Not so simple anymore...

So I kind of lost sight of the simple things the past two weeks. It was a crazy week and I became overwhelmed by all of the demands at work, home, and with friends/family. I am trying to learn to not care so much. It is a weird thing to be working at but I really need to let other people's drama not effect me and focus on the positives in my life.

Easter was amazing. My mom and brother came to town and we had an amazing time!!! We relaxed, swam, and ate amazing food. In addition to all else my camera broke which has made it hard to blog as I like to include photos.

Here is our Easter menu. We had a Quiche-Off between Courtney and Jeff. Courtney ended up winning but all of the food was delicious!

Stuffed French Toast Strata, Biscuits with maple butter, Crab and Gruyere Quiche (Jeff), Crab, broccoli, and Cheddar quiche (Courtney), Candied Bacon (WHICH WAS UNBELIEVABLE!), fresh fruit salad(from Kate, Deviled eggs from Dara, Lots of Champagne and OJ/Grapefruit/Cranberry, Courtney's Carrott Cake, and I cant remember what else but it was all amazing!!! We played washers and it was great fun to hang and talk with everyone!

Here is the recipe for my favorite contribution. It was a hit and with real maple syrup...yum yum!! I'd recommend  it to anyone for any occasion, especially because you can make it the day before.

Stuffed French Toast Strata (Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole)

INGREDIENTS:

1 (1 lb) loaf unsliced French Bread (I used an artisan loaf)
1 (8-ounce) pkg. Cream cheese, cubed
2 1/2 cups Combo of milk, half and half, or heavy cream
8 eggs (I use Egg Beaters)
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Extra Maple Syrup for serving

 

Cut French bread loaf into 1 inch cubes (About 12 cups bread cubes) Grease a 13×9 inch baking pan.
To Assemble: In the prepared pan place half of the bread cubes. Top with the cream cheese cubes and then the remaining bread cubes.
With a blender or mixing bowl with a rotary beater, mix together the eggs, milk, melted butter, maple syrup and cinnamon until well combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over bread and cheese cubes. Using a spatula, slightly press layers down to moisten.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Remove plastic wrap and bake in a 325 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until the center appears to be set and the eggs are golden. Let stand for 10 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.


And because I could not leave you hanging, here is the recipe I used for candied bacon. There are so many recipes for this. I used thick cut maple smoked bacon from Costco. Delicious!!!

Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound thick sliced bacon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a broiler pan with aluminum foil, and position broiler rack/cooling rack on top of pan. Combine the brown sugar and cayenne in a shallow dish, stirring to mix well. Press the bacon firmly into the spiced sugar to coat well. Arrange the slices of bacon on top of the broiler rack in a single layer. If there is any sugar remaining in the dish, sprinkle it on top of the bacon slices evenly. Bake until the bacon is crisp and the sugar is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then to a plate or serving dish to cool. (Can be made several hours ahead) Serve warm or at room temperature.


Jeff says he fixed my camera so I will be back to blogging soon. :)

Night all!