Northern Michigan Breakfast

Randy and I recently returned from our annual northern Michigan kayaking getaway. Nothing spells R-E-L-A-X-A-T-I-O-N like a few days away in upper lower Michigan. If you're not from Michigan, hold out your left hand and look at the point where the bottom of your fingernail touches your middle finger. That is one place we Michiganders call upper lower Michigan.

The destination for this yearly adventure is a small cluster of cabins situated a stone's throw from the swift current of the Sturgeon River. Our rustic log cabin, while complete with all the necessary comforts of home, has wonderfully charming characteristics. Sloping floors. Mismatched dishes.
Pull cords in place of light switches. A huge field stone fireplace. Curtains made from patterned bed sheets.

The cabin's kitchen is well stocked. Utensils, pots, pans and dinnerware are in abundance. Normally, random items such as coffee filters, toothpicks and salt and pepper are also readily available. We lack none of life's simple necessities.

Randy spoils me on these northern vacations. His special treat for me involves preparing all the meals. He loves making breakfast. He enjoys barbecuing on the outdoor charcoal grill. I literally sit like a queen and wait for my food. I bask in the glory of this small kingdom!

On our first morning, while licking my chops waiting to be served my fried eggs, bacon, sausage and muffin, I decided to set the table and put out the condiments. We'd purchased jelly, butter and peanut butter, so I set those on the table. We bought paper towels to serve the dual purpose of clean up and napkin substitute. Check. Plates, coffee cups, silverware. Check. Check. Check. And then the search began in earnest for salt and pepper. I searched the cupboards. I opened drawers. I peeked on shelves. Then, hiding behind the plastic glasses, I found one little plastic shaker containing...pepper. NO salt!

A home cooked breakfast is, hands down, the best meal of the day. But eggs without salt...now that's an entirely different matter altogether. Those eggs are bland, bland, bland!

Now I'm no salt guru by any means, but I do know that salt enhances the flavor of food. A little sprinkle of salt on vegetables and meat makes for a delicious feast. A dash of salt in boiling water brings out the sweetness in corn on the cob. We even add salt to cookie dough to bring out its sweet goodness! The tiniest amount of salt makes for a great transformation!

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the earth. We are to spread flavor throughout his creation. We are tasked with seasoning the earth with his goodness. Only by the grace of God are we able to do these things through him. Likewise, Jesus warns us about losing our "saltiness."

Matthew 5:13 from the Message:
"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage."

We were able to salvage the tastiness of our breakfast by using the remnants of sea salt from the jar of North Carolina peanuts we packed along. We're nothing if not creative geniuses!

Let's get shaking!