Dear Future Husband,
I got your email yesterday… the one with the subject line “To My Future Wife”.
Um….. can I be honest? That was sweet… but a little creeptown.
I know… I know… you’re probably going to say it was all a joke and you were just kidding and blah blah blah.
Listen. You may get the impression from this blog that it’s all sunshine and lollipops here at my end of the world.
Here’s some things you should know:
Sometimes I run out of toothpaste and forget to buy more. Irresponsible. I’m sorry.
I only have 168 Facebook friends. That’s not a lot.
I adopt stray cats… even the ones with dirty, matted fur. And I love them. And I talk to them in my cat voice.
I have a voice I use specifically for cats.
I put my feet on the coffee table. I’m demanding and unreasonable when I get stressed out. I text too much. I don’t want a pet bird. I don’t want to pretend that I like your mother’s pet bird. Oh.. and I’ll lose my everloving mind if you get pee on the floor and don’t clean it up. I will.
So… yea. I understand if you want to retract that email now. If you don’t, you’re nutso.
I made breakfast polenta this morning. Since I couldn’t decide if I wanted it sweet or savory, I made it both ways.
Then I ate both bowls.
Then I realized that I wanted savory breakfast polenta… but the sweet polenta was a lovely warm up.
Polenta… if you don’t know… is ground cornmeal. When boiled with water, milk and butter, cornmeal cooks up into a creamy, warm, super comforting bowl of good.
Sweet Breakfast Polenta
Makes two large or four small servings
3 cups water
1 cup yellow polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 ripe pear, sliced thin
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped pecans
small handful dried cranberries
1-2 tablespoons honey
milk
add cinnamon and nutmeg if you’re feeling spicy
Check the directions on your particular box of polenta, as the coarseness, ratios and cooking times may vary. This was my experience.
Bring water to a boil. Add salt and turn burner down to a simmer. Add dried polenta in a stream, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Polenta will begin to thicken immediately. Whisk occasionally for about 6 to 8 minutes. Add butter and milk to the polenta and whisk over flame until your desired consistency is reached.
Top polenta with pear slices, nuts, cranberries, honey and as much milk as you like. Delicious!
Savory Breakfast Polenta
Makes two large or four small servings
3 cups water
1 cup yellow polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk
3 slices bacon, cooked crisp
1/4 cup diced onions
1 small garlic clove, finely diced
3 tablespoons grated cheese
2 to 4 large egg, fried, depending on how many people you want to feed
Check the directions on your particular box of polenta, as the coarseness, ratios and cooking times may vary. This was my experience.
Bring water to a boil. Add salt and turn burner down to a simmer. Add dried polenta in a stream, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Polenta will begin to thicken immediately. Whisk occasionally for about 6 to 8 minutes. Add butter and milk to the polenta and whisk over flame until your desired consistency is reached.
In a medium skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove cooked bacon and place on a paper towel to drain. Cut into large bits when cool enough to handle. Cook the diced onion in the bacon fat until browned and soft. Add the diced garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Remove onions and garlic and place in a small bowl. In the same skillet over medium heat, fry the egg. Fry is easy or hard… however you fancy your eggs.
Place polenta in a bowl and top with cheese, onions, bacon and the fried egg. Hot sauce and black pepper are highly recommended.
Bruce
Oh.. and if you want to kick up your grits a notch or 2, use chicken stock instead of water when preparing the grits (polenta). Add a splash of cream just before serving to increase the creaminess.. yum!
I particularly love my grits prepared with chicken stock, adding finely chopped garlic at the beginning, and then extra sharp cheddar at the end.. Garlic cheesy grits (polenta) makes for an awesome breakfast. Just add some shrimp or sausage for extra savory grits
Bruce
No offense, but breakfast polenta is grits. Grits…not romantic, not cool, not provincial, not continental.
I guess we could call grits and shrimp something else, like: Polenta and shrimp. There…that sounds so much better.
Maggie Mehaffey
Oh. Mygod! I am sitting here right this minute devouring the savory fried egg dish. Breakfast just got wings! I scored a bag of freshly ground heritage flint corn from a local farmer last week. It makes a scrumptious pale yellow polenta that tastes like fresh corn. Seriously. Lickng the plate.good.
cucee sprouts
Breakfast plenta – the third way http://cuceesprouts.com/2012/04/blueberry-almond-breakfast-polenta/
Bruce
Breakfast polenta = grits
;)
Jocy
Thank you, thank you! I am only now becoming obsessed with polenta as a breakfast fixture.
Becky
i just made the savoury one for dinner and it was absolutley delicious. i’m vegetarian so i sauted a sliced onion until brown and caramelized and had the polenta with a fried egg, sunny side up, and onions on top and a salad on the side – aaaaaaah…my cheeks are warm and red, i feel happy and very much in love with polenta. thank you for your brilliance
Amelia
I love the content of this blog post, very funny and adorable and there is also yummy breakfast!
