Last week was busy with getting ready for the Rains County Visitors Center open house on Thursday. The building was completely transformed with a good cleaning, a fresh coat of paint and donated artwork from the community. Members from the Rains County Chamber of Commerce and the Rains County Tourism Distribution Board worked hard to make the opening a success.

Last week my twin seven-year-old nieces also came for one last visit before school starts. Those sweet girls kept me busy and we gave their mom a much-needed break before she returns to teach fifth grade in Arlington.

After a round-trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and back, I was glad it was Ben’s night to cook dinner. I only had to make the pie shell for that tasty quiche and Ben prepared the rest.

Spinach and Mushroom Quiche
2 Tbsp. butter
2 c. sliced mushrooms
2 c. Greek yogurt
4 eggs
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. milk
1 Tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
6 drops hot pepper sauce, or more to taste
5 oz. (1/2 package) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 pie shell

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in skillet and sauté mushrooms about 5 minutes or until tender. Place yogurt, eggs, Parmesan cheese, flour, milk, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper sauce in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add mushrooms, spinach and cheese into the mixture and stir until blended.

Pour mixture into the prepared shell placed in a pie pan. Bake until lightly browned and until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.

Now that my young chickens are laying, I have plenty of eggs. Some of those eggs are too small to sell, so I use them for our dinners. One great way to use eggs is in making a frittata.

Ham and Cheese Frittata
2 Tbsp. butter
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
8 large eggs (or 12 pullet eggs)
1/4 c. milk
1 c. diced ham
1 c. cheddar cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, basil, thyme or oregano

Sauté onions in butter until soft. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add ham, cheese and herbs and stir to mix. Add onions to the mixture too.

Pour the mixture into a non-stick, oven-safe skillet over medium-low heat. Stir a few times, but then let the mixture cook and the bottom set. It will take about 5 minutes. Then transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 400 degrees for another 5 minutes or until the egg mixture sets on top.

Frittata may be made with different ingredient combinations. Instead of ham and onions, try shrimp and artichoke hearts, ground beef and peas or chopped crispy bacon and chopped asparagus. Try mozzarella, Swiss or feta cheese instead of using cheddar. Frittata is great for breakfast, but just add a side salad and it’s a complete lunch or dinner.