We have done a lot of travelling, visiting family or experiencing the adventure of new destinations. For years, my favorite dining place has been the International House of Pancakes, better known as IHOP. No matter where we find that restaurant, we know that the food is consistently fresh and delicious. The salads are fresh, the meals are like "down-home"! But I have to admit that my favorite meal, no matter the time of day, is breakfast. The variety of waffles, French toast, pancakes, crepes, omelettes, topped with fruit compote or syrup, and combined with crisp bacon, grilled sausages, or ham, plus eggs (prepared as you prefer), and hash browns provide a seemingly endless variety of delicious breakfasts.

Finally, after many years of waiting for IHOP to come to our area, we finally have one in our city. The bad news is... It is in the furthest opposite corner of the city from where we live. I must admit that they are still in the "start-up" mode, and still have some things to learn. In my "never-to-be-humble" (as said by Dr. Laura) opinion, they still don't have my favorite Canadian breakfast selection.

The best breakfast restaurant in Calgary, started some years ago by a local couple who were tired of searching for a good morning breakfast, started their own establishment called Humpties. It is the only place that I have seen my favorite item: Iced Oatmeal. The ingredients are: hot oatmeal, topped with a large ball of ice cream and a multi-berry compote.

I'm NOT making this up! It's easy to make it at home, so try it! I think you will be pleasantly surprised.