French Toast for Two

Good morning!  I cook breakfast everyday for my Hun and me.  No matter what I cook it doesn't take longer than about fifteen minutes.  It is just part of our routine everyday to sit down for a few minutes to eat breakfast together before heading out for a long day.  We both enjoy it and wouldn't have it any other way.  Plus it keeps both of us out of the gas station morning money trap or fast food lines.  I would much rather spend fifteen minutes in the kitchen cooking breakfast and hanging with Shaun than sitting in a drive through line.  Think about it.

This morning I made sausage, one fried egg for Shaun and four pieces of french toast. The sausage and egg you can figure for yourself.  I cooked the sausage first while I slapped the french toast dip together.  Then fried the egg in the sausage grease (gross.. I don't care for fried eggs but the Mr. loves them) then drain the grease and follow these directions: 

In a shallow bowl, combine with a fork, one egg, 1/4 cup milk, a splash of vanilla and a few shakes of cinnamon.  Melt a tablespoon of butter in your already hot skillet.  Dip the first two pieces of bread into the egg mixture and coat both sides.  Then transfer them into your skillet.  Don't leave the bread in the mixture to soak or you won't have enough dip for four pieces of bread.  Allow the bread to cook on each side for two minutes on medium heat.  Transfer to breakfast plates (paper plates = less clean up) and repeat with remaining two pieces of bread.  Drizzle maple syrup over and enjoy. 

I began breakfast this morning at 6:21.  We sat down to eat at 6:37.  Make time to feed yourself.  It doesn't have to be this breakfast.  Maybe I will share more of our breakfasts that I make with you just to show you how easy and fast it can be to include breakfast into your bust morning.  At least you know what wen in it and didn't wait in line inhaling exhaust for it. 

Have a great day!

Here is someone else that likes breakfast. 

You might have to press pause on my music at the bottom in order to enjoy this video. 

Please don't forget to unpause for your listening pleasure once this clip is done. 

Smoked Sausage Casserole

Well here it is.  Just another sausage and potato recipe. Ah... don't be so quick to turn away.  This one is derived from Julia Child herself.  That's right, I have rented The French Chef I for the eighth or ninth time.  I am really not counting.  But I do so enjoy it and Santa, if you are listening, it would be safe to put Volume I and II under the tree next year.

This recipe actually turned out better than I thought it would.  The original recipe uses store bought polish sausage.  I used smoked sausage from our pigs.  It was a little greasier but oh so good.

Smoked Sausage Casserole

Butter your baking dish generously. 

Saute' one chopped onion in two tablespoons of butter until soft.

I used a quart jar of potatoes canned from our garden, sliced.  You can use two cans or store bought or boil a few potatoes on the stove top.

Slice sausage.  

Layer potatoes, onion, and sausage.  Repeat once.

In a bowl, beat two eggs with two cups of milk.  Pour over layers.

Top with a handful of cheese and a few pats of butter.

Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

 The layers don't have to be perfect.  Just throw it in there.

 Oh My! 

 Almost like a quiche.  Just slice a good piece out for yourself!

 Thank you Julia.  I am not afraid of potatoes anymore. 

Not that I ever was.  She's fantastic.  Rent these DVDs soon please.

Let me know what you think about Tripe when you get done.

 

WaaLaa!

Easy Football Birthday

I know the season is over.  Please keep this easy football cake in mind for next year or for your little man who wants a football birthday... or gal! 

You begin with baking a normal, 9x13, one boxed cake mix cake.  Whatever flavor is desired.

Cut off all four corners and pick the best two of four.  Eat the other two.

Place the two corner at the ends of the cake and spread a dab of icing to hold them there. 

Shape as best you can without cutting the cake to death. 

Ice with the good old store bought chocolate tub o' frosting. 

Mark your lines for the stitching and white lines on the football with dental floss or string. 

Also measure out lines on the field and mark lightly with a pencil. 

This can be done before the cake is placed on the platform.

The platform here is made out of stiff cardboard and freezer paper taped on. 

Using a star tip, trace your lines with a gentle squeeze of icing. 

Color the rest of your icing as green as turf grass.  Fill in the rest of the field using a star tip. 

Add the birthday boy's name and wait til you hear "that is AWESOME" from the 10 year old.

It'll be worth it.

Here I Go Again

Back on the book website!  Chronicle Books dot com.  Here's what I am drooling over tonight.

Who can't use tips and advice for living a better life?  I like the Bible myself. 

This one could be friendly.

This I do have on request hold at my library.  I am 13th in line. 

Jenn, did you see this one?  One thing that my BF and I have on common is list making.  She's worse off than I am.  Maybe we'll be buying her list book soon! 

P.S. if you didn't already know, you can just click on the pictures and it'll take you to the page with more info about each book I have on here. 

This one is for my sister who loves to Paint By Number.  She is so good at it, last year she painted each one of us our own paint by number for Christmas!  Mine is a white horse and it is hanging in my spare bathroom.  I love it.

