French Toast Casserole - Great for brunches

I ate this at a Bat Mitzvah Brunch and it was so delicious.  When I learned the title of it was very naughty Oven French Toast, every bite seemed to be even decadent.  

To see other delicious recipes purchase the Cooking with Friends 2010 by H. Katz.  

Very Naughty Oven French Toast

Ingredients

6 egg whites

4 whole eggs

1 pint heavy whipping cream

1/2 C organic raw sugar

1 T Cook’s Gourmet Vanilla

10oz sour cream

3 T cream cheese

Kosher salt

1 challah (see challah recipe or a loaf of uncut egg‐bread can be substituted)

Earth Balance Organic Whipped (butter substitute)

1/4 C firmly packed Billington's Dark Brown Molasses Sugar

1/3 C firmly packed Billington’s Light Brown Muscovado Sugar

How to make

9" x 13” x 1 1/2 “‐ 2 1/2“d baking dish (glass or ceramic)

Prepare recipe the night before you want to serve it to let liquid absorb into challah to give it a more

custard‐like texture once it’s baked. Using a Kitchen Aid Mixer or similar with a stationary bowl makes

this an easier task than a regular beater though both would work. Use whipping/whisk type of

attachment to achieve best results.

Grease bottom and sides of baking dish with Earth Balance. Slice challah into 3/4” thick slices. Lightly skim

one side of each piece with Earth Balance. Layer baking dish with challah ‐buttered side up‐ until layers

level out close to the top edge of the pan.

Whip egg whites in mixer bowl. Add whole eggs and mix on medium. While mixer is on, add whipping

cream, sugar, vanilla, sour cream, dash of salt and finally cream cheese. Allow mixer to run another 3

minutes, scraping sides of bowl to ensure all ingredients are combined. Cream cheese will still be

slightly visible – like little crumbs.

Slowly pour half of liquid over challah. Let it rest 5 minutes then pour the balance over it, hitting all of

the crevices with the liquid. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and set in refrigerator overnight.

Remove French toast from fridge and let sit uncovered for 45 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to

350. Lightly cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil and increase oven temp to 375, bake

for 15 minutes. At this point there should no longer be any “soupy” spots visible on the top.

Using mixer, cream together 1/2 C Earth Balance and brown sugars. Remove French toast from oven and

dollop creamed sugar over top of French toast. Return to oven for 3‐5 minutes. Keep an eye on it so

that sugar caramelizes without burning.

Remove from oven and serve!

Excerpt from Cooking for Friends, H Katz 2010

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Letterboxing - Adventure for the whole family

People keep asking me, what is letterboxing? Here is a brief explanation from Wikihow.

"Letterboxing is a type of treasure hunt/hiking activity involving hidden boxes, journals, and rubber stamps. Each person needs his or her own personal rubber stamp (called a signature stamp) to leave his mark on the letterbox's journal. In return you take an image of the box's stamp for your own journal. It's like treasure that is art and proof of your find."  

The locations are endless.  All you need are a few hours of your time, a journal and a stamp kit. Don't forget your sense of adventure though, it is highly recommended. 

First choose where you are going at Letterboxing.org. We planned a trip to Kingman Az for memorial weekend.  There are four letterbox locations in Kingman listed on the website.   This is what the clues look like:

1. Looking for Gold

2. Stone Corral

3. Another DamLetterbox

4. Joshua Forest Parkway Letterbox

The second clue included a disclaimer: Beware of rattlesnakes.  We made sure to bring long sticks and cautious ears.  We hiked for 20 minutes to an old corral. At the end of a rusty pipe, under the boulders was a ziplock bag with a plastic jar inside. Inside the jar - a stamp and a journal.  Phew! I was praying there would be something there after the hot hike. 

The girls stamped their journals, then stamped the letterbox journal along with their signature, date, and state of residence. It was fun to look through the notebook and see where everyone was from.

Our next stop - the Mohave County Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed for the holiday.  This is when planning ahead is beneficial.  Luckily, I like the spontaneity and hope involved.  So we ended up at the third location which was inside the Dambar Steakhouse.

Next time we will pick a location in the Hualapai Mountains and hide one ourselves for people to find.   All that is required is a membership. 

This is a great activity for kids as early as 6 to adults.  Be considerate and put the package back exactly as you found it.  If something is damaged, leave a note on the website.

For people with a keen sense of direction and a GPS, try geocaching.  It is more involved and prizes are involved.

Letterboxing kits are available to give as a gift but I find they are fun to make as a craft with the kids as well.  Here are some stamp ideas to add to your own letterbox kit.

Have you tried letterboxing?  Share your story below.

