Take a Shot at Collecting

Like many people, I’ve collected a few things in my life.

My first real collecting was really more of gathering toys than any intentional collecting. It started with legos. Thousands of legos. Next went to cards. First baseball and football, but also to Star Wars and other pop culture cards. Again, I collected them for the fun, more than the value. I spent about 10 minutes collecting stamps and had a decent collection of Roosevelt dimes, but I can’t say there was much excitement to it.

Now I only collect two things. The first is pounds. Unfortunately, not the British kind. If anyone wants my collection, I have plenty to spare!

The main thing I collect is shot glasses.

This started when I was a teenager. A good friend of mine went on a family trip to Glacier National Park and brought me back a shot glass. Shortly after that, I went on a self guided college tour of USC and UCLA and stopped in each bookstore. Not having much money, I wanted a quick souvenir, I picked up a shot glass at each. Since that time I have collected shot glasses all around the country (and in a few cases around the world).

My collection is currently over 200 strong with glasses from cities I’ve visited (like Memphis or San Francisco), attractions (Disney World and Yellowstone) and quite a few novelty ones (the Texas sized shot glass, the crooked one). I have plenty of plain ones with a logo (colleges and sports teams) and a surprising number of ones with additional parts (the three-dimensional moose, the guy in the sombrero climbing the side). On a trip to Europe several years ago I had to purchase schnapps glasses as shot glasses were not to be found.

When I first started collecting I said I’d take a shot from each of them. Not being a big shot drinker, I have fallen woefully behind.

Denver Omelet Cups

These little cups are made in muffin tins and kinda look like they were made in large shot glasses.

You can really put whatever you want in these.

Stuff the tins with shredded potatoes.

Fry some diced ham, peppers and onions.

The cups are partially baked.

Add the ham mixture and crack an egg on top.

Cover with cheese and bake.

An awesome little cup of flavor.

Delectable!

Denver Omelet Cups

prep Serves 6 ∙ source Marthastewart.com

INGREDIENTS

• 5 teaspoons unsalted butter

• 4 cups frozen hash browns (1 pound), thawed

• Coarse salt and ground pepper

• 1/2 small red onion, diced small

• 1 small red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced small

• 4 ounces ham steak, diced small

• 3 ounces cheddar, grated (3/4 cup)

• 8 large eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Coat 6 nonstick jumbo muffin cups with 1/2 teaspoon butter. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt 4 teaspoons butter. Add hash browns and 2 egg whites; season with salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Place 1/2 cup mixture into each muffin cup, firmly pressing into bottom and up side of each cup. Bake 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 teaspoon butter over medium. Add red onion, bell pepper, and ham steak. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vegetable mixture evenly among cups and top with cheddar. Bake 2 minutes. Remove from oven and crack 1 egg into each cup. Season with salt and pepper and bake until whites are set but yolks are still runny, 8 to 10 minutes. With a small offset spatula, remove cups from pan and serve immediately.