You know those days when you're either bogged down with something work-related or have gone down several rabbit holes and lost track of time? Maybe you were deep-diving into some avenue of research or new line of inquiry - or, like me, most likely were intensely immersed in various distraction projects. Usually, scouring the internet for a new pair of shoes or some other item I've suddenly deemed absolutely essential to my wardrobe (and hoping the dark depths of eBay or Vinted have it on sale), or going from one ASMR video to the next like some kind of junkie (it's official: I'm addicted).

On such days - and they happen wayyyy too often - I'll look up at the time and suddenly realise:

a) I've done next to nothing anyone could remotely call productive, and

b) it's creeping up to lunchtime, and I can't really afford to spend ages cooking something if I'm going to rescue the evening from PhD-ing.

Queue the Mighty Toast. Quick, cosy, versatile. Depending on your mood, toast can be utterly dull or resoundingly comforting. Armed with the right ingredients, it can pass as a little ray of sunshine in the middle of the day - especially if you opt for fancy bread and a few choice frills to accompany it. From the first year of my PhD it has forever been my mainstay backup plan for days when I need something cheering, sustaining, and which I can knock up in minutes. Clearly, these 'recipes' won't make headlines and I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel - but that would be antithetical to what this blog is about anyway.

A few notes on the recipe

Below you will see three toppings that have become pretty standard in the Carmel Kitchen. I regularly add different/additional things to each of them:

Want some fried sliced courgettes or caramelised red onions on your feta yoghurt - crack on.

Want to change up the cheese in your scrambled eggs - marvellous.

Fancy some feta and coriander sprinkled on the mounds of avo' - go live your best life.

However, for the purposes of this blog, I've kept the recipes fairly simple so you can jazz them up however you please. As someone without dietary requirements, I'm unsure which substitutes to recommend here - but if you're one of those people, you're far better positioned to judge what swaps will work.

For the yoghurt in the Yoghurt & Feta Topping, I must insist you use Greek or a thick natural yoghurt (or the lactose-free version of). Anything thin or 'light' just won't hold its own against the feta and olive oil, and the intended consistency - thick, billowy clouds - simply won't be there.

Also, the portions are generous for a small-to-medium sized slice of toast (as in the photos), for which I'd recommend having a knife and fork to hand. For a large slice of toast, the portion will be more modest - but better for a 'grab and go' situation.