My mum and I love finding new ways to use polenta so for Mother’s Day I made her this sweet polenta. So insanely good Joy, thank you! I substituted the cranberries for blueberries, added some pieces of fig, sultanas and maybe a few chocolate chip pieces into the warm polenta..shhh. Thanks again.
Alley
I know I’m a little late on this, but I just made these this morning, sweet for my hubby and savory for me. Perfect breakfast!!! YUM!
Stephanie
Dr Mr Creepy guy jajajajajaja I actually had that from I client ( I work at HP Mexico) and he is in the States, he confused me responding his emails ( work) promptly with flirtation …. psychooooo …
Anyways… I pretty much believe he´ll marry you … your cooking is amazing… if not… marry my brother :) I´ll get to have some desserts at family reunions :P
from mexico …
Tanya
You had me at “savory” oh my!
Rick
Now THAT is what I call a breakfast!! I’m gonna try this on Saturday!!
How do you think turkey bacon would fare in this recipe?
joythebaker
super delicious!
Maureen
Wait a minute! doesn’t everyone have a cat voice? In both of my marriages, I had to be the one who spoke to the cats. Neither husband had linguistic skills.
And ah, polenta. The husband du jour, who I DO love, has gone away for a week so yes, all the polenta I’m making will be mine. It is anytime usually but if I make a good hearty Italian-ish stew, he doesn’t get the stew without the polenta. He pushes it around like an 8 yr old, but in the end he eats it. He knows who the source of all food in this house is! Polenta Sat am, with lefover roast chicken bits, cauli, onions and grape tomatoes – all nice and stewy now. Grated parmesan on top, and if it snows, an egg also. Oh yummmm.
shayne
I grew up enjoying this but we called is corn meal mush :)
Jessica @ bake me away!
I have never had polenta, and didn’t even know it could be a breakfast thing. Foodie fail, for sure. Imagining I like polenta, both versions sound amazing, even if I nix the bacon (sob).
Cats are great listeners.
CookiePie
They both look so delicious — how could you be expected to choose? You couldn’t. You had to eat them both, obviously! :)
Annalea
“lose my everloving mind….” ha! try living with three boys who are aim challenged! love the ‘cat voice’ – i have one of those too! there’s a little restaurant up the street from me, starling cafe. they serve a yummy breakfast polenta and i was so surprised the first time i saw it. who knew? of course i ordered it. delish! haven’t made it though but i’m newly inspired by your recipes. thanks joy!
Catherine
I get really annoyed when my sister uses her cat voice (for HER cats) to speak to my cats. It’s a completely different dialect and confusing for all.
ash
Found your blog in a search for an avocado chocolate cake recipe. SUCCESS! Found it and now frequently distract myself with your blog. Love love love your ECHINO tablecloth and Heather Ross napkins almost as much as your recipes!! Thanks for the inspiration….
Celia
made the savory version this morning and the sweet version yesterday(with apples, cinnamon and honey)-never had it before yet it’s wonderful. Made my husband proud!Those were his exact words:) Great recipe, thank you!
missstacy
um. yum.
and Miss Joy, I haven’t seen that you shared the news you’re up for a Homie (woot woot!) from the kids at kitchn. Did you mention it and I missed it? I think you should share the good news so we can all vote for you thus spreading the gospel of Joy a bit further! (The other blogs are splashing it on their sites so…..)
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/the-homies-best-home-cooking-blog-of-2011-submit-your-nominations-137088
And to the happy readers here: you know you all have the love for our girl! Show your support and appreciation.
xo
joythebaker
you’re sweet! i did see that i got nominated for a Homie. i don’t want to make a big deal out of it… it’s an honor just to be nominated!
Eileen
Thank goodness I had all of the savory ingredients on hand for Sunday breakfast. Now that is what I call breakfast. Though, yeah, they’re just grits where I come from.
Lauren
Joy, your posts are always entertaining – love your letter from ‘Future Husband’ – hope he adheres to your must have’s : )
The breakfast polenta looks tasty!
britt
It’s 3:30 am LA time & I just got home from a bar. My bf is sleeping next to me but for some reason I can’t seem to join him in his sweet slumber…. so what do I do? I open my lappy & go directly to your website. I’m SO happy my stomach, fingers, brain whatever opted for this. Your post (not to mention the food porn tormenting my wineful self) was exxxxxxxactly what I needed (:
Thanks Joy – You rule!
Leah W
Thank you for these recipes. I adore Polenta. It is my absolute favorite food. I sometimes wait to make it when no one is around so I can eat an entire batch by myself. I also like to make extra so I have ‘leftovers’ so I can then let it cool into a polenta loaf and find even more ways to eat it.
Nicole @ the Dirty Oven
Dear Joy- I think that you are pretty easy going. I would share my house, husband and child with you, but we have two dogs and I am allergic to cats. Maybe you could just come over to play…but you have to bring a big ol’ pot of that polenta. So lovely!
