nothin' to it.... Cinnamon Baked French Toast

A few years ago I found a recipe for an overnight French Toast Bake that looked delicious.  My parents were coming for the weekend and I thought it would make for an easy breakfast for us.  While it was a leisurely morning, that particular recipe was very sweet and none of us could eat more than a small piece...needless to say a large part of the pan got tossed later that week.

This year for Christmas morning I wanted to try something that would be just as easy as the first French Toast  Bake I'd made, but knew it had to be much easier on the dental bill :) I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was even better than I'd expected.  It was incredibly easy to make and tasted  fabulous! I'll definitely be making this again :)

I adapted this recipe from Lovin' Fom the Oven, I made 3/4 of the recipe in a bar pan and doubled the crumble mixture.

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Ingredients

• 1 loaf bread (I used regular sandwich bread)
• 8 whole eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick cold butter, cubed (1/2cup)

Instructions

1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2. Tear the bread into chunks and place them in the greased pan.
3. Mix together eggs, milk, cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. In another bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add the butter and mix until the batter comes somewhat together, like little pebbles. Store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
6. Take your pan with the soaking bread inside and sprinkle crumb mixture on top.
7. If you like soggier french toast, bake for 45 minutes. For a firmer and less liquid-y french toast, bake for an hour.
8. Serve warm with maple syrup and butter, if desired.

reflecting...

I can't say I remember ever really making new years resolutions...I don't think I've really been one to do any amount of serious intentional reflecting back on the previous year...and I can't remember actually writing down specific, measurable goals for the coming year.  But this year will be different.

In the past few days I've read a couple of posts from people doing exactly this and I've felt quite challenged to follow in their footsteps.

When I googled "new years reflection questions" I found a number of lists of questions, and here are some of my reflections...

Photo Credit

What was the single best thing that happened this past year?
Becoming a mom to an amazing little girl whom I love more than I dreamed possible

What was an unexpected joy this past year?
Our post-hockey getaway to Cuba, just Justin and I...enjoyed the 30+ degree heat at 28 weeks pregnant :)
Having my parents surprisingly move to Medicine Hat this fall

What was an unexpected obstacle?
I don't know if is exactly an obstacle but an unexpected difficulty was definitely the feelings of frustration at feeling so "stupid" when it came to being pregnant and the thought of becoming a mom. I'm a "frame of reference" kind of girl, I function much better in a situation where I have a frame of reference for what I'm about to do...and no such thing exists for first time mothers. But thanks to my close girlfriends who answered more questions than any human ever should have to and their wise advice, I faced our baby's arrival with confidence ;) and they were totally right...the instincts do come exactly when you need them!

Pick three words to describe 2012:
Anticipation :: Instincts :: Joy

What were the best books you read this year?
For a girl who grew up a ferocious reader, I'm sad to say I read very few books this year...emphasis on the very. This is one of my goals for 2013, to read one fiction and one non-fiction book a month. Next year I want to have a list from which to choose to answer this question!

With whom were your most valuable relationships?
I think the most significant growth in a relationship, other than with my husband, was with my sister. We've always shared a close relationship, but our friendship took a wonderful turn this year to something more special than ever. To say she has been supportive would be the understatement of the  decade...she loves my daughter almost as much as I do and looks out for the well being of my little family in a way that is truly heaven sent.

In what way(s) did you grow physically?
Lol, well I expanded quite nicely to look like I had a very large basketball under my shirt :) and then I deflated and ended the year smaller than I'd started it!

What are you most grateful for as you look back on 2012?
An amazing husband who has become a phenomenal father before my eyes
A beautiful pair of hazel eyes gazing up at me after I feed her, and the irresistible smile that follows
A house that is truly my home, full of love, and a haven for me and my little family
For all the experiences, both the wonderful and the difficult, that have made me a stronger person and  have enabled me to walk into 2013 a richer and fuller person than I was in 2012

four months later...

From our first night cuddling together, I knew that I wanted to leave my daughter a written piece of my heart specifically of our first year together. At some point I will hand write these letters for her, and she will have a small glimpse into what I was thinking and feeling.

It feels like she has changed so much this month, she will be five months old in just less than a week but here's my musings from month four...


Well Pumpkin you are four months old...and I'm afraid what they say is true: time is moving much  too
fast and you are a mirror of your daddy and me.  So many times I look at your little face or see your mannerisms and think to myself  "I must be looking in the mirror!"  You are an amazing little girl, so strong, already very determined and you light up every room you are carried into. We are so grateful that you just go with the flow, you can be passed around the room or the rink and you just smile and settle into the arms that are holding you. You are happy, incredibly healthy (we love the rolls on your wrists, knees, ankles...) and we couldn't be more grateful that you are ours...Here's a peek into what your little world looks like:

• You love your bath...you kick and splash and gleefully play for as long as we let you stay in the water...and you like the water nice and warm just like your momma! Bath time is your special time with your daddy, he does a much better job of playing than I do, and my favorite sound of the day is hearing yours and your daddy's laughter coming from the bathroom each evening. 
• You are not interested whatsoever in taking a bottle...getting lunch from anywhere but me is not an option in your mind!
• Getting enough sleep is crucial to us seeing your joyful smile :)  You had a few days in a row where you were not interested in napping during the day and our happy girl seemed to have taken a vacation...a few days of concentrated routine and intentional napping opportunities for you made all the difference in the world!  We were grateful to see your smile return :)
• You have started to giggle, not just a "breathy" laugh but actual eye squinty belly giggles and when you start we laugh right along with you and don't want you to stop!
• You've become quite the drooler...the front of your shirt is often wet no matter how much we wipe your chin :) You are an expert bubble blower and practice often lol!
• If anything is close to your mouth and you can get your hands on it, it goes straight into your mouth! You love to wrap your pudgy little fingers around ours and chomp down on our finger with your gums...we won't be surprised if a tooth pops through at some point in the near future...
• You love to be held... This might be one of my favorite aspects of this stage.  Sure you have moments where you like to just be on your own and be able to kick and stretch out, but you have many moments where you are so incredibly content to just be held...a fussy moment can dissipate almost in an instant when I pick you up and hold you close. Even though those preceding moments can sometimes leave me a tad frazzled, my heart settles and finds its calm when I feel you relax in my arms.

Every day you open our hearts a little more to love in a new way we didn't know possible...we are forever changed because of you, and we wouldn't have it any other way...