the most delicious french toast recipe ever

We recently celebrated sweet Stella’s baptism, and my hubby and I hosted brunch. Because the food was so good, and because this would be the PERFECT Easter brunch menu addition, today we’re sharing a top-secret, all-time FAVORITE recipe.

 I promise, it will be a HUGE hit. It’s so delicious.
Please forgive us…as we were in a rush to make the baptism {always running late}, we forgot to take a final photo of the dish to show you what its supposed to look like out of the oven, and once I got the camera to take one final shot, the dish was empty {and so were people’s plates}…but when you taste this dish, you will forgive me. 

French Toast
recipe by friend, Penny Walker
serves 5-8 people in 9×13 pyrex

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1` cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoon corn syrup
2 handful pecans
1 loaf french bread
5 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 cup Half & Half Cream
1 tsp Grand Marnier Liquer
1.5 teaspoon salt

Directions

Add butter, brown sugar , corn syrup and pecans to small pan and cook on medium until dissolved.
Pour into bottom of a 9×13 pyrex dish.
Slice the french bread into 2 inch pieces and then cut off the crust.
Add the pieces of bread in a random fashion to the top of the dish, slightly overlapping each other.
Mix eggs, cream, vanilla, grand marnier and salt into a medium bowl together, then pour on the bread in the pyrex
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, uncovered in a double broiler {double broiler means to cook in a pyrex inside a larger pan with water in it}
It will be golden brow on top when done. Cut into squares and serve.
Oh, people are going to come back for seconds and thirds, I promise!! Enjoy!

 {images via Tutto Bella}

gluten free quinoa cakes

All three of us are gluten free {most of the time} so we are always looking for yummy recipes the whole family will enjoy as well. My family is obsessed with Quinoa. We eat it with stir-fry, chicken and veggies, chili and even as a complete meal with a dish like this.

When I told my husband I was attempting this recipe for breakfast this weekend, he had a skeptical look on his face, like “where’s the bacon?” But, after one bite, he quickly changed his mind and enjoyed several of them. This recipe is so easy, healthy and gluten free. Enjoy!

Quinoa Cakes
recipe adapted from a friend
yields 8-9 cakes

Ingredients
2 cups Quinoa, cooked and cooled
2 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs {if you are not gf, you can use regular bread crumbs, or even parmesan Panko bread crumbs}
1/4 cup fresh Parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
splash of milk or cream
1/4 shallot, finely chopped
1 tbsp pressed garlic

Directions
Pour all ingredients into a medium size bowl and mix together
Form into small cakes, about 2 inches diameter

Saute on the stove in olive oil until golden and crispy on each side, about 4-5 minutes {if they are not golden, they will fall apart easily}

Top with an over-easy egg with cheese melted on top and slices of avocado

{images via Tutto Bella}

Semi-Homemade Donut with Vanilla Creme Sauce

I love donuts…and my hubby dislikes donuts…but he LOVED the semi-homemade donuts I’m going to share with you today. That’s how delicious they are.

My cousin and life-long partner in crime, Danielle, introduced me to this donut recipe at her kids birthday party several weeks ago. So, I played around in my kitchen today and have some seriously yummy results for you. The donut’s are semi-homemade, so they are easy, and the dipping creme is to die for – it’s not too sweet, but the perfect accessory for your donut.

I made my donut and creme anglaise Easter-themed. Holy donuts…my Catholic mom is proud! But, think of the adorable inner-ring theme possibilities with these – bridal shower, baby shower, initials, a heart, star, etc.

DONUT RECIPE
recipe adapted from Danielle {owner and baker of Mimi’s Sweeties}

Ingredients
Pillsbury Biscuits
Powdered Sugar
Grapeseed Oil

Directions
{Danielle has a fryer, so she uses that; however I do not, so I fried on my stove}.
To make sure the inside of the biscuit is cooked, bake the biscuits in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. Remove the donuts before they are golden brown on top.
While still hot, use a knife to cut the shape of the inner donut ring. For Easter, I made a cross {you can try to cut the shape of the inner donut ring prior to baking}.
In a medium saucepan, heat grape seed oil {or vegetable oil} to a temperature  between 360 and 275 degrees F.
Place donuts in the oil to fry to a golden brown.
Remove from the oil, place on a paper towel on top of a plate, then while still hot, roll the donut in powdered sugar.

VANILLA CREME ANGLAISE
recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients
2 cups half and half
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Red food coloring

Directions
Prepare an ice-water bath {fill a bowl larger than a medium size bowl with ice and water}.
Beat yolks, sugar and salt with a mixer on high until the mixture thickens and turns a light yellow.
In a medium saucepan, add half and half and vanilla. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
Slowly add half of the hot half and half mixture to the bowl with eggs, sugar and salt, and mix on low.
Pour the yolk-milk mixture into the saucepan with the remaining half and half mixture and cook on low, stirring constantly for about 7 minutes until thick enough to coat your spoon or spatula.
Add 4 drops of food coloring to the saucepan for a light pink color Anglaise.
Pour in a bowl {original recipe strains mixture into a bowl, however I didn’t have and it turned out ok} and place in the ice-water bath, stirring occasionally until chilled.

{images via Tutto Bella}

got nutella?

I am that girl who keeps a large jar of Nutella in her pantry…at all times.
After dinner, I just grab my handy dandy spoon and indulge. YUM!

Thanks to Pinterest, I’ve found other {and more attractive} ways to enjoy Nutella!
{looks like these recipes kick my ‘spoonful of Nutella’ recipe’s butt!}

Nutella Puppy Chow
find the recipe here 

Nutella Shot
find the recipe here 

Red Velvet Nutella Cookies
find the recipe here 

 Nutella Crisps
find the recipe here 

Nutella Cupcakes
find the recipe here

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
find the recipe here 

{images via Pinterest}

Vegetarian Appetizer Recipe

This is one of my favorite appetizers, and its moderately healthy with the raw veggies. Plus, its colorful and absolutely delicious. We recently had a family gathering, so transformed an ordinary veggie pizza into a Veggie Christmas Tree in celebration of the holiday season.

You should add this to your list of apps this holiday season…seriously, so good!

Veggie Christmas Pizza
recipe adapted from my mom 

Ingredients
1 8 oz. package of refrigerated Crescent Rolls
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp dry dill weed
1 tsp dry minced onion
2 cups finely chopped veggies {to keep in line with holiday colors, we used broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper and thin carrot sticks}
1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onions

How-To
Spread Crescent Roll dough on ungreased cooking sheet
Press seams together
Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 10 minutes {watch it so it doesn’t get too brown…you want it golden brown}
Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed and minced onion in a medium bowl
Once crust is done, let cool
Spread the cream cheese blend on the cooled crust
Use a knife to cut the ‘pizza’ into a large triangle tree, and use ‘unused tree parts’ for gifts and a tree trunk…and don’t forget to use a star cookie cutter for the tree on top

Arrange ‘tree’ and ‘tree accessories’ on a platter.

Decorate with veggies. You can even get creative adding ‘bows’ and ‘ribbon’ to the gifts. So fun!


Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve
Remember to cut the tree into pieces prior to serving so everyone can get a piece. You can ‘re-piece’ or place the small pieces together into the shape of the tree.
NOTE: Make 2 veggie pizzas because it will be gone in 2 minutes.

Enjoy.

{images via Tutto Bella}