Your future husband is one lucky fellow.
I agree about the pee.
Hugs and Kisses and Butter,
Nicole
Erin
I’ve always been intrigued by polenta and always wanted to try it, but never managed to pluck up the enthusiasm and energy to actually go about buying and making it.
I read this post yesterday morning. Bought some polenta yesterday afternoon.
Just one more step to go and I know what recipe I’ll be using!
Thanks for giving me some initiative :D
Gen
I love your breakfast, full of colors, the tablecloth is outstanding.
Ash
You are awesome!! This is hilarious! Plus now since I’ve never tried polenta… I think I should.
I also have a voice reserved just for my cat.
sweet road
I just made the most amazing polenta with my sister the other night and it converted me for life! It’s amazing… when made well.
jaclyn@todayslady
I have a cat voice too. I just realized how weird that actually is……. I don’t care though :)
Gorgeous pictures and the polenta looks fab! I’ve never had sweet polenta before, I may have to change this….
Mary
Yum – I have some polenta in the cupboard but haven’t used it — I do LOVE my Callaway Gardens Speckle Heart grits — either served with butter and salt – or a little cheddar cheese and a hint of garlic. Your recipes look delish — will have to try! True – there are some weirdos out there — I’m doing my part of the job by taking two of them. Yeah, someone’s gotta do it….
Mika
I don’t think I can try the sweet polenta recipe…I grow up eating polenta with tons of sugo and cheese and I can not imagine it sweet…just like the rice, I eat it sweet only fried, the “frittelle di riso” that my father makes are wonderful…otherwise rice is just for salads or risotto…
Maybe one day…
I have a voice for everything! I invent words, I have my special Mikitionary and I love to read that you makes voices too…great…I just need a cat now…
Ernestine
So this is one of the wierdest blogs I’ve ever read but I love it! Can’t decide if you’re on drugs or if I’m on drugs. I kid!!! I love the polenta either way!
pamela
Hi Joy! I just found your blog via the voting going on at Apt. Therapy’s Kitchen. I have to say, I am not a great cook. I am intimidated by cooking blogs with amazing food photography. And I don’t usually bookmark many blogs about food (see reason 1 and 2). But yours is going on the top of the list. Not because of the wonderful recipes that look so yummy, or the beautiful pictures of food. I am sticking around purely because you crack me up. I love your newest post and your “about” page. You make me laugh, so I will be back. Probably just to gawk at your pictures and dream about trying out new recipes, but honestly…it’s because I love your sense of humor and you make me laugh. Have a great weekend!
Nicole
Wow that looks delicious! The savory one especially.
Sarah
Hi Joy!
Just wanted to say that I’m pretty new to your blog, and I (as so many) love it!
I have 27 Facebook friends, oh dear… What does that tell you about me…?
Oh well, at least that gives me enough time to try out all your lovely recipes!
Thank you for sharing!
Sarah
Kathleen
Joy,
I recently had some breakfast polenta that changed my life:
Polenta
Honey
Gorgonzola
Bacon
Poached Eggs
I died.
Natasha @ Saved by the Egg Timer
I have always wondered how to use polenta the correct and healthy way. These look so good, a must try.
katie
you’re my favorite blogger.
period.
love this post!
Lauren
yum! I’ve never made fresh polenta, always that tube of prepared stuff from TJ’s. It just may be time to try it out myself though!
Katie
I totally did this for our Christmas guests!!!
http://thegdkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/04/breakfast-polenta-bar.html
It was a huge hit!
And I like your idea of pears in the sweet one….we did mixed berries :)
As always, love your blog :)
Rachel
Bacon, eggs, and cheese I know I love. I’ll be new to polenta….but I can’t wait to try it! Thank you for so much food inspiration!
Lib
Where I come from we call this grits – just good old grits. I find my Northern friends like to gussy this up and call it polenta. Anyway, I digress – however it is described as Alton Brown would say “It’s Good Eats!”. Your savory recipe is our traditional Sunday breakfast – except I poach the egg. Better watch out, because it will not only get you a husband but also keep one for at least 36 years! Happy cooking!
Patti
Again, I’m off to the supermarket for the ingredients to make this stuff that I never cared about before. Witchy I tell ya! Oh and I not only have a special voice I use to talk to my beagle, I give him an old Englishman’s voice to answer me, as in “oh bloody hell, no tea and crumpets for me?” I dunno, it just works with those sad eyes.
Laura
Does any type of cornmeal = polenta? Or is it a specific texture? I have finely ground and coarsely ground in my cupboard….which would I want to use?
P.S.: Writing cuteness like that is why someone would want to be your husband :) Have you seen this? It’s also pretty cute! http://tomywife.tumblr.com/
Lina
I have to try this- I’ve never had polenta before- EVER.
flip
Oh Joy of Joys!
