What I Miss: American Breakfast

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One thing I really miss about life in the United States is going out for the big "American" breakfast.  Most mornings, I try to be as health conscious as the next gal--a typical breakfast for me in the States was oatmeal, berries or fruit, and, of course, a cup [or two] of piping hot coffee.  However, my family and I have a thing for going out for breakfast.  I don't know what it is about it exactly, but it is my absolute favorite meal to eat at a restaurant.  Maybe it's because when you first wake up you're starving but have zero interest in figuring out what to eat and then actually putting in the effort to make it a reality.  I just love heading out to a diner and laughing with my family over a hot cup of coffee.

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In Brazil, breakfast [café da manhã] is pretty low key.  It typically consists of fresh pão francês [bread purchased from a local bakery] and crackers [both salty and sweet varieties] eaten with a margarine spread or creamy cheese spread.  A few times I have seen sliced cheese and presunto [ham] laid out for making a quick breakfast sandwich.  There is also coffee which most Brazilians drink with lots of sugar and no milk.  The largest meal of the day here is lunch, and it happens at about 11:00 a.m., so people don't fuss a lot for breakfast.  I've never seen a restaurant with a breakfast menu, or one that serves solely breakfast.  In short, the only way I'm getting my "American" breakfast is if I make it at home.  The weird thing is that even when you gather all the necessary ingredients and assemble the breakfast, there's just something that tastes different about it.  Can't put my finger on it--it's just not quite the same thing.  Needless to say, heading out to a diner for a delicious, stereotypical American breakfast will be mandatory whenever I make my way back to visit the States.

While Hubby and I were living in Manchester, New Hampshire, two of our favorite breakfast places were Murphy's Diner and The Bridge Cafe.  Go check 'em out for me!!!

How about all of you?  Do you enjoy breakfast as much as I do?