Breakfast for Dinner Potluck

Last night we had a bunch of friends over for a Breakfast for Dinner potluck.  I love throwing themed parties (check out my posts about the Tropical Luau party and 4^th of July party), and this one turned out amazing because everyone brought a different breakfast food! 

We had egg casserole, monkey bread, bacon, various waffle flavors (including cookies & cream!), donuts, fruit, hash browns, gluten-free french toast, pumpkin bread, mini quiches, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and mimosas (I may even be missing some things on the list…there was that much food). 

My contribution to the potluck was a Bloody Mary bar.  When I was at the UF Homecoming game last year, a family friend had really elaborate Bloody Marys at his tailgate (see below).  I saw an article recently about insane Bloody Mary recipes (most of them were way too ridiculous for me to try...with garnishes like whole cheeseburgers and pizzas).  I also read about a pub in Milwaukee that serves theirs with a whole fried chicken.

Mine wasn’t anything that crazy, but I did make beer-candied bacon as a garnish.  Here’s the recipe:

Beer Candied Bacon (adapted from Tide and Thyme)

Ingredients:

·        1 pound quality bacon

·        ½ cup brown sugar

·        ¼ cup + 2 tbsp beer (I used Sam Adam’s Octoberfest)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top of it. 

3. Place pieces of bacon on top – it’s best if they don’t overlap much.

    

4. Cook bacon in the oven for 10 minutes. 

5. While bacon is cooking, whisk together the brown sugar and beer in a small bowl to make a syrup.  When the bacon has cooked 10 minutes, remove from oven and brush with the syrup.  Flip and coat the other side as well.  You can enjoy the remaining beer while your bacon cooks!

6.  Cook 10 more minutes and repeat process until the glaze is used up.  It may take several rounds for the bacon to get crispy (mine took about 35 minutes). 

7. Cool on a wire rack before serving. 

Bloody Mary Bar

Ingredients:

·        1 T basil

·        1 T celery salt

·        ½ tsp sea salt

·        ½ tsp garlic powder

·        ½ tsp smoked paprika

·        Dash of salt and pepper

·        Olives

·        Pepperjack cheese, cubed

·        Pepperoni, sliced

·        Lemons and limes, sliced

·        Celery (leafy)

·        Various hot sauces

·        Worcestershire sauce

·        Beer candied bacon (see above recipe)

·        Zing-Zang brand Bloody Mary mix

·        Mr. & Mrs. T’s Bold & Spicy Bloody Mary Mix

·        Vodka

·        Wooden skewers

Directions:

1. Combine the first 6 ingredients (spices) on a plate to rim the glasses.  Dip your glasses in water (or rub the rim with lime juice) then dip in the spice mixture.

2. Mix your Bloody Mary in a pitcher – combine 2 parts Zing Zang mix, 2 Parts Mr. & Mrs. T’s mix, and 1 part vodka.  Stir well. (You can use just one of the mixes and do 4 parts mix to 1 part vodka if you'd like, but this combination was recommended by the guy who does them at tailgates).

3.  Line your various garnishes up so people can create their own!  

Bamboozle Tea Lounge – Tampa, FL

After a tough workout this morning with my friend Thu, we were ready for something to eat.  I had bought an Amazon Local deal for Bamboozle Tea Lounge a while back, so we had $22 of food & drinks for only $11. 

It is located in the lower level of the condo The Place at Channelside – right down the street from where I work.  The tea lounge is a more relaxed version of their full Bamboozle restaurant downtown on Tampa Street.  If the weather is nice outside, there is outdoor seating and a small park right across the street. 

Today we sat inside.  The lounge has a cozy atmosphere with eclectic mismatched tables and chairs.  The walls are filled with pieces by local artists that change every month or so.  They have a variety of board games as well – today the kids at the table next to us were playing Connect Four.  On Wednesday mornings they host a free event called Storytelling with Mr. Teng – it would be a great place to bring little kids.  They also host Open Mic Nights and live acoustic music every once in awhile. 

Today we shared the BBQ Banh Mi and the Coco Bamboozle Roll.  The ingredients are all very fresh and vibrant – and everything there is so healthy it didn’t cancel out our morning workout. 

I’ve actually had the Coco Roll a few times now – it is made with Tiger shrimp, shredded coconut, pineapple, jicama and mint and served with citrus ginger vinaigrette. 

Obviously the Tea Lounge also has a variety of yummy drink options.  They sell smoothies and teas by the glass, along with jars of their loose leaf teas.  Today I had an almond milk drink with chia seeds and Thu had a strawberry banana smoothie.  I really loved my drink – I would definitely order it again. 

Plus, chia seeds have tons of benefits beyond making cute plant pets. They were a large part of the diet of ancient Aztecs and Mayans – “chia” actually comes from the Mayan word for “strength”.  Aztec warriors ate them in preparation for battle, and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico used them for energy as well (they hunted by running their prey to exhaustion).

They are high in antioxidents, fiber, and protein.  They also absorb a lot of water, so they expand in your stomach and make you feel full so you don’t eat too much.  I was introduced to chia seeds by Lance’s sister, Brandi, who sent me a jar of them a few years ago with a list of recipes (I’ve made some amazing chia seed banana bread and I sprinkle them on my oatmeal).

To wrap it up, our lunch was fantastic and I’d recommend everyone go visit there. 

Bamboozle Tea Lounge is located at 109 N 12th St #101, Tampa, FL 33602 and open from 10:30am – 9pm Mondays through Fridays, 11am – 9pm on Saturdays, and 11:30am – 4pm for brunch on Sundays.