Brekky polenta two ways? That is more than I could have hoped for.
Not sure I can adequately express how much I love polenta.
Ok, I can try, Northern Italian family and genes perhaps, they sell it cooked, sealed and ready to slice in the supermarket, white or yellow too. But not so fast, they don’t eat it for breakfast as I love to do. It’s more substantial than toast but way less heavy than muesli or porridge.
Thank you, imperfect-but-pretty-fab-nonetheless-cat-loving-cook-extraordinaire.
love ya! (in a non creepy way)
from a cat adoring sista
Natalia - a side of simple
I have never had polenta! This is a problem that must be remedied stat. By the way, lovely introducation :)
Bonnie
Joy this post made me so happy! I even made a post on my blog about it.
And this looks like what I will be having for breakfast tomorrow! :)
Thanks for all the great recipes, and all the laughs.
Bonnie
I made the Savory version this morning, and my husband ate his in record time. He then demanded that I make a triple batch next time!
Delicious! Thanks Joy!
Lorane
I have a kitty voice also and I have recently realized i have a voice for inside kitties and a voice for my outside kitties. It is totally correct to speak to them differently.
Scarletta @ Scarletta Bakes
Sometimes I wonder if I wrote a letter like this to my husband, would he have run away screaming?
I guess we’ll never know. And I’ll be dealing with pee on the floor and he’ll be dealing with my non-toothpaste breath till death do we part.
At least we can enjoy some polenta at breakfast together along the way.
Have a great weekend!
Katie@Cozydelicious
Love love love polenta! I’ve never gone the sweet route, but I do adore pears so that sounds kind of amazing. Does your future husband love polenta? My husband does not, which is just fine since it leaves more for me! I suggest that people who do not like the same foods should marry because then you never fight over who gets the drumstick!
homegrown countrygirl
Katie, this is a very good plan!
jen @ the baked life
Joy, I love everything about this post. I will definatley try and make both of these this weekend. Your pictures make me oh so hungry.
I also would like to write a letter to my current husband as you’ve inspired me to do
I love how he talks in his cat voice to our cats.
If you ever grow a mustache, I will divorce you.
Can we get another cat?
Thank you for eating all my treats so my thighs so get any bigger.
Not in this house.
You will start to like brown rice. You won’t die if you eat it.
Can we get another cat?
Hotel california reminds me of our wedding and it makes me smile
Your going to eat this polenta I make, and love it.
Can we get another cat?
Happy Friday all!
Nikki @ The Tolerant Vegan
I have a cat voice, and I also have different voices that I do for when my cats are responding to me. Like this:
Me: Harrison, what are you up to?
Harrison (Me speaking for him in a pimp voice): Just chillin’, yo. Just chillin’
jen @ the baked life
I thought I was the only one who did this!!!! I also use my different cat voices for my 2 cat so they can speak to each other.
Coby
I LOVE you guys :D
Seanna Lea
My husband and I do the same thing for Saru-chan (cat) and Victor (dog). Of course, Victor only talks about food and sniffing Saru-chan’s butt. Silly dog.
Rocky Mountain Woman
So I am all over that savory version this weekend..
lovely!
Miss Melis
Hmmmmm, well I have three boys (four if you count my hubby) so the pee on the floor thing, sorta sore subject around here……Anyway, my hubby could eat two things every meal for the rest of his life: Mexican food and polenta. So I can only imagine what will be in store for me if I tell him I found a breakfast polenta recipe. Perhaps that diamond I’ve been waiting for for 15 years. The diamond our dirt poor selves couldn’t afford when we got hitched. Let you know if the polenta works…….
Stacey
Never had polenta before…I think I might have to try it now.
Just wanted to let you know that your main blog feed isn’t updating. The last post it shows is Jan. 10. I have you in my blog roll so I can see your newest post because I can click on the title in my blog roll but if you click on HOME on your site or JOY THE BAKER it takes you to the Jan. 10th blog. Just thought I would let you know. Thanks.
Cookie
Joy,
When your future husband shows up he’ll be so cute, charming, sexy, and persuading that you will love the bird, accept the pee, and adore his quirkiness as much as he adores yours. That’s a real marriage. Everything else is just a fairytale.
Sonia
Joy,
I have a woman-crush on you.
Love,
Sonia
Angharad
I love polenta but I’ve never made it for breakfast. I’m pretty positive I would choose savoury though. Bacon all the way.
Erin
Joy, you make me laugh and I love your food and your blog. win win win! :-) Thanks for writing and posting. I know it takes work. I appreciate the entertainment and the yummy recipes! You’re definitely my new favorite!
Leandra @ Snacks and the City
AHHH the dreaded breakfast/brunch dilemma…SWEET OR SAVORY??? I see you have solved the problem!!!
Justeen @ Blissful Baking
The sweet polenta looks super delish!! But I’d have to make it both ways too – the boyfriend would LOVE the savory version!
