I had an unusual opportunity this past weekend to get away from my normal, mostly short order cook/mama life. My brother hooked my husband and myself up with a very cool 40th birthday present (back in December). A weekend at Pembroke Springs Retreat, a three or so hour drive from Baltimore, in Star Tannery, VA. They offer Japanese baths and a quiet, rural setting. I would recommend it as a nice place to empty your brain of nonsense, and fill it up with fresh air and really tasty water that comes from local springs.

But I’m not here to talk about soaking my aching muscles in hot springs, right? I'm talking about food. Taeko and Lisa (mom and daughter) Floyd do the cooking at this better than a bed and breakfast. A traditional Japanese or a traditional American breakfast is offered. **Please note.. the above picture is what my plate looked like after I inhaled most of it. Then I realized I should probably take a photo. Oops! There will be more complete photos coming soon.

This is what we got the first morning:

1. toasted nori (seaweed) (to go with a fresh, from the chicken, raw or cooked egg you mix up with the rice)
2. grilled salmon
3. a little eggy, scallion, pancakey thing
4. hijiki (seaweed) salad
5. grilled asparagus
6. bowl of radish and cucumber thinly sliced with some kind of vinegar
7. bowl of hot rice with plum powder sprinkled atop
8. miso soup with seaweed and tofu
9. beautifully displayed orange and strawberries

I don’t believe I’ve ever eaten a meal like this in the morning, but I wish I could walk downstairs every day to such a colorful and delicious spread. What in the world makes us Americans think we should be eating bready things as a way to get started in our days? Isn’t fish brain food? Don’t get me wrong, I love a blueberry muffin or a real bagel with a pile of lox on it (YUM...another day, another entry), but wow. There’s a reason such a small island in the North Pacific Ocean island has such a powerful global presence and history. THEY EAT REALLY GOOD BREAKFASTS!

Will write about the second breakfast soon...