How to Make and Eat a Circular Breakfast

Circles are one of the easiest shapes to achieve. When one's name begins with an "O", one is quite familiar with the circle and can replicate it almost anywhere. A slight trimming of edges and a basic conception of circumferences and diameters, and voila, a circle is formed.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day, and a circle is the first letter of my name, so I was curious as to what effect the combination of these two firsts would make.

Step 1: Working With What You Have Part 1.

Do you have pancakes from yesterday stored in a plastic bag in the fridge? I think that counts as round!
And as an added bonus, they happen to be vegan. Let's continue this theme, now everything must be both round and vegan.

Step 2: Working With What You Have Part 2

How about some left over coffee in the mr. coffee? Hold on, do you really know when it was made and and by whom? Are you prepared for the disappointment of re-warmed coffee? And don't you hate it when people have pet names for coffee? Java, bean juice, mud, I can't go on.
No, no, no. A fresh pot must be made. Dump out the old grounds from the reusable filter, washing optional. Grind the beans in one of the two bean grinders, pour them into the filter, fill up the back of the pot and try to remain patient.

Step 3: The Hashbrowns

Breakfast is a great time to eat only starches. A wonderful accompaniment to pancakes is the hashbrown. Even the names are similar. I made mine by shredding two small potatoes with a cheese grater, adding some of the random fresh herbs we had lying around like sage, rosemary and this other little leafy go-knows-what. I mixed in nutritional yeast for structural integrity and salt, pepper and paprika for taste. I am not so great at portions, so I will have to split the huge hashbrown into two. This breakfast is getting massive. I will be full forever.

Step 4: Hash in a Pan

I love high heat cooking. I like how it sounds, smells, burns and takes less time. However, not too many people appreciate this practice, so I decided to cook my hashbrowns over reasonable heat. I greased the skillet with Safflower oil because it is the best oil, and turned the knob about half way. I dumped in the little hockey puck shaped potato piles and allowed them to cook on one side until brown and then flipped them. They held together surprisingly well and cooked all the way through because I covered them with a pan lid.

Step 5: Toaster Cooking

While the hashbrowns were browning and the coffee was dripping, I put the two leftover pancakes into the toaster. They are buckwheat-cinnamon-raisin-granola pancakes, by the way. I was able to time it just right so that the toaster popped just as the hashbrowns were ready and the coffee had almost finished. As usual I took the coffee pot out from under the dripper before it was done so the unfinished coffee dripped on the hot plate and made a hissing noise and burnt smell. I kind of like it.

Step 6: Choosing a Plate

Aim for a round plate, even if it has a slight crack. Remember, we have a theme.

Step 7: Choosing a Table

Try to find a round table too. Even though it is rather filthy.

Step 8: The Circular Breakfast Experience

Now place all elements on the plate.
We have:
2 pancakes garnished with Kate's lemon sauce from last night and some banana slices (round)
2 lovely hashbrowns
1 big slightly round dollop of Nick's ketchup for which I kind of neglected to ask permission
1 cylinder of strawberry jam my mother made last summer
1 empty jam jar full of fresh coffee with soymilk

As I ate I thought about how the granola I used in the pancakes yesterday was questionable in its veganocity. It was probably fine, but I definitely didn't check thoroughly before assuring David and Derek that it was vegan batter. I remember one time I made cupcakes and I was so sure I'd made them vegan until I looked at the label of the cocoa powder and realized there was some milk something in there. I have a mental image of Derek biting into one of those cupcakes. I am raked by guilt as I eat my circular breakfast.
I then pick up the newspaper and read an article about the murder of a little girl in a town called Tracy. I am now horrified and guilt ridden.
The hashbrowns are absolutely amazing and the pancakes, though perhaps a little less toothsome than yesterday are very good. Coffee is see-god as usual.

Step 9: Confession Time

The meal finished, I reflected on the experience and my execution of the circular breakfast.
All in all, it was quite wonderful to apply so much effort into a meal through which I usually half sleep. It was both enjoyable and filling.
At first I planned to eat it using only circular utensils, but when the time came, hunger won over purpose. I also used some Tapatio as a condiment, and although the bottle is slightly spherical at its base, it tapers at the top, therefore does not really belong with the rest of the circular elements.
I had another cup of coffee, downloaded pictures, and completed this entry.
I hope someday you will be able to achieve a circular breakfast of your own!