By Michael is eight months old and he has said his first word. It was not "mama." It was not "dada." It was "nah," which Kayla insists is a variation of "no" and which I insist is a variation of "nana," which is what he is trying to call me. Kayla says I am delusional. I say I am interpretive. The truth is somewhere between delusion and interpretation, which is where most of the truth in this family lives.
He said it at Saturday morning breakfast. I was making eggs — scrambled, soft, the way I make eggs for babies, which is with more butter than Kayla would approve of and less salt than I would like and a prayer that the baby eats them without the seven-expression face, which he has upgraded to a nine-expression face as his emotional range has expanded with his diet. I said, "Good morning, Michael," and he looked at me and he said, "Nah." Clear as a bell. "Nah." And then he grinned — the tomato-juice grin, the Henderson grin, the grin that says "I know what I said and I meant it." He said "nah" and I will go to my grave believing he was trying to say "nana" and nobody will convince me otherwise because I am seventy years old and I have earned the right to interpret baby sounds in my favor.
Devon thinks it was "no." Devon says, "Granny Dot, he says 'nah' to everything. He says it to the dog. He says it to the ceiling fan." I said, "Devon, he does not love the ceiling fan the way he loves me. The 'nah' for the ceiling fan is a different 'nah.' My 'nah' has intention." Devon looked at Kayla. Kayla looked at the ceiling. The ceiling had no comment.
He is eating everything now. Sweet potato, banana, avocado, peas (mashed — he is not ready for whole peas, which are a choking hazard and also a choking opinion, because Kayla the nurse has opinions about choking hazards that are louder and more frequent than my opinions about cornbread, which is saying something). He eats scrambled eggs. He eats oatmeal. He eats mashed carrots and mashed green beans and mashed everything because his teeth are arriving one at a time like guests to a party and until the whole set shows up, everything gets mashed.
Made eggs for two tonight. Mine and Michael's. Same pan. Different seasoning. Same kitchen. Same love. The eggs are the beginning. The shrimp and grits are the future. We're getting there, baby. One "nah" at a time.
Now go on and feed somebody.
That Saturday morning changed the eggs for me — they were not just breakfast anymore, they were a moment, and I wanted a recipe I could come back to every single week and make exactly the same way: soft, buttery, simple, gluten free, and big enough for two. One plate with a little more seasoning. One plate with a little less. Same pan. Same love. That’s the whole recipe, really — the rest is just details.
Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas: Soft Scrambled Eggs for Two
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Total Time: 13 minutes | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons whole milk or cream
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (for the grown-up portion)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (for the grown-up portion)
- 1 pinch garlic powder, optional (for the grown-up portion)
- Fresh chives or parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Crack and whisk. Crack all 4 eggs into a bowl and add the milk or cream. Whisk until the yolks and whites are fully combined and a little frothy, about 30 seconds.
- Divide the eggs. Pour roughly half the egg mixture into a separate small bowl — this will be the baby’s portion. Leave the rest in the first bowl. Season only the grown-up bowl with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if using. Leave the baby’s bowl completely unseasoned.
- Melt the butter. Heat a nonstick skillet over low heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt slowly until it foams but does not brown.
- Cook the baby’s eggs first. Pour the unseasoned egg mixture into the pan. Stir gently with a silicone spatula, pushing the eggs slowly from the edges toward the center. Remove from the heat while they still look slightly underdone — residual heat will finish them. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool slightly before serving to baby.
- Cook the grown-up eggs. Return the pan to low heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Pour in the seasoned egg mixture and repeat the same slow, gentle process — stir from the edges in, pull off heat a touch early, let them finish in the pan. These can go a touch firmer if you prefer, but soft is always better.
- Serve. Plate the grown-up eggs and top with fresh chives or parsley if you like. Set baby’s eggs aside to cool to a safe temperature. Sit down together. That part is not optional.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 210 | Protein: 12g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 1g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 210mg