overview pages, the booklet is then separated into each day of Holy Week. There will be a printout of worksheets, activities, recipes, etc you are welcome to use. Again, use the resources if you would like to make more copies or get more details.

NOTE: If there is more than one set of scripture on the first overview page, the activities and recipes on the following pages have the same number. For example, Wednesday has 3 different scripture options. So if you decide you want to cover The Passover and The Lord’s Supper (scripture #2), then on the activity and recipe pages, the activities to match that scripture will be #2. This gives you the option to do more than one scripture, or save a set of scripture for another year or when you feel your child is ready for that section.

So that's pretty much it. Check out the documents below for details. I would also recommend you laminate the games and activities so they will last and visit the resources. There really is a lot of stuff you can do for Holy Week that will teach your children the true meaning behind this incredible week!

May God Bless you and your family as you go through this Booklet and especially through this season. What a wonderful God we serve!

Holy Week Activities

UPDATE: I have never posted a PDF file on my page, and am still trying to figure it out. My AWESOME friend, Kristin, over at Kinder Words, helped me out. If it still doesn't work, and if you would like the Holy Week Booklet, please email me at: janasjustmakinit@gmail.com

I will be sure to get you the files. Thanks a bunch, yall!  

Review: Eva's Restaurant, Summerville, SC

Tucked in between a theatre and a cupcake store is a little restaurant that has been a part of Summerville for almost 7 decades. Stepping in the door is like stepping back in time. It's a place that so many Summerville residents have seen, but not so many have gone in. Why? Well, they run the restaurant just like it has been going since 1944. There's no fancy foods on the menu, they take cash only, and they are open for breakfast and lunch only. Until recently, the last two of those kept me from venturing further than the occasional peek inside the window.

So on a whim a few weeks ago, my husband, who was taking the day off work, my daughter, and I decided to hit the ATM and then get breakfast at Eva's. When I walked in, I immediately thought of my grandmother. Seriously. And not because there were mostly senior citizens in there, but because the atmosphere just reminded me of grandma. It was the type of place of time gone by that I wanted to expose my children to. They needed to learn there was a time where TVs aren't on the walls of a restaurant, there are no "kiddie" menus, and everyone in the restaurant talked to everyone else, including the occasional shout to the kitchen. That was when I decided I was going to become "a regular" at Eva's (pronounced 'E-Vuh's, as I found out. This is not the Eva like the Longoria on TV).

So I called my friend, Janet, and proposed a sort of breakfast club for us girls, Abigail and me with Janet and her twin girls. We decided every other Friday at 9 am, we would going to start making our appearance. This is where we truly learned how old fashioned Eva's really was.

Janet rolls in with her 18 month twins, and she and I scan the restaurant for high chairs or even a booster seat. There is one (1) high chair and two booster seats. Janet asked if the booster has a seat belt. I unintentionally ruffled some feathers when I said, "No. They're the old fashioned kind without seat belts." The waitress, a sassy 60 something year old, who knew all the other customers by name, regular order, and family history, looked at me and informed me about how "old fashioned" Eva's was. She jokingly told us two stories: 1) Someone asked for mushrooms in her eggs. She said, "Mushrooms?! Honey, we don't serve omelettes here." and 2) Someone once asked for cocktail sauce to which she replied, "Cocktail sauce?! They didn't have cocktail sauce back in 1944, why would we have it now?" So we knew our place. Order what's on the menu.

So, laughingly, we ordered eggs, pancakes, grits (the twins' first try; one liked them, the other didn't), and coffee. But there was a glitch with the coffee. They don't have decaf...well, sort of. They have Sanko packets that we were welcome to use. So, caffeinated it was. We enjoyed the rest of the meal with good conversation. The table of 8 regulars that sat at the front of the restaurant came to ooh and ahh over our girls, and I learned that most of the other local shop owners in downtown Summerville ate there on a regular basis. Who knew?

So overall review:

Food: Good. Seriously just like grandma used to make. The lunch, which I haven't tried yet, is a "meat and 3" menu for $7.95. There are other options on the menu that are less heavy and all around $5.

Atmosphere: Love it! It really reminded me of my grandma's house, and I could easily see my granddaddy meeting his friends there every morning for coffee and pancakes.

Prices: Expensive for 1944's taste, but really on the reasonable side for today's standards. You get more than you are paying for.

Service: Once you understand that the waitress is a fun, talkative lady, you are good to go. I think if you aren't expecting to have someone ask about your family and life story, you might be taken back. Otherwise, it was great!

They are only open Monday-Friday from 7am to 3 pm. It would be a great Saturday morning breakfast place, but I think that them being open M-F is part of the charm.

If you get the chance, grab some cash and come enjoy Eva's Restaurant. You won't regret it.

Photo Credit

Our Little Breakfast Club