Overnight French Toast

My husband and I have recently relocated from Indiana to Kentucky (cheers for being back in the South!). We have already been blessed to have had overnight company. I love having the opportunity to share our home with others. It's so great to be able to sit down over a good meal and catch up. When friends and family come to visit, I certainly don't want to spend tons of time in the kitchen. I'm so thankful for this recipe for Overnight French toast sent to me by a fellow pastor's wife while I was in Tennessee. It can be made the night before and simply baked in the oven in the morning. I served this recently when we had our first overnight guests and served it with sausage and a fresh fruit bowl. This was my first time to make this dish but it certainly won't be my last! Do you have a favorite overnight recipe to share with me? Send it my way!

12 slices day-old French bread (I used sourdough--enough to fill a 9x13 dish)
5 eggs
2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. packed brown sugar, divided
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 c. chopped pecans
2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

Arrange bread in a greased 13 x 9 baking dish. In a bowl, combine the eggs, milk, 3/4 c. brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle pecans over egg mixture. Combine butter and remaining 1/4 c. brown sugar; drizzle over the top. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with blueberries. Bake 10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Possibly a New Favorite Chocolate Cake!

An added blessing of our recent move to Eastern Kentucky to begin a new pastorate is being much closer to my parents and both of my sisters. This past weekend my husband and I took the opportunity to visit my twin sister, Denise, and her family in Eastern Tennessee, only 2 1/2 hours away. Denise, also a pastor's wife, is a great cook and entertains many guests in their home almost weekly. In fact, I doubt that a week goes by when they don't have a guest in their home for a meal.

Denise continues the tradition of our mother serving Sunday dinner following morning worship. Yesterday she served a delicious rosemary chicken dish as the main course. The meal was topped off with this sinfully chocolate cake which was decadent to say the least! Believe it or not, the recipe actually comes from Cooking Light. I think the "light" part is in the reduced fat mayonnaise but you won't notice. Try it--I think you'll have a new favorite too. And if you have given up having dinner after church on Sunday morning, I encourage you to try it again too. Times spent around the table discussing things learned that morning in worship enhance a great meal! Blessings!

Good Friends

Have you ever met someone and instantly felt a connection? That's how I felt when I met my friend Caryol. Jeff and I visited Caryol and Rich's church one Sunday and afterwards went to lunch. While we visited, I knew this was someone I wanted to get to know better. Caryol has a devotion to the Lord which is so obvious to anyone who meets her. He is her strength and refuge. She and Rich had a sweet relationship as husband and wife. Another friend commented that Rich treated Caryol like a princess and Caryol said, "No, a queen." My friendship with Caryol has only evolved over the last year and in this year, Caryol was Rich's cheerleader and helpmate as he battled cancer. Sadly, Rich's cancer took his life very quickly. If you were blessed to be able to become a friend of Caryol's, you would never hear anything but praise to her almighty God. She's not bitter, angry, or hopeless. She is radiant and filled with God's spirit. He is evident in her life. I pray you have someone like her in your life who encourages you, as Caryol encourages me, to be a sweet aroma of Christ to all who come near.

This recipe is for her because as Caryol would, she continues to serve in her church. She wanted a pasta salad to serve at a ladies' meeting to go along with wraps, fresh fruit and cookies. I love you, my friend. Enjoy!


Rainbow Pasta Salad
12 oz. rainbow rotini, cooked and drained
1 small bunch broccoli florets
3 chopped green onions
1 rib celery, chopped
1 4-oz. can pitted black olives sliced
1/4 c. stuffed green olives sliced
1 14-oz. artichokes, drained
1/2 c. each green, red and yellow peppers
3/4 T. garlic salt
3/4 T. parsley
3/4 T seasoned salt
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 c. olive oil
3 T. apple cider vinegar

Combine cooked pasta, broccoli, green onions, celery, olives, artichokes, and peppers in a large bowl and toss to mix. Season with spices. Sprinkle with the cheese. Add the olive oil and apple cider vinegar and toss to mix well. Chill covered 24 hours.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Company for Breakfast?

The summer months provide the opportunity for family and friends to visit for a couple days. Another of the great benefits of summer--freedom to travel. When I am expecting company, I like to have some things made ahead of time, especially for breakfast. Most nights are late and as the hostess, it's a little easier to be up and ready for breakfast when I have something prepared in advance. I found the recipe for Morning Glory Muffins in the Southern Living Magazine recently and have made them twice now. They are loaded with crushed pineapple, raisins, shredded carrots, raisins and nuts and are very moist. (My husband suggested they would be delicious with a little cream cheese frosting, but since I serve these for breakfast, we skipped the frosting!) With a delicious muffin, scrambled eggs and bacon are always a nice combination. For something a little lighter, especially with all the great fruit this time of year, make a big bowl of fresh fruit--sliced strawberries, fresh blueberries, peaches, kiwi, and whatever other fresh fruit available at the grocery.

I encourage you to do a little advance prep before your guests arrive so you will enjoy your company as much as they enjoy your delicious muffins!

Morning Glory Muffins
Yield: 2 dozen muffins

Ingredients
1 cup chopped pecans
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
3 large eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
2 large carrots, finely grated (1 cup)
1 cup golden raisins

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, combine flour, salt, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

Whisk together sugar, canola oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; fold in crushed pineapple and carrots. Add to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in toasted pecans and raisins. Spoon into lightly greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full.

Bake at 350° for 23 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire rack, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).

Note: Muffins may be made ahead and frozen in a zip-top plastic freezer bag up to 1 month, if desired. Remove from bag, and let thaw at room temperature.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.