Courtney
Yum! I wish I could have a bowl of that savory polenta right now. Suddenly, my breakfast smoothie just isn’t cutting it.
Candice @ NotesFromABroad
After much thought, I am going to choose the savory .. I am not sure about the garlic first thing in the morning but we will deal with that later. I happen to have quick polenta here, I hope that works because I now Must try making this for breakfast. Now. un beso, C
Dar
It looks very yummy. And for the first post, I thought it was sour cream also. And I would totally eat it with sour cream. Sour cream is magical, just like bacon.
karen d
Joy, you are sooo funny! These polenta recipes look and sound fantastic but I’m a southern girl and I don’t know “nothin” about polenta. Grits, YES. Polenta,no. Are they interchangeable? And as far as your “future husband” goes, he probably doesn’t deserve the great cookin’, laugh-out-loud, cat talking, super person that you are!! I would love to be your facebook friend (I don’t invite many because I don’t think most have anything interesting or amusing to say) and you are difinately my favorite blog “friend”.
When Pigs Fly
Yum! I love both ideas. I’m not usually a fan of polenta but this looks great. You really should stop by my site. I’ve got cookies up on my most recent post decorated with the most fun and snarky sayings. If you haven’t heard of the Bitter Baking Co, now you have. I inspired them and it’s pretty cool!
Mary at n00bcakes
I love reading your posts Joy, they always make me laugh; they’re a great way to start my day. But srsly, Future Husband should know better than to judge on just a few quirks (especially if he gets pee on the floor).
I’ve never had polenta before, only grits. Am I correct in assuming they’re similar-type-things?
Tamara
Love polenta and love your blog, your stories
you always make my day and thank you for that
Tamara
Amanda
Oh yum! I’m definitely going to try these! I also love your brown sugar vanilla polenta!
Judy
Is it okay that some of us have a dog voice?
BTW, I’ve come to think that marriage is more about accepting the madness of the other on a daily basis than it is about their occasional flashes of brilliance.
I’m a savoury-breakfast girl all the way but I can do dessert for the rest of the day.
Renae
So glad I discovered your blog! The recipes always look fab, but mostly you absolutely crack me up!
sheila @ Elements
I’ve never had sweet polenta before, but it sounds interesting and I’m sure it tastes great! The savory one with the bacon is right up my alley! :)
Annie
Oh Joy! Do not be afraid of your lovely man’s note…. This is a good thing, and I am MOLTO happy for you to have gotten such a note!
Musketnuss @ I really take the cake
Once in my life, I tried sweet polenta for breakfast and it was gross. Maybe because I put shred coconut in there. I don’t even like coconut.
But I’m only eating sweet stuff for breakfast. Can’t even smell bacon. (Okay, I don’t like bacon the whole day, actually. Sorry!) So, I need to try your recipe. Because it looks really, really nice. Just that I will take an apple instead of a pear. I don’t like pears. (Yeah, I’m picky.)
Thanks!
Tammy
Oh Joy,
Future Hubby would be crazy not to reply to your email, all great cooks go a little crazy at time, that’s how we are. :) x x x
Alie
So could I substiture cornmeal mix for polenta? A friend gave me a huge bag of cornmeal mix which I used to make some of your cranberry cornbread…but now I need a new use for it!
Libby
Oooerr YUM. All I can say.
notyet100
sounds yum,.
Emily Teel
Dear joy- I totally want to be your friend, on Facebook or in real life. That savory polenta looks mighty tasty, but it would be tough to beat your brownie cookies which I made last week. Yum yum!
Mare
Haha LOVEE the “Two My Wife” Tumblr. So great.
Dawn Swanson
Oh my Heavens!! I will be making these soon!! Yum!!!
roxy
So freakin’ funny! I totally agree about the pee on the floor…I too would lose my marbles!
Karen
Oh Joy, I love your letters to future people (whether that be yourself or others). And why haven’t I thought of breakfast polenta before? Wouldn’t know which recipe to choose though. Maybe Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for sweet and the others (Sunday is roll day over here) for the savoury… Hmmmm. Dilemma’s :)
precious
Yeah…um… I certainly don’t want to marry you that’s for sure, and you may have sealed your fate with all of mankind. But the polenta looks good.
Jen-
Did you have any leftover? Frigerate it and then slice and fry in olive oil. YUMMMY!
srs1972
I was thinking that as well. Nothing beats fried cornmeal mush with butter(!) and warm maple syrup. I just said that in my cat voice and now they are all looking at me. Haha
Kim B
Oh Joy, I love when I see your blog in my inbox. Being new to the polenta world, I never thought of making it for breakfast. Might have to try this one!
And BTW I have a dog voice. My husband is allergic to cats or I’m sure I’d have a cat voice too.
robyn L
Joy, your blog posts make me happy. I’ve never tried polenta, and never really wanted to until I saw this post. The sweet variety feels like comfort food, even just by *looking* at it. Can’t wait to try it!
