magpie!

Proverbs 27:9 " Sweet friendships refresh the soul and awaken our hearts with joy, for good friends are like the anointing oil that yields the fragrant incense of God's presence."

My best friend, soul sister, therapist, personal comedian, biggest supporter, and the blonde to my brunette. The woman could look at you and make you laugh and smile. Just thinking about her right now made me laugh (Maggie, for context, happy President's Day). She's been there for me whether I'm 1,000 miles away or a three-minute drive down the street, she's either a phone call away or already on the way. Honestly, it's scary how we can almost read each other's minds, whether we say the same thing at the same time, have the same gut feeling, or give each other a look that says more than words.

2008 v. 2023

Mags and I met when we were four years old, our moms fated us to be best friends, and themselves to deal with us for the rest of their lives. After growing up together through elementary and middle school my family moved out of the neighborhood we grew up in, Maggie and I went to different high schools and different ways up until 2021. We worked together at a restaurant, and we spent summer nights* in my backyard with friends, I was blonde and she had dark hair (she's meant to be blonde, not me), and at the end of the year found ourselves the truest friend each other had.

Somethings never change...

Now, one thing we differ on is our palettes for sweets: Maggie is not a coconut, cake, cupcake, or frosting kinda gal. So when her birthday came around I had a limited list of pastries to choose from considering she's had cookie cake for the past ten years. I didn't end up making anything, but Nana Leslie made a chocolate pie so good that the plates were 86'd and we took forks right to the pie plate. It was on her 22nd birthday and after being poolside for a few hours, chocolate pie and a nap was just what we needed before the real celebration started. The following morning was spent in a cozy booth at First Watch with our usual orders: Kale Tonic with a Boost and an Elevated Egg Sandwich with a scrambled egg. So since Mags and I are a package deal in life, this post is a package deal: Choco Pie and what I'll call the M&M Breakfast Sandwich.

M&M Breakfast Sandwich:

• 2 tablespoons of butter

• 2 eggs

• 1 tablespoon of heavy cream

• 2 pieces of thick-cut bacon

• 1 slice of white American cheese

• 1/2 avocado

• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice

• brioche bun

• Mike's Hot Honey

1. Mash the 1/2 of the avocado and add the lemon juice so it does not go brown.

2. Heat a pan on medium heat and cook the bacon to your desired crispiness. Cook the bacon and then put it off to the side.

3. In the same pan you cooked the bacon, adjust the heat to light-medium and begin to melt the butter into the excess bacon grease.

4. Whip the eggs and heavy cream together until lightly foamy on top then season with salt and pepper.

5. Pour them into the pan and do not scramble them immediately, but let them settle in a circle for a moment. Once the bottom has set a bit take a spatula and push one corner back while tipping the pan so that the runny eggs hit the hot pan and continue this around the pan until they are no longer runny. Flip over the eggs to finish cooking the top. Fold the egg in half, then into half again so it is like a patty.

6. Toast the brioche bun in a pan or toaster.

7. While the egg is still in the pan, put the cheese over the egg and cover the pan with a lid to let the cheese melt for one minute. Turn off the heat.

8. Spread the avocado on the bottom bun, place the egg on top, cut the bacon slices in half, and put them over the eggs, top off with as much hot honey as you prefer.

9. Bonus points in our book if you end up enjoying breakfast outside on the patio!

Nana Leslie's Choco Pie:

• Pillsbury pie dough

• 3/4 cup of chocolate chips (dark or semi-sweet based on preference)

• 1 5oz package of Jello Cook and Serve Chocolate Pudding

• 1 heaping tablespoon of Hershey's cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch

• 3 tablespoons of sugar

• 3 cups of milk

• 1 cup of heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon of instant espresso

• 1/4 of a chocolate bar of choice

Whipped Cream:

• 1.5 cups of heavy cream

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla

• 1/2 teaspoon of Knox unflavored gelatin

1. Set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Unroll the premade pie shell and place it into a greased, glass pie dish of your choice. Bake the dough until slightly golden brown on the edges.

3. Immediately after taking the pie dough out of the oven, place the chocolate chips evenly on the base of the pie crust.

4. Mix the package of Jello, cocoa powder, cornstarch, instant espresso, and sugar in a bowl.

5. Put the milk and heavy cream in a small sauce pot on medium heat and mix in the dry ingredients.

6. Once the milk mixture is at a boil, take it off of the heat and pour it into the pie shell.

7. Let the mixture and the crust cool at room temperature until it is only slightly warm to the touch, about an hour. Cover in plastic wrap until ready to enjoy.

8. Before enjoying, make your homemade whipped cream by combining all of the ingredients listed above in a cold, metal bowl with an electric hand mixer until light and fluffy. Then with a microplane or cheese grater, grate the chocolate bar over top of the whipped cream.

*Alexa, play Summer Nights by Rascal Flatts