Saturday Morning French Toast

It's Saturday morning, what could be more appropriate than sharing one of my favorite breakfast recipes? Let me begin by admitting that I have never been a big fan of big breakfasts. Well, making them at least. I hate slaving over the oven making french toast and pancakes and handing them out one at a time. Nobody ends up eating together, and I am the last person to eat; which is difficult for an impatient person like myself. I love french toast, and make the sacrifice for myself and my family on occasion. Until, that is, I found this great recipe. It eliminates my big breakfast pet peeves. I spend maybe ten minutes getting it ready, and then pop it into the oven and let it bake while I sit and visit freely with family. And best of all, we all sit down and eat it together. (Recipe pulled from my AllRecipes.com "recipe box".)

French Toast Casserole

Rated: 4.5/5 Submitted By: STARFLOWER Photo By: foodaholic Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 50 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 20 Minutes Servings: 6

"Tastes good for breakfast, just like French toast. It's easy to make too! Serve warm with maple syrup on top."

Ingredients:

5 cups bread cubes 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup white sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon margarine, softened 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8x8 inch baking pan.
2.	Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
3.	Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Easter Gift Idea

It seems like around each holiday, we are looking for creative and festive ways to give a gift to those we associate with. Whether it is your neighbors, someone you visit, teachers, co-workers, friends/family, or even a small party favor... we are always trying to come up with a holiday inspired gift. When I saw this idea over at "Creative Holiday Gift Ideas blog", I had to document it for future use. I can see myself using this darling yet simple idea for years to come. It sure beats slaving over several dozens of cookies, yes, this is my type of thing.

INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS:
1. Reduce 1 sleeve graham crackers to crumbs.
2. Layer 2/3 of the crumbs in a 1 quart jar.
3. Place 8 marshmallow bunny peeps standing up, facing out around the inside of the jar.
4. Press them up against the glass, but don't squash them.
5. Carefully spoon remaining crumbs in the center of the jar to support the bunnies, pressing down to keep it snug.
6. On top of this pour 1-1/4 cup Easter M&M's.
7. Spoon 1/3 cup brown sugar into center of M&M's, gently pressing with a spoon.
My changes: I did M&M's first, then Peeps, then put combined brown sugar and graham cracker crumbs in baggie. I didn't like how the crumbs made a mess in the jar. Attach a gift tag giving the following instructions:
1. Empty the jar contents into a bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife. Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients, mixing well. Pat into a greased 9" square pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Cool and cut into bars. (Makes 9 to 12 bars.) *Option - leave bunnies whole; combine remaining ingredients and place the bunnies on top; then bake as directed. *This gift jar may be created to suit any holiday for which marshmallow candies are available.
**Here is a card you can print with your jars... they are 3x3 size. **

Easter Centerpiece

Isn't this a darling way to decorate an Easter table? I love the pastel buckets with ribbons to serve treats- what a cute and creative idea! And the simple easter eggs hung from the chairs is just darling too. I wish the Easter holiday was warm and blooming with flowers here in Utah. All our Easter pictures are in winter coats! I will dream of spring.

A Mother's Day Gift Idea

I thought this was a darling, inexpensive gift idea to give to the Grandm-a's in your life. Nothing melts your heart more than tiny little hand prints. For someone like me, who only has one child at the time, I thought a hand print and foot print would be just as darling. It would also be a cute piece to hang in your child's room. This is definitely an idea I want to try.

More Kids Wall Art

I am expecting a little boy in a few months and I have an animal themed nursery. I don't have anything hanging over the crib yet, and I thought creating three pieces of art, such as this, and printing them on to canvas would be darling. One thing I love about printing onto canvas is that it is safe. I think it looks so good to have art hanging over a bed, but always worry about doing so in case there were an earthquake or something... shattered glass... it makes me shudder. But the lightweight, and fabric of canvas art give me piece of mind without sacrificing style.

Easter Inspirations

I am a slacker these days, I have been terrible at keeping up the old blog. But I was having a little spring fever today and decided to check out some spring time decorating ideas. It was refreshing. I have to share these cute ideas. I am thinking about getting the girls together to make some of these cute cupcakes or something. Maybe host a cute little Easter party for the kids or something. A little party would open up lots of fun ideas. I think I've convinced myself.
*All images are courtesy of the amazing Martha Stewart team! Love their stuff.*

Nursery or Kids Room Art

This project is just calling my name...

