apple fritter overnight french toast

Okay, this was totally worth resurrecting the blog.

I made an egg nog version of this for Christmas morning last year and thought it was really good but not great. This apple fritter bread just takes this to a whole new level and we are officially hooked. The best thing is that it only takes about 10 minutes to throw together then you wake and bake.  

 

Apple Fritter Overnight French Toast 

1 loaf Archer Farms Apple Fritter bread (found by the produce)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
2 tbsp corn syrup
1 cup milk
1 cup vanilla creamer (or half & half)
2 tsp cinnamon
8 eggs



melt the butter, corn syrup and brown sugar on medium high heat until it is liquid and begins to boil

 

pour the syrup mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and layer bread, kind of laying it down and pushing it into the syrup



mix the eggs, milk, creamer, and cinnamon together in a bowl and pour over the layered bread 


NOW, cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight




preheat oven to 325 degrees, bake covered french toast for 35 minutes; then uncover and bake for 10 minutes at 375

there is no need for syrup - can you see it there at the bottom? it's amazing!

this turns out somewhat like a bread pudding more than french toast but it is absolutely wonderful. try not to get addicted like we have. 

the BEST chicken ever

This recipe came from a fabulous lady that I went to church with and was close to back in college. It is so good and so easy! We have it so often I have the recipe memorized.

What you’ll need:
1/2 cup butter (or margarine), melted
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breast



What you’ll do:
In a pie plate or shallow bowl combine butter, mustard, and Worcestershire. (Sometimes, I marinate my chicken in this mixture for about 30 minutes.) In a plastic bag, combine crumbs and cheese. Dip chicken in butter mixture, then shake in crumb mixture. Place in 9x13 pan. bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.
(I do not take pictures of every bit of the process, sorry.)



What you’ll think:
That really is the BEST chicken ever!

Shown with (lower fat) homemade alfredo on angel hair pasta and steamed broccoli. Goodness on a plate!

White Chocolate Crunch

We bought this at the church bake sale a few weeks ago and were so glad the recipe was attached. It makes a good bit and you should definitely share it!

24 oz. white chocolate pieces or almonds bark
1 cup peanut butter

Melt chocolate in microwave as directed and stir in peanut butter until smooth.


4 cups rice krispies
3 cups mini marshmallows
1 cup dry roasted peanuts


Pour melted mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Spread onto a sheet of wax paper and let cool. When firm, cut into pieces.

Next time, I think I will add less marshmallows and substitute with more peanuts.

Enjoy!

guess what?

yep. she’s mine.


her name is bessie.


we will spending a lot of time together over the next few weeks.

jacob found her on huge discount online. he was also making up for not getting me anything for my last two birthdays. i’m in love. with him and maybe bessie.

a date with my boyfriend

What a beautiful weekend we had. The temperatures dipped back under 90 degrees and the breeze was nearly constant. We put aside house projects and chores and just enjoyed each other instead. It was loverly!

Friday was spent on a double date with my former roommate and her beau. We had a cheap and easy date night with BOGO pizza and two-for-one drive in movies. Oh yeah, our friends did leave to get Off! while we were at the movies.

Saturday was a full date day. Hubby made coffee while I got ready for us to head to the flea market. we stumbled upon some fabulous booths outside stocked with antiques and lots of vintage finds. We had a blast showing each other the cool things we spotted. We walked away with a just a couple of things.

That evening we prepared our dinner together. We prepped the food together and hubby lit up the grill. While thoroughly enjoying our savory appetizer, Hubby expressed, "This is my favorite kind of date." It made me melt like the cheese inside the bacon wrapped jalapeno I was eating.

Appetizer: Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos and Coconut Lime Shrimp

Main Meal: Cedar Plank Salmon, Cheesy Grit Stuffed Tomatoes,
and Roasted Asparagus and Summer Squash

That food was so amazing. We ate the appetizer outside by the grill while the salmon was cooking. We are living the life, I tell ya!

Sunday night hubby asked me on another date. I, of course, said yes, especially when it asked me to go see Harry Potter with him after church. We hated the price, but loved the movie. A good wrap to such a wonderful weekend. He even certified it as a "real date" by opening the car door for me. (We determined when we were dating that this is how you know it is a real date and not just a night together.)

I am glad he gets to kiss me goodnight still too. That's one of the best feelings in the world.

tater red mystery

If you have ever heard of Memphis, then you have probably heard of Beale St. Just as you turn onto that street from Second is B.B. Kings, which you may have also heard of. Just past that is Tater Red's. And if you have heard of that.....well, you just deserve to know that you are special. Tater Red's is a quirky little shop filled with all kind of goodies. The actual name of the establishment is Tater Red's Lucky Mojos and Voodoo Healings. And from what I understand Tater Red is a real guy. Like, really real. Anyways, apparently some connections of some connections round here know Tater Red. They even know him well enough that a couple of years ago I got to try Tater Red's Mater Pie. Yep, you read it right, Tater Red's Mater Pie. (Are y'all readin' this as if you were Paula Deen? No? Then go back and start over.)

You see this story isn't really about Memphis or Beale St or even Tater Red's crazy little shoppe. It's about the Mater Pie. I need to find the recipe for that Mater Pie. It must have had some voodoo powers of its own to cast a spell on me like this. I need that recipe. I have a good mind to march down there with a basket of tomatoes from our garden and voodoo him into showing me how to make that pie.

Until then, we will just keep fixin' (yes, I said fixin') our tomatoes like this. And maybe make up some other crazy concoctions. Hope you are enjoying fresh tomatoes as much as we are!

How about Fried Green Tomatoes? Yummy!

Or how about Roasted Tomato and Feta Burgers? Just slice the tomato, drizzle with olive oil and pop in the oven at 425 for about 5 minutes. My new favorite!

For a post actually having to do with Memphis,
check out Olive Rue's recent visit.