Sundays are always full of fun in our house. We usually begin by waking up lazily, making some coffee, and relaxing with a book, Super Soul Sunday, or Meet the Press. Okay, so that last one may not be super relaxing for some, but I love me a good morning news show, especially when it covers current events. I can't help it! Once we get moving we eventually make brunch and find our way to whatever fun is calling our name. Well, this past Sunday was a little different because the Easter Bunny had come. This meant our son would be waking us at the crack of dawn to find out what surprises were left for him. I must admit, I love it just as much as he does. The Easter Bunny always fills Jagger's basket with fun goodies that he loves and the excitement on his face makes my heart want to explode. So, I guess if I have to get up at 7:00 am on the weekend, this is the way to do it.

Despite being awakened at the crack of dawn... ON A SUNDAY... I couldn't go back to sleep. The excitement of the morning got me going and there was no turning back. I tried to go to sleep for another hour or so, but it was impossible. I was up for good. So, I crawled out of bed once again, made my favorite coffee and turned on Meet the Press. I knew Kevin would be making brunch in a couple hours and Jagger was busy playing in his room, so this was my time to sit back and enjoy. Sundays are great for that, aren't they? Even if I'm the one making brunch it's all so leisurely with no timetables or expectation, just the way I like it. Then, on days like this one, when I'm not cooking and have zero responsibilities, it's doubly indulgent.

The day before, we had taken a family trip to our local grocer to get all the ingredients for this brunch we were going to make. Okay, so I was helping plan and Kevin would be doing all the actual cooking. Let's not get caught up on semantics. We still needed ingredients and we just love our local market, so a trip there is always welcomed. It's seriously like a little European market in the middle of Dayton, Ohio. Plus they happen to have wine tastings every Saturday, which I must admit, didn't hurt our cause. It is much more fun to plan a menu after a sip or two of something special and we often get inspired once those grapes hit our tongue. Case in point, we embarked on this trip with a brunch idea in mind and were further inspired once we started sipping vino and nibbling local tidbits. With these new flavors in mind we started toying with new ideas and, on a whim, decided to switch up the entire menu.

Before long our cart was full of beautiful, fresh ingredients, champagne, and some last minute treats. Among other things, we grabbed local pickled beets, organic radish and fennel, fresh baked rye, and some honey bee gouda. Our hopes were to magically turn this into an egg casserole full of color and flavor. Much like Chopped, I had decided the ingredients and Kevin would be the chef, showcasing them how he saw fit. I couldn't wait to see how our collaboration would turn out!

Fast forward to Sunday morning, there I was sitting on my couch and I could barely contain myself. I am passionate about several things, one of which is food. I sincerely love experimenting with different flavors and creating a masterpiece that my friends and family can enjoy. Besides, if it's less than delectable there's always takeout, so no real risk involved. While Kevin doesn't cook as often as I, he still loves it and I'm always a grateful recipient of his creations. He especially loves making breakfast bakes. They've sort of become his specialty. He told me we'd eat around 11:00 and I was secretly watching the clock like a hawk. I was hungry and a new recipe had me extra excited. I'm pretty sure this is my adult version of being a kid on Christmas Morning (or Easter Morning in this case). As the time grew near, I could feel the crescendo happening in the kitchen. Moment by moment we were getting closer to the birth of this beautiful food baby. The smell of this lovely creation was now infiltrating our home and I could not wait to take that first bite. Before long, I would be able to dig in. Until then, I must busy myself in order to distract from the rumblings of my tummy.

The table was set and we were finally ready to eat. It looked like a piece of art. Kevin had pulled out our fine china, poured the mimosas and Jagger's french lemonade, and we were ready to be served (not before I could snap a quick pic, of course). On the first bite my mouth was filled with flavors of the earth, zing, and a bright punch. The texture was creamy and bits of cooked-in rye gave it a hint of chewiness. This was delicious. I would definitely be requesting it again or making it myself thanks to the recipe below. We all ate until content with big smiles across our faces. In between bites, we talked about the day ahead and all our favorite parts so far. We passed the jam and got seconds as we watched the sun grow stronger, filtering in over the table. It was just perfect.

After brunch Jagger and I went outside for an egg hunt, using the eggs we had colored the night before. After all, it wouldn't be Easter without one of those. We took turns hiding the eggs and searching too. After a few rounds, Kevin joined us. Once Jagger was satisfied with the egg hunting it was time to move on to his top choice, ball of any kind. On this Sunday we began with passing the football the Easter Bunny had left him. Then we moved on to a bit of soccer and three square. Once everyone was a hot, sweaty mess and tired out from all the activity we moved inside for a break and some air hockey. That didn't last long though. On sunny days, especially the ones of early spring, I like being outdoors as much as possible. We've been inside most of the winter and by March I'm jonesing for sun and all the natural Vitamin D I can get. So, before long we were headed to enjoy the bright, sunny day again. This time for a walk and a nearby park. While we didn't venture far from home, we sure did pack a lot into this Sunday Funday.. and we hadn't even made it to dinner yet!

Recipe

Ingredients:

10 Eggs

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

4-5 Whole Pickled Beets, cubed

1 Large Piece Fennel, Bulb and Tops, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, chopped

2-3 Radishes, sliced

1 Avocado, cubed

1/3 Cup Honey Bee Gouda (any aged gouda will work), grated

2 Large Slices Fresh Salted Rye Bread (for GF version use 3-4 slices GF Rye, salted - I like Three Bakers), cubed

1 tsp Paprika

Pink Himalayan Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

Grass Fed Butter

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9x13 glass pan. Salt the bottom of the pan.

Whisk eggs and milk in a large bowl. Add paprika. Set aside.

Sauté garlic and fennel bulb in olive oil. Allow to cool. Place in buttered pan along with beets, fennel tops, avocado, and bread. Pour egg mixture over vegetables. Stir to incorporate. Top with grated cheese and fresh ground pepper. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool slightly and sprinkle with a few more fennel tops for decoration and brightness. Serve with sliced radishes.