Cinnamon Raisin Raspberry French Toast Bake

French toast is a staple in our house.  It's a popular breakfast choice for my boys, along with pancakes and waffles.  I was wanting to change up our morning flavours, and a loaf of Sun-Maid Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread was my inspiration.

I have seen overnight French Toast baked breakfasts before, but have never made them.  I always attributed an overnight breakfast to a weekend thing, but I thought, why wouldn't I do this on a weekday morning?  Wouldn't this make our morning routine just a bit easier?  No standing over the stove cooking while trying to round up the kids for school and daycare.  So...I decided to give one a whirl and see what happened.  I also happened to have some beautiful raspberries and delicious cream cheese in the fridge, and in my mind, I thought these should all go together.

Here is what I did:

Cinnamon Raisin Raspberry French Toast Bake

8 slices of Sun-Maid Raisin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

5 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 brick cream cheese, softened
cinnamon

Butter the bottom of an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan (I used glass).

Break up the bread into bite sized pieces.  Place in the prepared baking pan.  Add the raspberries into the bread dish, mixing into the bread.

In a bowl, beat the eggs, add in the milk and mix well.  Pour the egg mixture over the bread.  Press down slightly.

Cut the cream cheese into small bits, sprinkle over top of the bread mixture.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat oven to 350F.  Uncover the baking pan, place in oven, and hake for 30-35 minutes. 

Remove from oven, serve with maple syrup, and enjoy!

VERDICT:
This dish was popular with my boys (and me too!).  It made for a nice change of pace to our breakfasts, and added in some extra fruit (the raisins and he raspberries).  The cream cheese was a nice addition to the mix!

Recipe Recap #16

Hello friends! Happy Tuesday to you!  Welcome back to this week's edition of "Recipe Recap"!  This week I am looking back at the recipes that I posted one year ago, the week of May 12 - 18, 2012.  Here are the recipes - they were all about Mother's Day....and the first is one of my most popular recipes from the blog!

German Apple Cake

Hint of Thai Sirloin and Mango Pepper Salad

THANK YOU for stopping by - Recipe Recap will be back next week!

Banana Coconut Bread

Usually we go through bananas like crazy, but in the last few weeks the banana consumption seems to have slowed in our house.  As a result, I was presented with 3 very ripe bananas the other day...which of course is the perfect number of ripe bananas to make banana bread!

I pulled out my trusty "Company's Coming Muffins and More" cookbook and went to my stand-by banana bread recipe.  But then I saw one for Banana Coconut Bread, and thought maybe I'd try that one.  Ran the idea by my hubby who agreed, and so, Banana Coconut Bread it was! Here is the recipe I used:

2 eggs

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
3 bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup coconut, medium
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Note - The recipe also called for 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts and 1/2 cup maraschino cherries, cut up.  I had neither on hand at home, so I left them out of the recipe this time. 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Prepare a loaf pan (grease/butter)

Beat eggs until light and frothy.  Add in the sugar and the melted butter.  Mix well.  Add in the banana and mix well.

In a second bowl combine the flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add to the wet ingredients, stir until mixed.  Pour/spoon into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan, cool and wrap.

VERDICT:
This was a nice change to the everyday banana bread.  A hit with my boys :-)

Scrumptious Sunday Recipe Link Party #62

HELLO FRIENDS!

It feels so good to be back!  We had an internet crash in our city/at our house last week which really threw my blogging for a loop.  Not only was there a provider issue, but our modem decided to crash at the same time.  Good times, good times!

I am happy to say that Scrumptious Sunday Recipe Link Party #62 is up and running - I sure hope you will come by and link up your recipes!

And last but never least....HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

Recipe Recap #15

Ahhh, it's Recipe Recap day!  Thanks for joining me in my little adventure looking back at the recipes I posted one year ago this week.  This week we are checking out the recipes from May 5-11, 2012...and here they are:

Smoked Salmon Gruyere Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Homemade Play Dough

See you next week!

Puffed Wheat Squares

Would you believe that until now, I have NEVER made Puffed Wheat Squares?  Seriously!  I don't really remember my Mom making them when I was a kid (though I am sure she did), but I do remember having puffed wheat squares, and that I loved them.

I was out grocery shopping the other night and happened to be in the cereal aisle (looking for some wheat bran for baking).  I came across some organic puffed wheat, immediately remembered puffed wheat squares, and figured it was time I make some and see if my family likes them.  Here is the recipe that I used:

Puffed Wheat Squares (Source: grouprecipes.com)

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 cups organic puffed wheat

Butter a 9 x 13 pan.

In a large saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla.  Bring to a slow, rolling boil.

Remove from heat and add in the puffed wheat.  Stir to combine.

Press into the prepared pan.  Cool and cut into squares.

VERDICT:
3 out of 4 in our family liked these.  They were just how I remember them from childhood.  Our oldest wasn't a big fan, but our toddler...look out.  He was screeching for more!  I think he has a bit of a sweet tooth, just like his Mama!

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches

I don't know about you, but I love egg salad sandwiches.  I grew up with my Mom's recipe with hard boiled eggs mashed with mayo, and in the last few years have grown to enjoy a version that a local lunchery offers (that slices the hard boiled eggs and adds in slices of tomatoes too).  Having said that, I never make egg salad sandwiches.  Until I came across this recipe...then I decided that I needed make some!  Here is the recipe:

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches (Source: Running to the Kitchen)

2 hard boiled eggs (shells off)

1/2 avocado
1 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon red hot sauce (or more or less, depending on your preference)
salt and pepper to taste

Put the first four ingredients into a bowl and mash together until you reach your desired consistency.  Add in the hot sauce, salt and pepper.  Mix, taste and adjust if needed.

Spoon the avocado egg salad into a wrap or onto your sandwich bread, top with coleslaw greens or fresh lettuce, and enjoy!

VERDICT:
I really liked this version of egg salad sandwiches.  The addition of the avocado was good (and good for you!) and changing up the mayo for a little Greek yogurt was also tasty.  I had mine in a wrap and I added in  bagged coleslaw to add some crunch, and I am super happy that I did!  I had some leftover mix which I gave to our toddler, who just gobbled it up - yippee!