Overnight Baked French Toast

My first attempt to make overnight baked french toast wasn't so great. I used the Paula Dean recipe on food network for our Christmas brunch. It was... soggy. Yuck. The bottom half was like egg with sugar and bread baked into it and the top was hard and dry.

I am a french toast lover, so I decided to try again. A few weeks ago I tried the recipe below, with some of my own adaptations. It was delicious! I have definitely found a winner!

original recipe from tablespoon.com

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 loaf french bread sliced into 1 1/2 inches thick slices
• 8 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• (optional) maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping

Directions

1. 1In a small bowl combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
2. 2Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish, overlapping slightly, if necessary
3. 3Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices.
4. 4Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.
5. 5Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
6. 6In the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
7. 7Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes. If top starts browning too quickly place a foil loosely over the top of the casserole for the last 10 minutes or so. You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked but don't dry it out completely.
8. 8Remove casserole from oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.

My lovely baby bumps

I thought I might post some pictures of my baby bump. I've been told I don't have one yet... but I think I do! My pants don't fit for crying out loud. I've resorted to hair ties to keep them closed!

I finally broke down and ordered a couple of pairs of pants for work and OF COURSE, I don't like the way they fit and, OF COURSE I can only return them by mail... I hate that! Because I am short I really have a hard time finding pants that work. I did finally find some at Motherhood I think I'm going to try... and they're petite! Still have to order them online, but I suppose that would be asking too much for petite maternity pants to be in stores.

So here you are:
My bump at 12 weeks (eww iPhone pic- better quality would be appreciated!)

My bump at 14 weeks

Caramel Apple Oatmeal Bars

I tell myself these bars aren't that bad for me since the serving size is only for 100 calories. However, that is for an unfairly small portion!. However, they do have fruit... and oats! They're a yummy treat for lunches and my husband adores them. I have adapted my recipe from the one you can find here on Betty Crocker's website.

 

1

cup packed brown sugar

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1 3/4

cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2

cups quick-cooking oats

1

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

4 1/2

cups coarsely chopped peeled tart apples (3 medium)

3

tablespoons all-purpose flour

carmel ice cream topping, drizzled on top until your hearts content :)

Nuts, optional

• 1Heat oven to 400ºF. Mix brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Stir in 1 3/4 cups flour, the oats, salt and baking soda. Reserve 2 cups oat mixture; press remaining oat mixture in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
• 2Toss apples and 3 tablespoons flour; spread over mixture in pan. Pour caramel topping evenly over apples. Sprinkle with reserved oat mixture; press lightly. Add nuts of your choice if you'd like. I usually use pecans of walnuts.
• 3Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender. For 36 bars, cut into 6 rows by 6 rows while warm. Store covered in refrigerator (I leave mine on the counter).

Well that took awhile...

If you all remember this post I shared with you LONG ago (back in September) about our living room makeover, you were probably wondering if it ever evolved into anything. Well, it did!

http://elizabethlouandco.blogspot.com/2011/09/living-room-makeover-in-progress.html

Let me tell you, it was a LONG process! We had originally painted the below piece of furniture (follow link for the make-over) a light yellow to match the sheets that I picked up at HomeGoods and made into curtains.

http://elizabethlouandco.blogspot.com/2011/11/dresser-diy.html

We sat with that current set up for a couple of months before finally deciding that neither myself, nor my husband, nor many friends and family, liked the color scheme we had chosen.

So, it was back to the drawing board and I had looked EVERYWHERE for curtains, which I wanted to be the jumping off point and big pattern and color for the room. Below is what the end result looks like. I LOVE IT!

P.S. The curtains are from Pottery Barn. They were very expensive, but at that point I think Kyle and I were both sick of trying to find something we liked, so he let me splurge :) Such a good husband!

Grandmom South's Baked Mac & Cheese

This dish has been a staple at any holiday dinner we have ever had in the South Residence (my dad's side). At least that I can remember.

The usual spread consists of the following: ham or turkey-sometimes both, gravy (somehow, it was always my job to make this- appointed by my grandfather), baked mac, mashed potatoes, corn, beets, dinner rolls, deviled eggs and a fresh vegetable and fruit tray... oh, and we can't forget the apple and pumpkin pies! It was always quite a feast!

Unfortunately, my grandmother passed away in 2007. She and my maternal grandmother really taught me everything I know about cooking, and most things domestic. My mom's strong suit is cleaning, but she's not big into sewing/crafts or cooking/baking (sorry mom, but I think you would willingly admit this). My dad always says I was born decades too late, seeing as how much I adore the domestic, slow-paced, home-grown life.