What you need:

• Three 5 x 5 Paper Mache art boards ($2.99 at craft supply stores)
• Ribbon for hanging
• Scissors
• Acrylic paints and paint brushes
• Card stock for printing your design
• Permanent spray adhesive

Handmade nursery wall art

Steps:

1. Remove rope strands from the boards and discard.
2. Choose a style of ribbon and cut 3 strands the exact same size.
3. Apply your base coat to cover the brown paper mache. Paint everything, including the back side.
4. Start painting! It helped me to sketch out my design on the computer before diving into painting. I used acrylic paints and paint brushes. All three boards were given a different pattern in the background.
5. I drew the elephant in Adobe Illustrator and chose two colors for the elephants. Then I printed them out on card stock and cut them out, leaving a little white border to help them stand out against the painted backgrounds.
6. I tested out the placement before adhering the paper elephants to the boards. Using permanent spray adhesive, I adhered the elephants to the boards. Tie on the ribbon to hang and your done!

gap sale

did you know ??? that gap is having a huge clearance, and on top of that everything is an additional 25% off? i think it started yesterday, so get to your local gap before everything is gone. or, if you prefer to shop online you can use the code GAPEXTRA20 to get an additional 20% off... not quite as good, and you have to pay shipping, but sometimes there are more options.

christmas decor ideas

you've all probably spent the last few days decking your homes for the holidays. the theme at my house this year is traditional green and red, with a lot of greenery. which is probably why i loved these.

getting organized

i have always been a fan of the "Shelf Reliance" rotating shelf systems. but at $500/pop i have had a very difficult time justifying buying it. i mean, at that price i could practically purchase all of my food storage... even if i didn't have the convenient storing option. but the convenience of having a system that rotates the older cans to the front.... i really wanted it to be a part of my food storage. so i have just put off both the shelf and the food storage because i don't want to do one without the other.

















and now i just learn that my next door neighbor sells the next best thing at a price anyone can afford! i think it is a genius product, and i can hardly wait for them to get back in town so i can reorganize my entire pantry. i am getting anxious just thinking about it. and i really can't believe i didn't know about this sooner! i know there are so many people out there that would like this, so i have to share!!!!! visit them at "THE CAN ORGANIZER!"

Option 1- Cupboard Organizer
This smaller option fits conveniently in your cupboards and rotates 9 soup cans, or 8 vegetable cans, or 18 tuna cans. You get 4 of them for only $11.96!!!








Option 2- Pantry Organizer
This is a longer option that fits 16 Vegetable, 18 Soup, or 39 Tuna cans. This is the perfect option for me, and my deep pantry shelves. This would also be what I imagine you'd use in a cold storage room, depending on how deep your shelves are. Again, you get a 4 pack for just $15.96.

Thanksgiving Place Cards

Hopefully I am not the only one that finds holiday place cards DARLING! I think these personal touches are just precious. Maybe one day when I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner... but for now, I enjoy being the guest! Is that bad?

Thanksgiving Craft Project 4 Kids

I thought this was a darling little craft idea to do with your kiddies. With the cold weather arriving, any new indoor projects are greatly appreciated, right?

This wreath makes a very pretty and colorful piece to hang on a door or wall in your home. You will need: Autumn-colored construction paper, scissors, glue, a good-sized piece cardboard, one large paper plate and one small paper plate, and a black marker. The children can make their own, or they can make one together. Basically, you are gluing rolled strips of construction paper onto a circle shaped piece of cardboard. Then at the bottom you add the face of a turkey. The turkey will be the traced foot of a child. Eyes, wobbler, and beak will be cut out using scraps. If you are a teacher, it would be creative to have each student write one thing they are thankful for on a strip of construction paper before you glue it to the cardboard.

Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe seemed fitting for the Thanksgiving season. I have always loved sweet potato casserole, and after finding out all the ingredients I can certainly see why- it really is suited for a dessert category. But if you're like me, you are definitely not counting the calories on Thanksgiving day... so why not a few extra hundred?

INGREDIENTS

• 5 sweet potatoes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

staircases

why must MY staircase be so un-interesting? are these not beautiful? it's just a pity we don't all live in mansions with huge spiral staircases, don't you think? :) fine, i will add a more realistic design for the rest of us. i like the stockings hanging from the stairwell. if you are like me, and don't own a fireplace, you might wonder every year where to hang the darn things? mine hang from my buffet table, but this is a great idea.

mini christmas trees

i love all of these pictures. what i really like about them- & you probably don't notice this at 1st but i think it makes a big difference- is the pots that they are sitting in. i happen to have quite a few mini Christmas trees and alpine trees hanging around, and this is how i have attempted to use them this year. i think they are just darling. i decorated the house last night, it smells of evergreen, and Christmas music has been playing all morning. i am feeling the spirit!

5x5 Christmas Cards

i have an addiction to photography, and even more so, i have an addiction to square pictures, square invitations, etc. so when i came across these 5x5 custom designed christmas cards, i fell in love. i'm planning on busting out my photoshop skills and creating some equally adorable christmas cards this holiday season. the company that designed these charge $1.60/card if you don't feel like designing them yourself. you can find them by clicking here.

