Your recipe for the week: It is really really really good, simple and easy to make ahead of time for guests or a busy day. Did I mention it tastes really good?
Baked French Toast Casserole with Maple Syrup by Paula Deen
Ingredients
1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
8 large eggs
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash salt
Praline Topping, recipe follows
Maple syrup
Directions:
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.
Praline Topping:
1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole. 6-8 servings.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
New Years Dressolutions
Last years..New Years resolution was to not gossip about people (as much), really I did a decent job at that.... in my opinion. So the other day I was trying to come up with this years resolution, and as self involved as it sounds this years resolution is to wear more dresses. I rarely wear them, and I should more often. So in order to help me succeed in this task, I haaaad to buy some new dresses. Yeah I think now you understand why I made this resolution, new clothes!
One of the new dresses I ordered:
One of the new dresses I ordered:
Love, love, love it! It's a jersey cotton fabric, so soft, and the dress hits right below the knee. And yes I even ordered it in that yellow color. This is going to be a verrrry nice year.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Puppies In Pjs
So this morning Brent is reading an article on one of the most popular dogs in the US. Makenna likes the puppy picture, so Brent does a google to find more puppy photos...one with dalmatian puppies comes up. Makenna says "Puppies in Pjs!". We understood what she said but didn't quite understand why she thought they had pjs on. Well, she has two pairs of her favorite pjs with polka dots on them (she was even wearing a pair at the time). So she thought the puppies were wearing pjs like her b/c they had spots like her polka dots. It was cute and we had a little chuckle.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Won't You Be My Neighbor....
So last week our new neighbor moved into the house next door. We scurried on over to his house, seeing the lights on and a car parked in front, grabbing some cookies as a peace offering. We introduced ourselves and chatted a little about what he was going to do with the place.
A couple of days ago Brent took over a parking tag to him since we had forgotten to tell him about the parking sticker he could get (so you don't get ticketed or towed). They had a jolly time talking it up and Brent got home about an hour and a half later, lol. It's nice to have some more younger people in the neighborhood, he's about our age and a student at the University.
A couple of days ago Brent took over a parking tag to him since we had forgotten to tell him about the parking sticker he could get (so you don't get ticketed or towed). They had a jolly time talking it up and Brent got home about an hour and a half later, lol. It's nice to have some more younger people in the neighborhood, he's about our age and a student at the University.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
New Project
We are starting to plan our next project, so that I don't have to drag our laundry down TWO flights of stairs, say it together now.....PROJECT LAUNDRY STATION.
Ok so really we were planning it before, but now it's all written/scratched down on a piece of paper (which I'm sure we will lose here soon). A trip to Lowes is the only thing standing between us and running our Pex from the second floor "closet room" to the basement. Last night we pulled the dishwasher out and cut a nice hole in the drywall under the cabinet so we could run along side the vent pipe. We were wanting to make sure we weren't going to run into firestop, so we jammed a dowel rod up the wall, no firestop, to the right of the vent pipe is a stud, so we'll be running our pex to the left.
So I was reading my Old House Journal Compendium book, which is a wonderful book and we were reading about plumbing. Before last night we hadn't really thought about the vent being connected to the kitchen sink and the laundry station. So we read we needed a separate run for the sink and tie it into the already there vent but above the laundry station. Not something I was too excited about but better than the house filling with sewer gas. ANYWAYYYYY, while dinking online we found they make one way valves for that reason, so we can just buy one of those and stick it under the kitchen sink, haha.
Soooo, our Lowes list looks something like this...and we won't be buying all of it today:
pex
220
floodstop device
sharkbite adapters for copper to pex
pex crimp rings (got a deal already on the crimper)
pvc drain parts
Sounds simple enough, always does right.? Mind you I've still not put down my shoe molding that we bought a couple months ago. I need to stain or paint it. Buuuuut we actually bought shoe molding this time not quarter round, so I won't have to do any stupid freaking RETURN CUTS.
Tomorrow we are going to look at some wood storm windows someone is selling. I reallllly hate the look of aluminum storm windows (and some of our windows don't have storms), so I was looking at the price of wood ones, holyyyy molyyyy $3oo a window, we have 20 some windows. Anyway these people have a 115 year old victorian (sound familiar?) and are getting rid of theirs for 5 bucks a set. Any no I'm not buying new windows for my house (and the next sales person that comes by the house pointing out my old windows, I'm going to laugh at them and send them to the a subdivision). Why don't I want new windows? They are ugly, we have some new ones and they leak cold air worse than my 115 year ones!
Ok so really we were planning it before, but now it's all written/scratched down on a piece of paper (which I'm sure we will lose here soon). A trip to Lowes is the only thing standing between us and running our Pex from the second floor "closet room" to the basement. Last night we pulled the dishwasher out and cut a nice hole in the drywall under the cabinet so we could run along side the vent pipe. We were wanting to make sure we weren't going to run into firestop, so we jammed a dowel rod up the wall, no firestop, to the right of the vent pipe is a stud, so we'll be running our pex to the left.
So I was reading my Old House Journal Compendium book, which is a wonderful book and we were reading about plumbing. Before last night we hadn't really thought about the vent being connected to the kitchen sink and the laundry station. So we read we needed a separate run for the sink and tie it into the already there vent but above the laundry station. Not something I was too excited about but better than the house filling with sewer gas. ANYWAYYYYY, while dinking online we found they make one way valves for that reason, so we can just buy one of those and stick it under the kitchen sink, haha.
