This is a post written by one of my Facebook mates Caroline Murphy and it is really great both in form and content. I just love writing that compares what is around us all the time with that which happens in another setting in this case another country: America.


"One of the things I most miss about living in America, is breakfast. Americans really do breakfast. Here it is an uncomfortable mish-mash of the fry-up (nothing wrong with that, but hard to find in most small towns and often really bad), or the carb-filled delights of a coffeeshop where you will inevitably consume enough sugar for a year and be hungry again an hour later. Its also hard to find somewhere to go. A hotel? possibly, but thats a stodgy, overpriced experience where you feel obliged to pay and leave as soon as possible. A caff? ok, but I don't want to drive 20 miles. In America, the first time my husband took us all out for breakfast, I was google-eyed at the range of things on offer, but its not so much the food, or the prices, or the fact that kids are expected to make noise/mess and you can stay as long as you like without getting 'the look' from a waitress, its something you can do, any morning, without driving more than a mile, any time from 5am to lunch and you can carry on eating it all day if you like! Brits are very starchy about 'breakfast' it should be eaten in the morning dammit, between the hours of 8am (god forbid that any of us would be expected to rise before this) and all over by 10 - out you go! In fact Americans are very relaxed about eating out in general. I was delighted to find that at dinner in a large party, the waitress did not bat an eyelid when it came to my turn to order and I asked for just 'a bowl of ice cream please'. Maybe it was my 'foreign accent' and I am expected to be a bit weird, but I felt that had I asked for a bowl of marinated toenails, she would have whipped off her shoes right there. Moving back to Britain, we all felt the usual sense of anticipation on weekend mornings, when we got ready to go for breakfast, then wandered around looking at each other in confusion - where does everyone go? Being away for a while, you forget things (things you don't like much) and this all came back to me: 'er, British Homes Stores?' Right, said my husband, lead me to it (enthusiastically), well first we get in the car and drive about 8 miles to the nearest large town, then we park and pay, then we all troop out and stare at some miserable pinkish things in a hot cabinet while a surly server drums his fingers, wait in line and part with a mortgage payment to sit in silence in the plastic splendour of the department store 'restaurant'. Its not the noisy, laughter filled, happy breakfast mornings I remember. There are lots of other wonderful things to like about living here, but breakfast is not one of them. One amazing place we used to go to in Texas, was a large old restored warehouse. It was a restaurant/wine bar and an art gallery which did the most fantastic breakfasts. As soon as you sat down, the waitress brought you an effusive welcome, an introduction and a steaming basket of muffins and other just baked pastries. Oh, I thought the first time we went, not much choice but hey ho. Then the menu's arrived. Pastries were complimentary and everything else you could imagine wanting for breakfast was on the menu. Tables were close enough that you could chat with a neighbour but far away enough you didn't feel cramped. Kids all socialised with other kids, made noise, dropped muffins on the floor, swapped bits of food, spilled drinks, yelled to friends they knew a few tables away and adults had surreptitious bloody mary's with their coffee. Also, you can have your food any way you like it! try asking for your bacon sauteed for 6 minutes exactly here, with crispy edges only and you would get a curt nod and the bacon the way it comes regardless. Americans will cook your food any way you want it and you get all that with a smile. Returning to Britain after five years, I looked forward to many things I had put out of my mind, and now we are planning a move back the the states, I can hardly wait for breakfast!"