Sanjeeta kk
Love both the version, no doubt you savored both the bowls :)
Claudia
Doesn’t everyone have a cat voice? Those without a cat voice are the ones with the problem! Oh and polenta for breakfast is genius!
Ben
Joy, you’re not alone in how you react to cats. There’s an xkcd for that. (Wait, does a word that starts with ‘x’ get an ‘a’ or an ‘an’ before it? Whatever it is, it feels better to say ‘an xkcd’…)
http://xkcd.com/231/
You talk in your cat voice. And being from teh Internets, I glue captions to them. It’s all the same, really. :p
And seriously, birds? Are you expecting your future husband’s mom to be Heidi Fleiss? Yikes!
Here you go… much better….
http://xkcd.com/162/
Aww…
joythebaker
you’re a kitty!!
Laurie @SimplyScratch
You crack me up. Cat voice…HAA! I love your blog… it makes me laugh out loud! PS… this looks fab!
Dani
Well as long as he eats your yummy food and picks up his socks you should be good to go :)
ML
I think you should give each other a chance…
Taylor
Joy, I love you. Especially because you have a cat voice like I do.
Jess
I just made polenta for the first time, last week, and now all I want is more polenta!
Thanks for these recipes, they both look divine.
Laura @ SweetSavoryPlanet
Breakfast polenta! Who knew? Well you did obviously. Love this.
Kat @ Cupcake Kat
Polenta looks good I need to try it sometime. btw I have a voice specifically for cats too
ruby
Yumm. & I love that there’s a bird in the picture where you laid out all the ingredients. *smile*
Miri Leigh
Oh how I love polenta, sweet or savory. And I love a fried egg on top of just about ANYTHING.
Dannie
The funny thing is i did the same thing with the grits (calling it polenta seems wrong lol) I made last night-Cheesey grits for “dinner” and sweet creamy grits for “dessert” with the extra warmed up this morning for breakfast….I secretly wanted the savory version as well ;)
Rachel
Wow. Joy, you have no idea how much I love that breakfast polenta you posted ages ago or how many times I have made it. The only thing I don’t like about it is my future husband doesn’t realize how amazing it is.
However, this savory breakfast polenta just made my little heart skip a beat! He will love this! And I may get to have breakfast polenta more often. Win!
beth
Oh wowza.
Joy, you charm me. You’re my new favorite food blogger. Many thanks for the giggle, I just read your post out loud to my husband, he also giggled.
We like you, but for now I think we’ll just stay married to each other.
Best of luck with your future husband.
Vanessa
I don’t know why I never have polenta for breakfast!! Looks so good! And you really crack me up with your humor :-) It reminds me of someone I know… Not mentioning any names of course!! [me]
Andrea
Joy, I totally don’t want to marry you but I would love to come for breakfast. Maybe you can explain the difference to me between a fried egg and sour cream – which is what I swore was topping your savory polenta until I read the recipe. Perhaps a visit to the optometrist is in order.
liz
bwahahaha. glad to know i’m not the only one with around 168 facebook friends :)
i had the savory/sweet debate tonight. and i just ate a heaping helping of birthday cake for dinner….so, yeah.
brittany ukulele
i think it always works out perfectly the way we can be so smooth and witty on the internet, then not be able to keep up a two minute conversation in real life scenarios. that and every time a perfect future husband DOES ask you out on a date, you’re mind instantly leaves your body and you end up saying something you don’t even remember…until he walks away with that ‘look’…or does that just happen to me? anyways, i love you joy, and sorry for not using capitilzation – i got scolded at by an e-mail buddy the other day. i’ve tried two of your recipes so far and you’re my favorite…write a book already. or open up a bakery in the east and let me work in it.
xoxo brittany
Monica
HYSTERICAL! I was laughing out loud reading it (for real, not just LOL) and my hubby asked what was so funny. I read it to him; he agreed, you’re a riot! Love polenta, I made NC style shrimp and cheesy polenta last night for supper. Comfort food.
Carol
I love, love, love savory polenta, and want to recommend adding greens like wilted arugula or locanto kale (or, to replace the bacon for our vegetarian friends). Really good with Cholula’s smoky chipotle hot sauce!
joythebaker
i like where your head is at Carol. Indeed.
Happy When Not Hungry
Wow this polenta looks awesome! I would’ve never thought to make it for breakfast, but yours looks delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Trevor
Joy! I was going to freak out because I thought you had stolen another idea of a future post of mine… but you are safe. Don’t worry about it. I have been pining for some fried mush! Oh fried mush!!!!! But, this looks just as good and easy to make internationally! THANK YOU!
Tammie Perry
Joy, I loved this post…definitely going to try the polenta recipes they sound delish. I also love hearing about blubs from the dating world, you have such a way of putting someone in their place without being a b—-. Your posts seriously make me laugh out loud, get me to cook some tasty stuff I might not have before AND I always look forward to the next post. Thanks Joy!