Anyway, my paternal grandmother, whose recipe this is, NEVER wrote anything down. She did everything from memory and added a little of this or that, depending on how the dish tasted. Before she passed away, I was getting old enough to realize that once she was gone, all of our favorite recipes would be gone with her if I didn't write them down, so that's what I did, hence the simplistic, to-the-point recipe below :)

Grandmom South's Baked Mac & Cheese
1 box elbow macaroni
10 oz. Sharp White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
MUST be cracker barrel- I have used other brands and nothing has the same flavor
Whole or 2% Milk (eyeball this- fill the 13x9 pan a little less than 1/2 full)
You must use whole or 2%, I have used skim and it really takes away from the flavor


Preheat over to 325-350 degrees

Cook the macaroni as directed on the box. Drain and set aside. Pour drained macaroni into a greased 13x9" pan and sprinkle with cheese. Fill the pan about 1/2 full with milk. Top with bread cubs if desired. Cover with foil and bake for one hour. If you like your edges a little crisp, take the foil off for the last 10 minutes in the oven. Enjoy!

This is not an April Fool's joke...

This pictures sums up my life thus far in 2012. Back in January I had shared with you a very personal post regarding Kyle and I's possible "infertile" future. However, it appears with no hard work, miracles grow from difficulties!

We are 9 weeks and 5 days. Not quite to the 12 weeks mark, where the chance of miscarriage drastically drops, and most people start sharing with friends and family, but if you read my blog, you are most likely our friend or family... so I'm sharing a little early!

The reason for the long break is just that... pregnancy! I wish I could say I was one of those dreamy women who adore being pregnant, but so far I haven't like it at all! I hear after 12 weeks it gets much better, so I'm hoping things turn around then.

Let me share all of the details; for you... and me to remember later!

MORNING SICKNESS:
I have been very lucky so far... though I don't feel like it! Nausea started around 5 weeks and was quickly followed by a four day long GI bug.  That was horrible, but the nausea was bearable and was mostly gone by noon. However, around 8 weeks, the nausea changed course and set in around lunchtime and was much worse than it had been a few weeks earlier. I have my very favorite friend, Zofran, to help when I can't bear the sickness.

CRAVINGS:
Well, at first, around 5 1/2 weeks, I was craving vegetables and salads and anything healthy... that didn't last very long! When I hit 7 weeks I was craving macaroni and cheese- Kraft blue box- every night, and a little later mashed potatoes. I'm kind of tired of mac at the moment, but I made the most delicious mashed potatoes that I just finished today-boo. (TIP: I used 1/2 cup of cottage cheese in them and they were delicious! They warmed up beautifully, which isn't always the case with mashed potatoes). Currently, I'm not craving anything because EVERYTHING gives me indigestion, already! I knew with having IBS, pregnancy was probably going to be miserable GI-wise. Surprisingly, I haven't really craved sweets, which I'm pretty excited about, because usually that is my downfall!

BELLY BUMP:
I have just the slightest little bump below my belly button... really I just feel like I'm getting chubby right now! I don't feel pregnant at all. Depending on what scale I use, I've gained less than a pounds to 2 pounds since this little peanut has started to develop. Hopefully I only gain about another pound in the remaining weeks, because after that they'll really start to pack on!

Oh and yes, there is only one! Seeing as Kyle is a twin and my aunt and uncle are twins, and my HCG levels were about 3 times higher than the normal range, we were a little worried we might be having multiples. Not that we would be ungrateful of course, but we'd like to enjoy one at a time!

I hope to be back to posting 2-3 times a week. I have some yummy recipes coming up to share with you: baked french toast, my grandmom's baked mac and cheese and caramel apple bars, as well as our living room makeover.... and a photo shoot with my cousin's little girl! So much to catch up on!

Have a great Monday!

Warmer Weather = Walks!

I have been enjoying this warmer weather in the northeast. Don't get me wrong... I love a good snowstorm, but this mild weather hasn't been half bad! My little Lillian especially loves it. She used to get a walk 4-5 times a week, now she's down to once a week... poor thing!

On our last walk (last week- we're due for another!), I brought my camera because I was going through shooting withdrawal! The sun was setting and it was gorgeous- I didn't realize there are a lot of unique objects to photograph on our walks!

This is the coolest fire hydrant I have ever seen... so unique!

Love the lens flare on this one!

This is my favorite... love, love, love!

Details.

Portait Session

Now that it's Valentine's Day, I can share with you this session I did a couple of weeks ago with my sister-in-law. She wanted to give her hubby some proper pictures to put on his desk at work. I'd say it was a success... isn't she GORGEOUS! <3 her.