Food Friday!

I have been hankerin' (yes, I said it...there isn't a lot about me that says redneck, but there you go!) for breakfast for dinner (maybe we should call it brinner, what do you think?)  I am NOT usually a big breakfast food person.  I don't really like eggs at all and I can't stand milk.  But I have been loving things like biscuits and gravy, waffles, and pancakes for dinner (brinner).  Well, this week my husband was wanting some french toast and because I am not getting up early enough to fix it before the kids go to school, I thought we would have it for dinner!  I know, right?!  :-)

Anyway, I found a crispy french toast recipe that I thought I would try and share with you all.  So, you are welcome in advance!

Crispy Baked French Toast

Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups milk
1 1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
8 slices of italian bread
1/4 cup butter
1/4 vegetable oil
Maple syrup

Directions:
1. Beat 3 eggs together with  1 1/4 cup milk, 3/4 tsp sugar and 3/4 tsp vanilla extract in shallow bowl until well blended. Pour over bread and let sit for 30 minutes.

2. Beat 1 egg together with 3/4 cup milk, 1/2 tsp each of sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. (I forgot the cinnamon in the first batch.) Place panko in pie pan or shallow dish. Dip each bread slice into egg mixture, then coat both sides of bread slices with bread crumbs. Place on large wire rack.

3.  Add butter and oil into pan. Place pan in 400 degrees F. oven 1 to 2 minutes, or until butter melts. Remove pan from oven.

4. Place bread slices into pan, in single layer, turning over once to coat both sides of bread slices with butter mixture.

5. Return to oven and bake 15 minutes. Turn bread slices over and bake 10 minutes longer, or until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!


These lasted no time what so ever and it was super simple to bake them.  The only thing I might do differently next time is to remember to put cinnamon in my first egg mixture and make a second pan!  These were too good!  Hope you enjoy!

A Day of Remembering and Love

Today is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  Unfortunately, I can participate in this somber event.

Fourteen years ago, I was 16 weeks along with my first child.  It was around this time that I felt the baby move for the first time.  I could not wait to hold this newly minted life in my arms.  I was eagerly and nervously counting down the days and dreaming about meeting my child for the first time.

But dreams sometimes turn to nightmares.  I got to see my son for the first time as they were wheeling him past to take him to a bigger hospital that could handle such a sick child.  You see, he did not start breathing on his own, he never woke up.  My baby held on for five days while we did everything to memorize every tiny detail.  We sang to him, rocked and cuddled him, opened the window so he could feel the fresh air, we baptized him and then we gave him permission to go.

My heart will never be the same.

I have been told that there is a reason that this happened.  I don't know what that reason might be, but I know that he taught me much in his five days in this world.

Dear Christian,
    Thank you for teaching me to never take your brothers for granted.  I snuggle them a little tighter.
    Thank you for teaching me that every life is precious.
    Thank you for preparing me to minister to other moms who have went through this horrible tragedy.
    Thank you for showing me that love can be so strong that it transcends pain and separation.
           You will never be forgotten.
                      Love, Mommy


If you have been touched by a loss like this, I would ask that you join in today.  At 7 pm where ever you are, please light a candle and keep it lit for at least an hour.  This will create a wave of light and love, starting on the east coast, it will extend over the hours across the country.  We all just want our babies to be remembered.

Wanna change the world?

The other day, I was having a conversation with my son about things that have happened in school.  He told me that he just wanted the teachers to simply say, "Good job."  Now, I try very hard to let my children know how proud I am of them...because I am unbelievable proud.  But that got me to thinking.  Isn't that what we all want?  We just want to be acknowledged.  We want our efforts to be noticed.  We want to be loved.

It all comes down to this, doesn't it?  We just need to be loved.

So many problems would vanish if we could just love each other the way we want to be loved.  Radical love is possible and it would change the world!  So, how about it?