Julie
Oh mercy, Joy, this looks SO good. I am making the sweet for my breakfast tomorrow – and the savory for the family tomorrow.
BTW, been living off your molasses bread the past couple of weeks. SO great. Made it to accompany a nice soup one night, and then everyone loved it for breakfast. With a little smear of cheese and some fresh fruit – YUM.
Amy @DYKTMP?
hey. hows it goin?
Kocinera
Ohhh this post made me laugh! Welcome to the no Facebook friends club–I’ve only got 71. I prefer to think that folks like us are merely more selective in our friending practices.
At least that’s what I like to think. :D
karen
I’ll be honest. (I never lie, well, almost never, but I had to say that.) I would have passed on the Polenta recipe when I saw the title in my inbox. But when I read, “Dear Future Husband,” I had to click and read the rest. What a tease!! The problem is, you are making him drool over you even more with this breakfast recipe. He’s picturing breakfast in bed with Polenta now. He’s least a bit concerned with the toothpaste and your cats. As always, great post and pictures.
PK
Wait! Did your boyfriend really send you an email addressing you as his “future wife”? I’m confused. Also, is polenta fattening? I eat steel cut oatmeal and once in a blue I’ll get down with some grits, but what about polenta? Thanks Joy!
joythebaker
polenta is basically the same thing as grits.
ChasRunner
Giiirrrrl call it like it is, you’re eating grits! They’re the best, although, I cannot bring myself to call them breakfast polenta. Creamy grist, fried eggs and bacon? Please and thank you.
joythebaker
same same.
Jennifer @ Licious Food
I have a few recipes for polenta yet I haven’t given them a try yet; I am thinking I should bite the bullet. Thanks for the inspiration!
I, too, am shy & weird … I think we should start a club, you bring the treats? ;)
Kylie @ A Hungry Spoon
Who wants a pet bird anyway? I never really understood the attraction to pets that you can’t cuddle with :)
LOVE your twist on the sweet vs. savory options for breakfast polenta. I made my first “dessert” hummus tonight–butter beans blended with almond butter + cinnamon and a little brown sugar. YUM! While I’ve had plenty o’ savory polenta, I’ve never tried a sweet version…perhaps now is the time?
BakerMan
Dear future wife….I love you! ;)
Adele
White maize meal porridge is a staple in South Africa. We have it with milk, butter and sugar, but I love your versions! Thanks for the recipes.
laura @ alittlebarefoot
absolutely gorgeous!
kate @ the parsley thief
ummmm…I think those both might be the most delicious looking breakfasts I’ve ever seen!
All Adither
The savory polenta looks absurdly good.
Stephanie
I want to make BOTH polentas but I’ll have to use an apple instead of the pear for the sweet one, which I think should work out just fine. I wonder if that was my husband who e-mailed you… he’s always joking that he wants to marry you!
Catherine
Joy, your letters to random people with snippets of your awesomeness make my day. I always sit my (actual, now and future) husband down and read them to him so we can chuckle over your cleverness together. Thanks for making the blogging world a better place!
Sally
Long-time lurker and first-time poster here! These both delicious but I have been obsessed with eggs lately so I think that savory version is going to be my lunch very soon. Or midnight snack.
I have a have a dog-voice. And language, too. They (and my husband) seem to understand me just fine.
Verelle
Is it awful that I’m jealous of your creepy future husband? He sounds doting.
Jamie
hmm… maybe the email was from the guy who writes this blog: http://tomywife.tumblr.com/
[also, I have a special voice for my cats too… it makes me feel less weird that someone else does, so thank you!]
Jess
both sound promising to my tummy, but the savory is definitely my preference. i made a couscous bowl with similar ingredients (sans the bacon) and topped it with a runny egg. it was perfection.
give it a try hippy food doesn’t make you hippy. i think i’m gonna try it for breakfast next time…oh and add the bacon, good call.
dragon fruit
hahah okay so first your shpeal about the e-mail is sooo funny i really enjoyed reading that. everyone has corks, even lovely and talented bloggers like you. and, this looks really… really yummy.
Aku
Hahaha that intro made me laugh. Especially when I realised that it wasn’t a total randomer that had addressed you as his future wife ;)
I’ve never been convinced about polenta, but the sweet version sounds pretty appealing. Here’s to trying new things!
Lauren B in WV
Will regular old cornmeal work (will it thicken?) or must I find polenta? (Not something I can see myself finding on the shelf of the local grocery store.) Both ways look delicious!
p.s. made your whole wheat molasses bread yesterday: divine!
joythebaker
polenta is more coarse than cornmeal. if you can find grits in your grocery… go with that!
Michelle
I LOVE polenta. I think about polenta a lot. Seriously. Then I can eat more than is reasonable for one little lady…
Thanks!
just a french girl...