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Looking for love Contest Details

The purpose of the looking for contest is to keep your eyes open to the beauty of this world.  When you do, you'll find love everywhere. So far, we have found love in cheese dip, in the clouds, on concrete, in the trees, and etched in concrete.
The only rule is: find love naturally.  No posing, creating, photoshopping love.  If you see love on a graphic tee, a piece of art, or a photograph, cd cover, etc. then you can submit it as long as you didn't create it for the contest.  If your photo gets the most likes, you will win a Tiffany & Co. gift certificate.

The album (I found Love) is on our facebook fan page.  Please upload your picture to the page before May 31st, 2010.  Voting begins June 1st and ends June 10th, 2010 at 12:00 midnight California Time.

May you find love or may love find you. Happy searching.

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A Mother's Day Prayer

Giving thanks for our blessings.  Today I am thankful for being a mom.  In My Prayer Book (featured left),  I recite this prayer.  

Dear heavenly Father,
I thank you for your infinite love which so exceeds human understanding that to make it more real to me You compared it with a mother's love for her child.  On the strength of this assurance, I know that I shall have Your constant guidance, help, support, and protection.
On this day, set aside to honor mothers.  Bless them always.  Give them grace to set a good example for their families.  Make them constantly aware that their children are a sacred trust from heaven. Hold Your protecting hand over them. Give them strength for every job and courage for each trial.   
I thank You particularly for the gift of my mother and for her love, which has comforted me.  May I never do anything that would grieve her heart.  Guide our footsteps that we walk in the love of Jesus, who set an example by His love for His mother. May I always follow the path which leads to You and guide my children in the same direction.
This is our prayer in His name, Amen.

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30daysof...Love (A contest)

What's love got to do with it? The answer - everything. Love is an intense feeling of deep emotion - aka fondness, passion, desire, worship. Without it, our existence becomes monotonous and dull.

Do we look for love or should it occur naturally? How come some people know their passion from an early age whereas others just accept a daily routine at their 9-5 job? Some people find their "soul mate" upon first glance. Many marry a person because the "Joneses" said it was the next step in life.

In my case, I love so many things. It is difficult to stay focused and give passion to just one. I love to create products for kids (www.beobi.com) I have a desire to entertain and serve others (30daysof...blog), I have an infatuation with design (www.triciacohn.com) and I am highly enthusiastic about writing (storytime experiment)

But of all things, I am completely in love with being a mom and my husbands new girlfriend. Many people ask me why I refer to myself as his new girlfriend. The reason is, when we are girlfriends we show our best to the guy we are dating. We are patient and tend to overlook the little stuff that doesn't matter. (Read our toaster story here)

Unfortunately it took me 13 years of marriage before I realized if things didn't change, I wouldn't even be a wife. Both he and I were at a crossroads. Instead of going our separate ways we started attending Crossroads Church. (appropriately named, right?)

We felt the love of God immediately working there. During that time, we made the decision to put God in the center of our marriage. We were baptized by artist, Carol Duarte (the inspiration for the "I found Love" Photo Album) and joined the FUSE community for couples. This group of people open their hearts and share personal experiences for us to learn from. We grow to understand ourself and learn how we can share a happy life together.

I AM happier and it's because God's Love is in my heart. So to reiterate, Love does have everything to do with it. Now I keep my eyes open and look for love as well as be in the moment at all times so it can find me.

I have created a contest to help others look for love. Whenever you see anything formed in the shape of a heart, stop in that moment and give thanks for what you have. Then, take a picture of it and upload it to our facebook fanpage photo album titled, I found Love. The image can not be graphically produced or manipulated for the contest - you should just happen naturally. The acceptance of each picture will be at the discretion of myself for eligibility purposes.

All pictures must be uploaded between May 1-31 in order to be eligible for the contest prize - A $100 dollar gift card to Tiffany & Co or the  necklace (pictured above) will be awarded to the picture with the most votes.

 So open your eyes and your hearts and go look for love. It will find you. I promise.

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Cupcakes in a Jar are sooooo Yummy!

It never ceases to amaze me. The day I vow to never eat sweets again (It's always when Valentines and Easter candy is gone and the last of my Sprinkles Birthday Cupcakes have been eaten) my best friend has something incredibly tempting delivered to my door - Yummy Cupcakes.

They are layered and packed inside a jar. Simply screw off the lid and enjoy a spoon of heaven in every bite. The flavors she chose for me -

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough (shown right),

MnM, Peanut Butter & Chocolate,

and Red Velvet (my fav!)

One year she sent me Brownies in a box from Fairytale Brownies.

As the expression goes - Do Unto Others. I am going to have this icecream bar from Dandy Don Ice Cream show up to her house - right after her big run!

Thanks BFF - I LOVE THEM.

What online stores do you like to send goodies from? Share your favorites in the comments below or on the 30daysof...Fan Page. 

Looking for other things to put in a jar...Here are 50 fabulous ideas. 

