8.31.2014

SUYL Breakfast Recipes


This week Kelly's SUYL is breakfast recipes, especially quick ones.
While I wouldn't exactly call this quick, quick, it is one that you prepare the
night before and just bake in the morning.  So I hope this qualifies.

 Stop by and check out all the delicious breakfast recipes.

 I'm showing the breakfast I made for Fourth of July.  It's actually a fruit/cream cheese french toast casserole that you can adjust to your tastes.  It's so yummy.

               I don't know if you can tell, but my intention was to make the casserole look like a flag. :)
FAIL!!!

                Fourth of July French Toast Casserole

*1 loaf of Egg Bread (Challah), you can substitute any bread but I think this one does well.
*8 ounces of cream cheese  (sometimes I use 12 ounces, 
depending on how much cream cheese you like)
*1 small jar of blueberry preserves
*1 small jar of strawberry preserves
*8 large eggs
*1 1/2 cups of milk (I usually add a little more milk)
*1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
*5 to 6 tablespoons of melted butter
*Cinnamon (about 1/2 teaspoon but you can add as little or as much as you like)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 13 x 9 x 2 casserole dish with non stick cooking spray.  Layer half of bread (roughly cube the bread) in baking dish.  In a separate bowls mix the cream cheese and 2/3 of the jar of preserves.  I usually only put one fruit flavor in my casserole but since I was trying to make it into a flag, I used 1/3 of the cream cheese with the blueberry preserves and 2/3 of cream cheese with strawberry preserves.  Drop teaspoonfuls of the cream cheese/preserve mixture over the first layer of bread.  Cover with remaining bread.  Drop a few spoonfuls of the plain preserves over the top layer of bread.

Mix together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, melted butter and cinnamon until well blended.  Pour over bread and lightly press with spatual to help the bread get completely soaked with the mixture.  Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.   Serves up to 10 people.


This recipe is very adaptable.  You can use most any flavor of fruit preserves or you can even substitute fruit instead of the preserves.  If you choose to substitute with fruit, make sure you add about 1/3 cup of sugar to the cream cheese and use about 2 cups of fresh or frozen fruit.   When I originally found this recipe, it was suggested that you top with maple syrup.  I personally find that way to sweet but some members of my family liked it that way.

Check out Kelly's Korner SUYL Breakfast  for other delicious morning recipes. 

8.30.2014

Summer's End, Part 3 Makenzie's birthday!



Makenzie turned 7 in July.  I know.  Crazy, right.

I didn't get to be there for the party this year.  :-(

Here are just a few pictures.


She had a Elsa Party at a movie theater where they showed the movie, Frozen 
and then they went to a party room for cake.  Even though I wasn't 
able to make it this year I made a birthday banner for her to enjoy at her party.


Makenzie










Makenzie at 7 is .....

a talented dancer
a fashionista
bow wearer
loves books about horses
an "American Girl" girl
an artist
plays soccer
plays baseball (that's right baseball, not softball)
a great big sister
loves to be busy every day
lots of friends
good girl for mom and dad
sweet granddaughter
likes the color purple
loves her new teacher
favorite store is Justice
loves to wear tutus
likes to bake cupcakes

I'm so proud of you Makenzie Belle
Happy 7th Birthday


She also had been doing a lot of dance competitions this year and does really well
in solos, duets and team competitions.


Their last competition this summer was in Chicago.









They did such an awesome job and afterwards were rewarded with fun activities.

They got to ride their first big city train.


They went to American Girl Chicago

Now she's been to St. Louis American Girl and Chicago.  And happy news everyone.
They are opening American Girl Orlando very soon.
She got the doll of the year, Isabelle.




They had a very special luncheon there.


Then shopping at a super big mall.  Fun.  
Not to mention staying in a big hotel, swimming in their pool and 
 having dessert at Cheesecake Factory.  What a special trip
that these girls will remember forever.
Kelly does such a great job doing fun things when they go to competitions.

 

While I'm on the subject of Makenzie and Kelly, I'd be remiss
if I didn't add in what a fun vacation their little family went on this summer.

Dominican Republic


At the airport in St. Louis they have a mock airport playground inside the terminal.








Matt's parents are so sweet to treat their kids and grandkids on a summer vacation each year.

They've been to Jamaica, Mexico and now the Dominican Republic.
What a special gift of becoming international travelers at such a young age.


Well, that about wraps up the summer.  Now that school is in full swing and fall is just
around the corner we are entering the season of family get-togethers, fun crafts, soccer,
football, yummy food and cooler weather (hopefully) I'll be seeing you soon.

Thanks for joining.



Summer's End (Part 2)

Continuing with the highlights of the summer.

This was the summer (2014)  that Dylan learned how to swim....


and perfected his dive.   ;-)


Our friend Ann came to spend some time with us in July and we tried to show her
the real Central Florida.
We spent a day at the Winter Park Farmer's Market and did a little
shopping on Park Avenue.


The flowers at the market were beautiful.





not sure what Mike is doing here......


my sister Kim, and my niece Brittany joined us for a little
Lilly shopping....
or should I say we all joined Brittany.


Uncle Mike did a great job carrying Brittany's bags for the day.


We discovered a new lunch place in Winter Park.
'TOASTED'
It is delicious.  I will warn you though, it's loud and small but I will
definitely go again.  As the name suggests, it serves all types of toasted sandwiches.



We also took Ann to Orlando's most traditional landmark, besides Disney.
Lake Eola, which is right smack dab in the middle of town.
They also have a farmer's market on Sunday mornings.



We did some Mall shopping and a trip to Epcot but I don't have pictures of that.

************

I  participated in a Christmas in July homemade ornament swap.
This is what I came up with.
Now that I'm looking at it, it really seems more 4th of July than Christmas in July.
Oops!
I'll do a future post on the ones I received.


One of my favorite purchases this summer were my "southern quote" plates
that I got at Cracker Barrel.  Sooooo cute!!!!!
I say these all the time.


I got to go on a little back to school shopping trip with Tay.
She picks such cute and cool things.


I also got to de-clutter/re-organize her room with her before the school year 
(her senior year) began.
I think it's super sweet that she still has her bow box and she still wears them.


and finally, Mike has found a way to "walk" his pets to and from the night-time pens.


Thanks for joining me.
I'll be back soon for the final installment.
"Makenzie's birthday"