Je t'aime French Toast

I have been working out and trying to lose the ol' spare tire that has hung around after our little girl was born but as I walked down the bread aisle at our grocery store, I was drawn to the manager's special stickers on all the fresh bread.  Oh French bread, you are my weakness.  99 cents for a loaf and before I knew it, 2 were in my basket.  I have been working out and eating healthy...I deserve this. Plus, a happy mom makes happy kids, right? :) Exactly.

Now, while pregnant, I experimented with multiple make ahead versions of french toast. This one, even promises to be "skinny" so this was my initial favorite. This one on the other hand, is just indulgent...and oh so good. A friend knew of my love for french toast and brought us her version for dinner one night after Elle was born.  If french toast wasn't good enough, perfection is french toast for dinner!! So, from the three recipes, this is my favorite combination! Enjoy :)

1 Loaf french bread cut into 1 inch cubes or smaller
6 eggs
3 cups skim milk
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp Vanilla
2/3 Cup part skim ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp brown sugar

For Syrup:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup mashed fruit (such as blueberry, raspberry or strawberries)

Coat a 9x13 baking dish wish cooking spray and add your cubed bread.  In a bowl, combine the eggs through vanilla.  I typically whisk the eggs and then add the rest to avoid sloshing too much! Poor this mixture over the bread and sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or over night.

In the morning, pre-heat your oven to 350 and remove your delicious pan of toast and spread the ricotta over top. I then sprinkle the brown sugar over top and then sprinkle a little additional cinnamon.  Bake, uncovered for 35 minutes.

With about 10 minutes left on the timer, combine the water and sugar on the stove. Stir constantly until it has come to a rapid boil and then reduce the heat to low and add your fruit.  Let this simmer for at least 10 minutes but I have found if you simmer 15 minutes and then let the syrup sit for 10 min it is a little thicker.  Let the french toast stand for 10 minutes (yeah right, I cut into it after about 2...) to firm up and then dig in.  Top with your fresh fruit syrup and enjoy!

My heaven has french toast on a Saturday morning and leftovers the rest of the weekend...

Curried-Chicken Pot Pie

I had my first curry at a pretty little restaurant on one of the ugliest streets in the world.  If you have ever been to Pataya Beach, Thailand, then you know about "walking street."  While I felt I could only look at the ground along a lot of this street, my friend lead the way to a quiet restaurant and in the back was a beautiful deck and a calm environment compared to what was on the street out front.  I don't remember a lot about the curry other than it was green and I had to dump about 3 bowls of rice into it in order to finish it--and I like spice! I have only just begun to start making it at home and since I rarely have coconut milk on hand, this recipe really appealed to me...I had 95% of the ingredients in my pantry.  The original recipe is from cooking light and can be found here. I decided to switch out a few ingredients for some added health benefits and I just don't believe in Crisco/shortening. I know it has a special place in our nations history, but I prefer for it to stay there! I won't get on that soap box right now (and a soap box it definitely is!)

So, here is my recipe :) It really didn't make THAT big of a mess...I was also making applesauce, cookies, and juggling two kids that wanted my attention at that moment in time.

Crust:
1 C all-purpose flour
3 T ice water
1 T cider vinegar
1/4 t salt
3 T buter

Filling
1 t olive oil
2T curry powder
2 C diced peeled sweet potato (pumpkin or butternut squash would be great too!)
3/4 C chopped onion
3/4C chopped red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs skinless, bonelss, chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 C less-sodium chicken broth (I only had a cup so I added a 1/2 cup of beef broth)
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper
2 T cornstarch
1 T water
1/2 C fat free sour cream
1/2 C pumkin puree

To prepare crust, combine 1/4 cup flour, ice water and vinegar in a small bowl and stir with a whisk until well blended to create a slurry.  Set aside. Combine 3/4 C flour and 1/4 t salt in a large bowl, and cut in butter with a pastry blender (who has one of these??) or 2 knives (this proved more aggravating than when my 2yo looks me in the eye and "does it anyway." I used a fork and just kind of mashed it it. It worked perfectly fine!) until the mixture resembles coarse meal.  Add slurry to flour mixture, and toss with a fork until moist.  You are supposed to then press it into a 4 inch circle on heavy-duty plastice wrap; cover with more wrap and chill 15 minutes.  I just pressed it into the size of my 2.5 quart dish and set it on top before I put it in the oven.  Again, worked fine.

