I've had a pretty sordid love-hate relationship with mornings. Honestly my opinion on them changes even more often than my opinion of Azealia Banks does, and they're just a section of the day and not even a super talented but also super offensive human.

So, mornings. In the 8-12 age range, I was nonviolently coerced into competitive swimming, so mornings broke my soul by forcing me out of a warm bed and into a freezing cold pool, which sucked. On the other hand, when I started high school, mornings were my shot to pick for myself what to make for breakfast, so of course I chose vanilla ice cream with hot coffee poured over it, which was awesome and probably also a terrible terrible thing to do.

But good or bad, mornings and I have always agreed there needs to be some sort of routine. Right now, since Beau and I are newly dog dads (Fox has been with us just barely a year!) that routine largely centers on getting all of his needs taken care of. Obvi most important is making sure he gets scratched and cuddled, but food and walking happens, too. We usually just make the block once, which is great because Fox is only six pounds, we’re both panting in the heat, and Dad still needs caffeine.

On days that we’re not in a super rush or we’re just feeling a little extra fancy, we break out the Chemex to get all crafty about our coffee. Coffee has this awesome effect of making you feel like you’re worth something? I don’t know. It’s magical. But it sparks something inside that says, “Hey, your body is a temple and it deserves to be treated right.” Ok, coffee, we hear you. So it’s time for a trip to the gym, where we can show the whole Bywater our best Jamie Lee Curtis in Perfect and work up an appetite.

After gym comes food! Breakfast will sometimes be little fruit slices and a glob of nut butter, but sometimes it’s a little more fancy. The food porn in this post is one of our more refined breakfasts, but it’s actually still super easy to make: lox brioche toast with dill whipped cream cheese and I think I just cried a little joy as a typed that. This particular recipe is awesome because you get to pig out on buttery and slightly sweet brioche, but it’s salmon so we can say it’s healthy and fish oils and all that jazz!

Whether it’s something modest or a carb-palooza, once breakfast is over, we (well, I’m better about it than Beau) typically take a few multivitamins. Multivitamins are kind of one of those things that a lot of people say aren’t necessary but a lot of people say are very necessary, so I kind of figure why not just pop a few. The ones we use taste like candy, so it can’t hurt. With Southern Decadence coming up this weekend and Beau trying to get his golden eyeliner just right for the big party, we’re going to need to be in tip top health so that all of the festivities don’t make us feel like crap. Is there a magic multivitamin to mimosa ratio that can just keep us some neutral level?

In other Southern Decadence preparations news, we’ve partnered with We PrEP Together to raise awareness about PrEP, a recent addition to plenty of folks’ morning routines! It’s a once-a-day medication that is super effective in preventing the transmission of HIV, so that all the little sweeties can feel healthy and safe while enjoying the fun here in New Orleans (and everywhere!). If you're HIV-, PrEP can help you stay that way.

PrEP is a new drug, and it can be kind of pricey, but what’s really awesome about these guys is that they’re not into the idea that finances should mess with the fight against HIV. While most insurance companies make PrEP affordable, We PrEP Together has super cute insurance specialists and financial assistance programs that can help make it accessible to everyone, regardless of insurance, so that you are never put at risk for contracting HIV because of your income.

So if you're HIV- and part of a high-risk community, consider making PrEP a part of your morning routine by visiting We PrEP Together’s site and making an appointment at one of their five partnering health centers in the New Orleans area to talk to a medical expert! Ok, now it’s time for us to cuddle Fox and you’re probably hungry, so check out the recipe for this Lox Brioche situation, probably the most Sunday brunch-appropriate thing there is. Happy Southern Decadence, cuties!

Lox Brioche Toast

prep time: 10 minutes // cook time: 15 minutes // makes 4 - 6 pieces of toast

1 loaf brioche, sliced into 4 - 6 (1" thick) pieces
2 tablespoons butter, melted
6 oz lox
8 oz whipped cream cheese*, room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill + more for garnish
1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon capers
6 - 8 caper berries
3 - 4 eggs, optional

Position an oven rack in the high position in your oven and turn your oven broiler on high*. Brush both sides of each brioche slice with the melted butter and place either directly onto the oven rack, or if you want to be smart and safe about it, place the slices onto a baking sheet. Use tongs to flip the slices over after about one minute, at which point they should be golden brown. Let get crispy for an additional 30 seconds to a minute and remove from oven. Set aside.
To make the soft boiled eggs, bring a saucepan of water (with just enough water to cover the eggs) to a boil over high heat. Add the eggs, set your timer to 7 minutes, and turn the heat down to a simmer. While the eggs cook create an ice water bath. When 7 minutes is up, immediately remove the eggs from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place directly into the ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Once they've cooled down to room temperature, remove the shells with your fingers by running the eggs under a little cold water and gently peeling off the shell. Dry off the eggs and set aside.
Fold the chopped dill into the whipped cream cheese and spread an even amount of the cream cheese on each of the slices of toast. Top with a few pieces of salmon, red onion, capers, and caper berries. Slice the eggs and top each piece of toast with one or two soft boiled egg halves and a few pieces of dill. Enjoy (preferably with coffee and a puppy!).

Notes

If you're not feeling the whole oven thing this early in the morning, you can use a toaster oven instead.
If you don't have whipped cream cheese, you can use traditional cream cheese and beat it with a hand-held mixer or with a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment) for about three minutes, until fluffy. This really helps with spreading the cream cheese onto the toast, as dense cream cheese can be super hard to spread on delicate bread such as brioche.

Thanks so much to We PrEP Together for sponsoring this post. All opinions are our own.

Lox Brioche Toast + Our Morning Routine