This is actually packets that you can buy in five different categories with several paint by numbers in the same type style.  Pretty cool!  (kit does include paint)

UUUHHHH I want to look at this one so bad!  I am a bird watcher from way back.  This past Christmas, my tree was all about birds.  I am seriously going to have a talk with my librarian about their selection tomorrow.

I am going to try and set this one in a slide show on the side bar.  My mouth is hanging open.  If it doesn't work, just click on the above picture and scroll down to the slide show of different nests.  I am in awe.  Are birds intriguing!

Weekend Full Of...

 Forcing Forsythia, laundry from the clothesline.

 Wrapping a bit of string or ribbon around stems a couple of times then tying helps them stay together in a wide mouth vase... or jar.. instead of falling to the edges.

I got the brief case.  It needs some cleaning but it's here :)

 How fantastically vintage is the interior!

I got to watch the Lawrence Welk Show on NPT Saturday night.  And what kind of looney takes a pic of the screen?  This kind!  No really I was captured by this backdrop and want to draw it.  Unfortunately the pictures didn't turn out that well because they kept moving! 

I collected more than three gallons of rain water.... 

for making lye soap with our lard.  It's a long process and I think I'll make myself a chemist certificate to hang on the wall if it all works out. 

Finally!  It's been a while since I have had a magazine, besides Country Living British edition, suck me in.  But at my Mom's today for my sister's birthday gathering I found the latest edition.  Then Mom sent me home with four!   

Current library books.  I will wind up buying the two kid cook books for the DC when it opens.  

I have had a lot of fun with the BUG drawing book that has super easy instructions on how to draw bugs and a few flowers.  The soap making book is too complicated, I cannot follow.  The Critters one gives you all kinds of projects to do for your pet.  Not what I thought it was when I checked it out but still cute.  I am hoping to have new library books on the hold shelf for me this week.  I have requested several. 

Shaun and I worked on my future job all day Saturday and the fencing man has been given the green light.  This new adventure is happenning and soon I will be sharing my creativity every day with little ones.  That's what we're praying for anyway.  At this point I need encouragement and prayers most of all.  xo

Sausage Casserole

Granny made this casserole one evening at her house when we all came over for dinner.  It was so good that I thought about it and thought about it and finally called her a got the recipe.  I have made it twice now for the two of us.  The first time I followed the recipe like a good girl and it turned out wonderful.  The second time was tonight and I veered from the recipe just a touch and guess what... still wonderful. 

Sausage Casserole

1 Lb Sausage
1 Can Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4  Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
3 Cups Peeled, Sliced Potatoes
2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Brown sausage in skillet, drain on paper towels.  Mix together soup, milk, salt and pepper.  In a two quart greased casserole dish layer potatoes and onion, soup mixture, sausage and cheese.  Repeat layers but omit cheese.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour.  Uncover, add remaining cheese and bake for five minutes.

Tonight, in my second version, I browned the sausage with onions and green peppers.  Then drained on paper towels.  I used canned potatoes on the bottom layer then the soup mixture, then sausage and topped with cheese and baked for thirty minutes.  Turned out great. 

This could be served as supper or breakfast!

Raising your own hogs for meat is the way to go here!  Cook til the meat is lightly browned and onions are translucent.

 Canned potatoes, canned soup.

 Easier whisked.

 These I named Shirley Reds after Granny's friend Shirley shared them with me last summer. 

 Layered.

 The rolls got a little too brown on top whilst watching Idol.  Woops.

My Mother is the inspiration for the cheese on pears on lettuce salad. This lovely concotion used to grace our supper plates when we were growing up.  It can even be found in some cookbooks.

Thanks for the recipe Granny!

What I'm Crushin On

OH MY!  I have run upon a website that I am currently drooling over.  Not the site so much as what the site offers which is books upon books. I know you can get books any time at amazone or barnes and noblest but this site seems to display in categories of art and craft, poetry and design.  I can't stop jumping back and forth from their site to my library typing in names and titles and unluckily coming up with an empty library cart.  These books are just too new.  But they have led me to a few books of interest that I might not have found otherwise. 

Here are a few books I am crushing on.  Ah... a Valentine Crush.  Shhh don't tell the hubby!

I have always wondered how they print fabric and how that whole thing works. 

Haven't you?

I found something close to this book at my library.  This one will be checked out one day! 

I HAVE to do this!

Can I just have this cover please?

I badly want to be a farm that can grow food for others.  Ahhh if only one had more time.

I am a Mad Woman!  Somebody stop me!!!!

Amen.

How stinkin cute is this book?!?!  I want to be one!  A Mom of style. 

The five year old inside me just hollared "Nuh Uh!"  This is a coloring book and it has tracing paper that resembles parchment paper in it.  I just fell in love with Rosie Flo!

OK.  Please go check out Chronicle Books.  I have to go get my crush on whilst the real Valentine in my life is snoozing on the couch!

P.S. Happy Valentine's Day!

P.S.S. The website is Chronicle Books!  I was so excited I published this and had to go back and add the main link!  What a book nerd!