Christmas Swags

these are my newest love this Christmas season. it is such a traditional decorating item, yet it isn't used very frequently. i bought a handful of these from tai pan last week, and plan on hanging them in my windows... unless inspiration strikes somewhere else. i do happen to love them as they are shown in this picture, but i have outdoor wreaths already. another place i love to see swags are on staircases. the options are endless. what is your favorite christmas piece this year?

Gap Coupon (& Old Navy, Banana Republic, etc)

take advantage of another deal, and get some christmas shopping done! 30%, i love it!

You're Invited... Allan Polier has invited you to save 30% during Give & Get, our Friends & Family event. For every purchase you make, we give 5% of the amount you spend to Feeding America, a non-profit selected by Allan Polier. Click a button below to RSVP to this event: In-store Barcode (For multiple uses) Online Promo code (For one time use) BBL1JJWBBBYL This offer is also good at Gap Outlet and Banana Republic Factory Store!

Gap shop online | find store Old Navy shop online | find store Banana Republic shop online | find store Piperlime shop online Athleta shop online

Rather not receive updates? Click here. Gap.com values its customers and respects their privacy. Please review our privacy policy for more information. If you have any questions about the Give & Get program, contact gap.com Customer Service via email at custserv@gap.com, call us at 1-800-GAP-STYLE (1-800-427-7895) or write us at gap.com Customer Services, 100 Gap Online Drive, Grove City, OH 43123-8605. Please note: Prices shown on the website are in U.S. dollars only. Currently, we do not ship or bill orders internationally, including Canada. Offer valid November 12, 2009 at 12:01 am ET through November 15, 2009 at 11:59pm PT online and at Gap, Gap Outlet, Gap Factory Store, Gap Generation, Banana Republic, Banana Republic Factory Store, Old Navy, Piperlime.com and Athleta.com in the U.S. only (including Puerto Rico). Not valid in Canada or at Edition by Banana Republic store. Discount can not be combined with other offers or discounts and applies to eligible purchases ("Eligible Purchases") which are merchandise only, not gift cards, packaging, applicable taxes, shipping & handling charges, catalog orders or telephone orders placed to stores or customer service 1-800/888 numbers. Not valid on Gap (Product) RED™, Junk Food™, Converse®, Havaianas®, Medela®, CharmIt!®, Robeez®, Stella McCartney for GapKids, Stella McCartney for babyGap, or the following babyGap Home items: strollers, car seats, high chairs and nursery furniture. Not valid on apparel, jewelry, final sale items, Belle by Sigerson Morrison, and Donald J. Pliner at Piperlime.com. Not valid on regular priced non-Athleta brand merchandise. Gap Foundation ("Gap") will donate an amount equal to 5% of Eligible Purchases to a nonprofit partner ("Partner") only when one is designated by the Gap Inc. employee ("Employee(s)"). If no Partner is designated no donation will be made. If the Employee selects Donorschoose.org as its Partner the Employee can also select a specific project on Donorschoose.org to receive the donation. Gap's total donations to all U.S. and Canadian Partners shall not exceed US$2 million. Such donation does not entitle the Employee or any offer recipient to claim a charitable contribution deduction. Employees may not use their gift match benefit with this offer. Merchandise cannot be put on hold during offer period. Return of discounted merchandise will be for the price actually paid. Exchange for different size is permitted; however, the discount will not be applied to exchanges for different merchandise. Reproductions or photocopies of offer card will not be accepted. Not responsible for lost or stolen offer cards. Offer is not transferable or valid for resale. No price adjustments are allowed on previous purchases or on purchases made with this discount. © 2009 Gap Inc.

Bath & Body Works

why not start your christmas shopping early this year? here is a great coupon for Bath and Body Works. i love their antibacterial soaps, and they are a great gift to have on hand for small gifts. their soap is 3 for $10, so with this coupon you can get 9 of them for only $20. of course there are many other great items to stock up on, my personal favorite being their peppermint lip gloss. heaven. this coupon expires 11/22 and if you look closer you will see an online code if you prefer to shop from home.

best news of the day

If any you live in Utah County, Utah- you may be (and should be!) just as excited as I was to learn that Tai Pan is now in Orem. It isn't nearly as big as the wharehouse in Salt Lake, but it seems like the only thing "missing" is the floral department and a very scaled down kitchenware department. It is located at the University Mall in the old Deseret Book location. I went in for just a few minutes yesterday evening and found myself lost in Christmas ideas. I just may put Christmas up early this year. Tai Pan is definitely on the very top of my favorite stores to shop at, and I used to get excited to make the trip up to Salt Lake on occassion. Now I don't have to! Best news of the day!