First, thanks to all of you that sent your sympathy and birthday wishes through the “comments” section and e-mail – I really appreciate it! The blogging and cooking communities are great groups of people, showing their true colors every day.
Dinner tonight was leftovers, simply because if I cooked something new, there would be NO WAY to fit it in the refrigerator. The Husband took a picture of the retread Chinese food that we had for me to put on the site, but joking, of course.
Finally Nicholas‘ birthday is tomorrow and the ABSOLUTE LAST DAY we will be celebrating it this year … maybe. I made cupcakes for him to bring in to school … longtime readers may remember the Cherry Baby Cakes that I made back in March. That’s what I decided to make for him to bring into school. It’s missing the maraschino cherry on top, but I seriously doubt the 3-year-old set will critique them that much. I love these because they are the perfect mini size for this age … a little sugar rush without putting them over the edge. And too cute! Pink is my favorite color, so I chose the color more for me, than for him. I debated about buying cupcakes, but given I bake and cook so much, what kind of Mom would I be if I couldn’t make my son cupcakes on his birthday?
Cherry Baby Cakes
Now that July is finally over, I tallied up all the new recipes I made – 28! Not bad, eh? The round-up is listed below, and most of the recipes are on my site. To find any that you may have missed, simply enter a few key words in the search box on the top of the site. It will use Google and pull up the relevant pages from my site.
Speaking of recipes, I received a couple of requests for the Baked French Toast with Pecans recipe, so I’ve put that below.
A non-cooking friend of mine (I know – can you believe it? I’m working on her), sent me this link detailing the 20 Burgers You Must Eat Before You Die. Nice to see New Jersey make the list; it’s a place I haven’t tried yet, so you know a visit will be in the offing soon. Check it out and see if there’s any road trips in your near future.
Tomorrow is going to be a busy, busy day … so tune in to find out what’s in store for Nicholas. Until then…
Baked French Toast with Pecans from Steep Acres Farm Bed & Breakfast
This dish is assembled a day ahead so the buttery sauce can soak into the bread.
6 servings
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
8 large eggs
1-1/2 cups half and half
1-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1-pound loaf unsliced challah or other egg bread, cut into 1-1/4 inch thick slices
Stir butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth. Transfer 13x9x2 inch glass baking dish. Sprinkle pecans over butter mixture. Whisk eggs, half and half, cinnamon, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Dip bread slices into egg mixture and arrange in single layer in prepared dish. Pour remaining egg mixture over bread slices in dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 350. Bake French toast uncovered until golden brown and puffed and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cut into 6 pieces. Serve pecan-side up with additional warm maple syrup.
JULY 2005 New Recipe Round-Up
Baked French Toast with Pecans
Brazilian Spare Ribs
Pear Salad with Bacon and Honey Vinaigrette
Guacamole Smash
Falafel Spiced Pecans
Rustic Frizzled Ham and Goat Cheese Pizza
Indian Potato Salad
Grilled Ham and Gouda Sandwiches with Greens and Caramelized Onions
Nigella’s Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta
Chinese Salad
Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing
White Chocolate Bundt Cake
Spaghetti alle Vongole in Bianco
Sweetie Pie Pancake with Brown Sugar Apples and Bacon
Pasta with Tomato-Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Southwestern-Style Scallop Seviche with Summer Vegetables
Double-Decker Quesdillas
Pressed Cubanos with Bacon
Nigella’s Banana Bread
Tortellini Soup in Light Broth
Salsa Stoup
Loaded Nachos
Pink Lemonade Wafers
Scallops with Browned Butter Vinaigrette
Strawberry Heaven Pizza
Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Gorgonzola Toasts
Hanalei Plantation Banana Bread
BBQ Chex Mix
“I debated about buying cupcakes”… Blasphemy!! :p Hee hee. How fun they look! *puts in order for an extended birthday celebration this year*
White Manna is awesome!!! I can’t believe it made the list. The place is like a sardine can – it can’t hold more than 15 people. Definitely worth the drive though. They’re White Castle-ish, meaning small, but obviously you can’t compare the flavor.