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30daysof...Bite-Sized Goodies!

After eating a cake ball at a 1st birthday party (okay, after eating 4 cake balls at the party) I was inspired to focus this months topic on Bite-Sized Goodies. If you can eat just one of these appetizers and desserts you are much stronger than me. I compiled this list of my favorite finger foods to share at any event.

*recipe coming soon.

1. Pinwheels

2. Piggies-in-a-blanket

3. Cucumber cups*

4. Pie Pops*

5. Oreo Truffles

6. Magic Bars

7. Red Velvet Cupcakes

8. Pepperoni biscuit bites*

9. Crab Stuffed Mushrooms or Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms*

10. Vegetable Wontons

11. Cake Balls

12. Cashew Haystacks

13. Pecan cookies (mexican wedding cookies)

14. Bite-Sized Homemade Donuts

15. Bacon-wrapped and Stuffed Jalapeños

16. Veggie Squares

17. Red Pepper Potato Cups*

18. Deviled Eggs with Cayenne Pepper

19. Mini cheesecakes

20. Pesto cheese straws

21. Ahi Tuna Bites*

22. baked potato and cheese ball recipe

23. Cheese Bread Bowl*

24. Honey-Apple Brie bites
25. California Spring Rolls

26. Steak crostini with chive cream sauce

27. Shrimp Puffs*

28. Sweet Pepper Poppers*

29. Chili Quesadillas*

30. Savory bread pudding bites

No one makes more delectable bite-sized goodies than Bakerella. Check our her blog for a weekly update of new ideas for the holidays.

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Deviled Egg Recipe - Traditional and Kick'ed up a notch

Want to kick hard-boiled Easter eggs up a notch? Add cayenne pepper to a deviled eggs recipe instead of a traditional paprika spice.

The trick is just to sprinkle the tops lightly otherwise all you taste is pure heat!

INGREDIENTS

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Mustard, Ground
1/2 teaspoon Parsley Flakes
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
Paprika OR CAYENNE PEPPER


Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

HOW TO MAKE

Boil the eggs (I use Rachel Ray how to boil and egg in 10 minutes) Works every time! Slice each egg in half and empty the yolks into a bowl. Add all ingredients except for topping. Mix all ingredients by hand until smooth and creamy. Put mixture into a ziploc, cut the corner off and pipe into the egg white. Lightly dust the egg with the spice of your desire.  Refrigerate one hour before serving.

Try these other Bite-sized Goodies!

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Veggie Squares

Don't let these veggies deceive you into thinking this is a healthy appetizer. The veggies sit atop a thick spread of blue cheese dressing which blankets a Pillsbury© Crescent Roll. They are irresistible finger foods and super easy to make!

INGREDIENTS

1 container of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls

3 Tablespoons of Bob's Big Boy Blue Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar (shredded)

1/4 cup of finely diced red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, and green onions.

HOW TO MAKE

Lay out the Crescent Rolls flat on a cookie sheet forming a large rectangle. Bake as directed. Let cool and press firmly making sure it is a solid base. Spread the blue cheese mixture covering the entire area. Mix all the veggies and cheese together then cover the entire surface area of the dough. Press it firmly again by placing a piece of wax paper or foil on top so the veggies get stuck firmly in the dressing and the dough.

Slice into bite-sized squares. Makes 50.

Want to bring other Bite-Sized Goodies to the party, try these!

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Cake Balls

The inspiration for this month's topic, Bite-Sized Goodies came from this fabulous finger food. These delectable goodies pop right in your mouth. I challenge you to eat just one. I made four flavors from two cakes.

Chocolate Cake - Choc frosting & white frosting

White Cake - Choc frosting & white frosting.

INGREDIENTS

A box of your favorite cake mix.

1 jar of frosting.

1 bar of chocolate to melt

Toppings - Sprinkles, nuts, colored sugars

HOW TO MAKE

Bake the cake as directed on box. Once baked, shred the cake into crumbs using a fork. Add 1/2 jar of frosting and mix thoroughly. Start forming the balls. If they don't stick well, add more frosting. Put the balls in the freezer and let harden for about an hour. 

Melt your chocolate in a glass bowl atop a pot of boiling water. Take out the frozen balls and strengthen them while rolling them in your hands. (this is easier to do when they are hardened from the cold) Then roll or dunk the cake balls into the chocolate and place on parchment paper or wax paper. 
Tip:  I have all all the balls in the bowl to coat evenly and used a spoon to get out.  Best way is to skewer the balls and dip in the sauce to prevent breaking and/or fingertips.  


Sprinkle immediately with your favorite topping before the chocolate is dry.

(you can also put these on sticks and decorate like Bakerella does) Check out the Easter Pops she did. Sooooo cute!

See a list of all the Bite-sized Goodies to serve or bring to your next party.

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