Now for the filling:

Preheat the oven to 400.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over md high heat.  Add curry powder and cook 2 minutes.  This seemed odd so when it started getting really fragrant, I added the potato, onion, bell pepper, garlc and chicken.  Stir fry for 3 minutes.  Add broth, pumpkin, s & p. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes or until chicken is done. Combine cornstarch and 1 T water in a small bowl.  I added a little more water because mine was like cement... Add cornstarch mixture and sour cream into the chicken misture. Cook 1 minute.

Spoon filling into a round 2 to 2.5 quart dish coated with cooking spray.  (I poured...who has time to spoon? honestly? Two kids. Two needy kids...)

Make sure your dough is rolled to the size of the dish and then place it on top.  Cut 6 slits in the top to allow steam to escape.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes. This is not very spicy...Eli ate it. Add crushed red pepper flakes to reach desired degree of hotness on individual bowls. 

Sorry, we ate it too quickly for me to get a good picture.  Our house smelled like curry for 2 days so we were hungry for 2 days and the curry didn't even last 24 hours...bummer. 

Derby Day!

It's the first weekend in May and after you marry a Kentucky boy you realize that it is no longer just "May Day" but this little thing called the Kentucky Derby is run each year.  This weekend becomes synonymous with many things such as your sister-in-law's wedding anniversary (Isaac still has no idea when it really is, he just knows they got married on Derby day and therefore he should tell them happy anniversary each Derby...though the date of the derby changes since it is always on a Saturday...).  It is also the time each year we get together with some friends, convince as many people as we can to wear silly hats, and make a few traditional derby items. 

My husband is a little odd in that he LOVES chocolate but when it comes to chocolate birthday cake, he would rather have brownies or a derby pie.  Now, the true recipe for the derby pie is kept secret but there are many, many, great recipes out there for it.  What I am about to share with you is the one that we like best and I make every year for derby and most of his birthdays.  Think of it like a pecan-chocolate chip pie with a little something-something extra...you won't be able to eat just one piece :) p.s. the dessert section in my cookbook is by far the most populated. This recipe is on page one.

Isaac's Derby Pie

1 9" pie crust
4 lg eggs
1 C light corn syrup
6 T melted butter (unsalted)
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar (light or dark depending on your preference or what is in your pantry...)
3 (liberal) T of bourbon (Makers makes the best for pies in my opinion!)
1 T All purpose flour
1 T vanilla extract
1 C chopped pecans
1 C semisweet chocolate chips

Lightly beat eggs then add the next 6 ingredients (all but the chips and pecans if you don't want to count...) Whisk these all together until smooth. Stir in the chips and pecans and pour into your pie shell. Bake at 350 for an hour, or until set (I do 50 minutes and then check...)

Wait as long as you can to cut into it but it is best a little warm (ooey gooey yummy chocolate...)

Now, pick your favorite horse, find a mint julep, and enjoy the most exciting 2 minutes in sports!! 

One of these things is not like the other...

I know, I know, it has been nearly a year and I come back with a post of Oreos...well you have to start somewhere and my nap time craving was some of these and I found a little gem! Ok, maybe it was just the mistake of a robot that makes cookies but I find it unique and special and a reminder that even a mistake can be good from time to time. Life has been crazy, challenging and overwhelming at times but just as little Eli says, "swing batter batter!" you have to swing at what you are given and you might just knock it out of the park. I hope to be back on here more often. I have enjoyed some time away from the home and am now back with cooking, projects and kiddo time galore. 4 -6 weeks to go until we have a new "Littlest VanHoose" and I can't wait to see what God has in store for our changing family.

It may not look like we think it should but it might just be the same thing only better!