Baked French Toast

Okay, so this is not a healthy breakfast recipe, but I had to make it for A3's birthday. I had to, I tell 'ya! It a special treat that comes out on special occasions, when we have to feed a large group breakfast, or when I have a loaf of day old french bread. I like that I don't have to fry a million slices of bread... on both sides.

My sister gave me a recipe for baked french toast many years ago when I needed to make breakfast for 20+ adults very early in the morning. This is a great recipe to make ahead, take out the day of, bake, and enjoy. My kids go crazy for this! I used to make a huge pan and eat it throughout the day. Yes, it is that good!

I apologize for the lack of pictures and for the bad lighting. I made everything and realized that I should have taken pictures. The picture above shows the french toast before it went into the oven.

Please use real butter.

Please use real maple syrup.


Baked French Toast

1 French bread baguette (12" or so) (cut into 1" slices)
[I used a raisin brioche loaf I had in the freezer.]
1/2 stick butter (room temperature)
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt

maple syrup

(for this recipe I also used 1 teaspoon of cinnamon)

1. Spread butter over the bottom and sides of a deep baking dish.
2. Spread butter on both sides of bread slices.
3. Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish.
4. Beat eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
5. Pour over bread. 
6. Turn slices to coat with mixture.
7. Cover with plastic wrap.
8. Refrigerate overnight.
9. The next morning, take out of refrigerator and let sit on counter for 20 minutes.
10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
11. Bake 10 minutes and turn bread slices over.
12. Bake for another 10(+) minutes until golden brown.
13. (You can also not turn the bread slices over and just bake for 20 + minutes until golden brown.)
14. Serve with maple syrup.

Mango, Blueberry, Banana Green Shake

Two weeks before we left for South Carolina, we had a "HOORAY" moment at our home. My younger two, A2 and A3, asked if they could try some of my green shake. Then, are you ready for this, they asked for more! I couldn't believe it.

In the past, we had made fruit based shakes for them with carrots (which are quite sweet) and a little bit of greens. That was as far as we could push it. Many times, I had tried to get them to have a sip of Momma's shake, but it didn't really work. Or, they would try it and say "yuck" because they knew that it was full of kale and other vegetables - not necessarily because of the taste.

Well, I don't know what happened a few weeks ago, but A2 and A3 wanted me to make more of the green shakes. Each day, A2 would ask if I could make her a shake and then A3 would follow. We would have them with our dinner.

Mango, Blueberry, Banana Green Shake

2 stalks of kale with the stems removed
1 handful of spinach
1-2 cabbage leaves
1 carrot
1 generous handful of blueberries
1 cut mango (which I froze ahead of time)
1 banana (which I froze ahead of time)
1-2 cups of rice milk
1 cup of coconut water

1. Place the harder fruits and vegetables on the bottom.
2. Place the softer fruits and vegetables on the top.
3. Fill with rice milk and coconut water (add more to make less thick).
4. Mix in blender.
5. Enjoy and expect to become really regular!

My theory: I believe that the more your children see you enjoying green shakes (or vegetables) and keep trying little sips of it, they will come to enjoy them also. Just a theory, not a proven fact. But, be patient and try it. It just might work!

So Good

As I mentioned yesterday, during our stay in South Carolina, we took family pictures. It wasn't an easy feat. Some days it was too sunny. Other days we were having too much fun to be bothered. Then, there were those passing showers. And then, there was the difficulty of rounding up seventeen people - in the right outfits. Remember, khakis and white shirts or jeans and white shirts? Of the seventeen people, nine were children: ages 6 - 18 years. It wasn't easy. But, in the end, God blessed us with the right conditions to take pictures.

We had several photo shoots, and the last one was on the beach. As I was walking back to the house, I found the shell in the picture above. It is a broken shell shaped like a heart. No, I didn't fashion it into a heart. I just found it like that. I couldn't miss it, and I usually miss those things. Felt such love... and His presence.

Did I mention that there was a rainbow on the first day of our vacation?

So thankful.

by cliftongs