NOOO.. not the toothpaste… yep, totally gross, but the Mr. Considers me gross that I only brush once a day… Polenta, oh polenta, I love the creamy texture it extrudes. And your dish, looks absolutely toothsome. While life may not be all blossoms, and sunshine, there’s nothing wrong with always living optimistically, frame of mind is everything.
Estela @ Weekly Bite
You are too funny :)
I’ve only eaten savory polenta, so the sweet one looks might tasty :)
BrightBakes
your “breakfast” polenta just became our supper! Ha!
love,
cathy b.
Katrina
Forget breakfast, I’m having this for dinner!
kim
Let me tell you how much I loved this post. I love the fact that you are single and you are pursuing your dreams. Just like me. I love your photos. I think I’ll try both polentas next week when I get paid. And I like cats. And I get demanding when I get stressed out. And I like pears.
You are a continued breath of fresh air in my google feed. Thank you.
jen is hungry
i really should not read your blog when i am hungry!! i was planing on enchilada’s for dinner now i want bacon!!! lol you are way too funny! thanks for the yummy breakfast idea.
Bethany @Bridezilla Bakes
Two recipes for the price (post?) of one? I’ll take it! I’ve heard about breakfast polenta… since I LOVE oatmeal so much, maybe I’ll have to bite the bullet and try this!
Amy Elizabeth
Breakfast can definitely go both ways, savory or sweet. I like that you made it both ways and ate both. I would have combined sweet and savory together, which generally comes out pretty darn disgusting, but I’m still oddly satisfied.
P.S. So nice meeting you at Picking Daisies yesterday and I love the way the new placemats look!
Michelle @ OrganizedEating
I have a different specific voice for tons of things (phone, cats, dogs, work) and it really pisses off my husband for some reason. I think I do it cuz I’m shy…and weird
joythebaker
i, too, am shy and weird. high five.
Melzor
I think most of your “flaws” are virtues. Especially the ones involving cats.
A few months ago, I ate too much polenta and haven’t been able to look at it since. But!! The savory breakfast polenta looks just too good, too pretty. I foresee it in my immediate future.
joythebaker
those aren’t flaws… they’re warnings.
Ashlae
Wait for it: I’ve never had polenta. But I must admit, I’m excited to see a recipe that won’t make my ass huge. If I gain more than 5 pounds this year, I am totally blaming you.
Heather (Heather's Dish)
i don’t think it’s fair to pick between the two…i’m going with a resounding two small bowls on my end!
Lady Gouda
Um. This post is hilarious. I loved it. Also, I love both of these breakfast polenta ideas. For some reason, I think I would do sweet on the weekdays and savory on the weekends, but I have no idea where that came from. Like DessertForTwo, I typically go with grits, but I think trying polenta for breakfast is a great idea- especially since I’ve been out of grits for weeks and keep forgetting them at the store.
Jessica @ How Sweet
I’ve never had polenta for breakfast. This needs remedied. What would I do without you?
Miss P
Ooh my vote’s with the savoury! Perhaps not the most elegant breakfast, but I bet it makes a damn fine hangover cure..not sure if that was your intention though! Nice work lady.
Lauren at KeepItSweet
Both versions look terrific. You always make me LOL!
Helena
I’ve never had polenta for breakfast before – great idea though.
And don’t worry, lots of people have cat voices!
Lauren
I’m an oatmeal fanatic, but the above recipes & photos have left me thinking that I need to switch up my breakfast routine! The polenta looks great, Joy :).
DessertForTwo
I’m totally loving this idea! I make grits in the morning and sometimes I like ’em sweet with sorghum syrup, raisins and cinnamon, and other days I like ’em spicy with jalapenos and cheddar! Grits is just polenta after all (yes, grits is, not grits are–it’s singular).
Yes, your future husband lives in creeptown. But maybe not? Maybe he just likes you so much he can’t help but mess things up at first?
P.S. Is that a typo? Should it be 4 eggs for 4 servings, or 2 egg for 2 large servings? Sorry, don’t mean to point out your flaws like that. Let me finish with a compliment: I saw you at Foodbuzz and had such a girl crush on you, I couldn’t walk up to you. How’s that for creeptown? :)
joythebaker
thanks for pointing out that typo! i’m terrible at proofreading! you saw me and didn’t say hello!? weirdo. i’m nice.. and shy… and next time say hello!
DessertForTwo
Ok, I promise, next time I’ll say hello. But only if you say hello back in your cat voice. Deal?
Ok, this is getting embarrassing, but there’s another typo–2-4 large eggS. I promise I’m not this obnoxious in real life. Just on the internet :)
ellen
hey that was a really cute intro- did you know there is actually a real website about a lady writing to her future husband?? you have just the knack to do that too! totally!
by the by, are you watching the bachelor this season? i would like you opinion on the guy… and the ridiculous drama if possible. it’s unpleasantly hilarious. ~
joythebaker
i’m totally watching the bachelor! ugh.. it’s so dumb.