Soooo, our Lowes list looks something like this...and we won't be buying all of it today:
pex
220
floodstop device
sharkbite adapters for copper to pex
pex crimp rings (got a deal already on the crimper)
pvc drain parts
Sounds simple enough, always does right.? Mind you I've still not put down my shoe molding that we bought a couple months ago. I need to stain or paint it. Buuuuut we actually bought shoe molding this time not quarter round, so I won't have to do any stupid freaking RETURN CUTS.
Tomorrow we are going to look at some wood storm windows someone is selling. I reallllly hate the look of aluminum storm windows (and some of our windows don't have storms), so I was looking at the price of wood ones, holyyyy molyyyy $3oo a window, we have 20 some windows. Anyway these people have a 115 year old victorian (sound familiar?) and are getting rid of theirs for 5 bucks a set. Any no I'm not buying new windows for my house (and the next sales person that comes by the house pointing out my old windows, I'm going to laugh at them and send them to the a subdivision). Why don't I want new windows? They are ugly, we have some new ones and they leak cold air worse than my 115 year ones!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
It's a celebration...
I know multiple people have asked me to start posting recipes of things I make on the blog so they don't have to think about what to make, so I'm gonna do it, maybe not every week but maybe every two or so.
Celebrating the fact that Meijer has had whole chickens on sale this past week or so for .89 cents a pound (we bought 2)...I present....my LEMON AND HERB ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN AND BABY POTATOES recipe. And by mine I mean, the one I use because I totally ganked it off of foodtv.com
Here we go......LEMON AND HERB ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN AND BABY POTATOES
1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, halved
1/4 bunch each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds red new potatoes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Don't forget to take out the guts.
-Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and herbs inside. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan.
-Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. (I don't do this)
-Toss the potatoes around the chicken. Season the whole thing with a fair amount of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast the chicken and potatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Don't forget to baste the chicken with the drippings and rotate the pan every 20 minutes (ha, no...more like every 30 or 45, because I'm LAZY!) or so to insure a golden crispy skin.
The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.)
Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. Serve with the roasted potatoes on the side. Serves 6.
Here is the link to a printable version .
There you have it people, it's cheap, it is reeeeeally good and you can use the carcass afterwards to make homemade chicken stock (better than anything you will every buy at the store)! SOOOO GOOOOD!
Celebrating the fact that Meijer has had whole chickens on sale this past week or so for .89 cents a pound (we bought 2)...I present....my LEMON AND HERB ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN AND BABY POTATOES recipe. And by mine I mean, the one I use because I totally ganked it off of foodtv.com
Here we go......LEMON AND HERB ROASTED WHOLE CHICKEN AND BABY POTATOES
1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, halved
1/4 bunch each fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds red new potatoes
Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
-Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels. Don't forget to take out the guts.
-Season the cavity with salt and pepper, and then stuff the lemon, garlic, and herbs inside. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan.
-Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. (I don't do this)
-Toss the potatoes around the chicken. Season the whole thing with a fair amount of salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
Roast the chicken and potatoes for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Don't forget to baste the chicken with the drippings and rotate the pan every 20 minutes (ha, no...more like every 30 or 45, because I'm LAZY!) or so to insure a golden crispy skin.
The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer says 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs of the chicken should wiggle easily from the sockets too.)
Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving. Serve with the roasted potatoes on the side. Serves 6.
Here is the link to a printable version .
There you have it people, it's cheap, it is reeeeeally good and you can use the carcass afterwards to make homemade chicken stock (better than anything you will every buy at the store)! SOOOO GOOOOD!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Icebox
It is very cold out, the sidewalk needs shoveled, but it isn't happening today, it's -12 BEFORE THE WIND CHILL. All the local schools are closed because of the mad crazy coldness. Brent also took the day off today and he stayed home yesterday (he has a little cold), so we've been having fun at home. This weekend is also a three day weekend, so bonanza! Makenna is currently trying to throw her stuffed puppy at the candy cane on the christmas tree, to knock it down so she can eat it, it's called being resourceful.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Holiday Photo Review
Ok, so I forgot to share the photos that I said I uploaded last night, so NOW you can go look at them!
And a happy new year....
Welcome to 2009.
We got back home last night, late, ok not that late, 8, but it felt late because we had been in the car the whole day and half of the 6 hour trip we drove through super thick fog. But at last we are home. We had a nice time down in Tennessee with family, catching up, hanging out, cooking, playing wii and guitar hero! I still have a small case of wii-itis, this is what we are calling our perpetually sore muscles from playing wii.
It will now take us a week to unpack, it always does. Makenna had the suv loaded down with Christmas presents, and I suppose some of them were ours too, ha.
I'll post some pictures here on the blog in a bit, but the laptop is about to die, buuuuut head on over to our picture site and see a little preview, as last night I let the desktop upload all 188 photos. Enjoy!
We got back home last night, late, ok not that late, 8, but it felt late because we had been in the car the whole day and half of the 6 hour trip we drove through super thick fog. But at last we are home. We had a nice time down in Tennessee with family, catching up, hanging out, cooking, playing wii and guitar hero! I still have a small case of wii-itis, this is what we are calling our perpetually sore muscles from playing wii.
It will now take us a week to unpack, it always does. Makenna had the suv loaded down with Christmas presents, and I suppose some of them were ours too, ha.
I'll post some pictures here on the blog in a bit, but the laptop is about to die, buuuuut head on over to our picture site and see a little preview, as last night I let the desktop upload all 188 photos. Enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)