I love the smell of Tex-Mex in the morning

You know what I miss? A good chorizo and potato breakfast taco with really hot salsa from Taco Shack. People here often react with esophageal spasms when I tell them stories of eating a good, hearty Tex-Mex breakfast.

In fact, if what Italians eat for breakfast doesn't have "high fructose corn syrup" as it's first ingredient and cream, lard, and straight-to-blood glucose as it's following ingredients it is just not acceptable.

My niece and nephew thought that I had died and gone to live in heaven when I told them that Italian children get to eat cookies and cake for breakfast. It's true, I tell you.

How do they do this? These sweet breakfasts are not very substantial, and in Naples you don't eat lunch until around 2:00. I AM READY TO EAT THE WORLD by 11:30 most days! I have asked many a person how one can eat a couple of cookies at breakfast and have no problem waiting until 2 to eat?? Typical response, "I don't understand how people eat at noon." (?!?) Because slow death from starvation coupled with near-death fainting can make a girl want to do something crazy like eat at noon, THAT'S WHY.

A spicy protein breakfast, though, has the magical power to tide me over for at least 3 hours.

Am I complaining that occasionally I am forced to eat a hot nutella-filled croissant for breakfast lest I seem rude to refuse what has been lovingly baked at the local pasticceria? Would I dare say that a big, warm, whole-milk cappucino isn't just what I need to get me going sometimes? Would I lie and say that I don't enjoy the way the cookies get all half-mushy and half-crunchy IN that cappucino?

Absolutely not.

All I am saying is that you can take a girl out of Texas, but she'll still want a little piece of home every now and then.