Light and Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Basil

Yesterday afternoon, my eyes were drooping while I was attempting to get some work done, so I decided to lie down for a few minutes in the sun to rest before the kids got home from school. Half an hour later I awoke to the jarring sound of the dogs barking. I was sweaty and bright red from my deep sleep in the sun and my mind was groggy. But I don't think I could have made it through the rest of the day without that nap.

The past couple of weeks have been so exciting, but also utterly exhausting. In the course of three days, we had five family gatherings to celebrate Celia's bat mitzvah and my mom's 70th birthday. We were also very busy with the arrival and departure of all of our parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins and aunts and uncles for the festivities. When we were growing up, occasionally my mom made what she called deli dinner, which consisted of scrambled eggs, bagels and lox. For my brother, sister and me, it was such a welcome treat, but now that I'm an adult, I realize that for my mom, it was probably a perfect solution to a busy afternoon when she didn't have time to make a real dinner.

This weekend, I didn't have a chance to do my regular dinner planning and grocery shopping, so deli dinner was an easy solution, and like my siblings and I did years earlier, Solomon and Celia think of it as a special treat. Your family may enjoy pancakes, waffles, cereal, or toast for the occasional breakfast for dinner, but in my family, we gravitate toward bagels and lox, scrambled eggs, and fresh fruit. If you want your scrambled eggs really light and fluffy, use a little elbow grease to beat the eggs, whisking them for over a minute until they are somewhat frothy and have an even color throughout the bowl, then cooking them patiently over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they are light and fluffy. If you don't have plain yogurt, cottage cheese also gives the eggs a great taste and lighter consistency than milk.

What's your favorite way to enjoy breakfast for dinner?