overnight baked french toast

A week of traveling, family and food. It was wonderful in every shape and the girls were troopers. Charlotte went without a nap for most of the week and took it like a champ. I'm so proud of my girls. They are also learning to be very polite and respectful. We had a few day stretch in there that Charlotte was dry as well. She even went potty in a few public restrooms!

Gretchen just turned 10 months old and so badly wants to be 2.5. She is trying to pull up to her feet (can get to her knees) and has made about "6" crawls on her hands and knees. Otherwise she still resorts to the army crawl. I can just tell she wants to run, play and talk like her older sister. Very soon, I know she will be.

I made my first turkey (and GRAVY!!) all myself this weekend. My mother-in-law helped prep the turkey. It turned out great and I'm very thankful. I know my mom and grandma are proud of me. After all, I have to perfect it!

I also made a few recipes that I hadn't before. I'm not great with making things that I can make ahead of time and then serve. However, thanks to Pinterest, the ideas are endless. Take this Baked French Toast. I've made it twice now and it is to die for! Very rich and yummy. This whole pan actually fed almost 6 people. You really can't have more than two slices.

Overnight Baked French Toast

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons) butter, melted
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 loaf brioche or challah (French toast can also be sliced 1 1/2 inches thick)
• 8 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• (optional) maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping

Directions

1. 1In a small bowl combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
2. 2Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish overlapping if necessary.
3. 3Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and ginger in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices. My note: I recommend dunking each slice into the egg mixture and then layering them in the pan. Dump the rest of the egg mix over the slices. When pouring, I couldn't get the slices drenched in egg enough.
4. 4Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.
5. 5Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
6. 6In the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
7. 7Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes. If top starts browning too quickly place a foil loosely over the top of the casserole for the last 10 minutes or so. You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked but don't dry it out completely.
8. 8Remove casserole from oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.

life's moving a little fast right now

Was it really only the first day of summer just the other day? To me, it seems like summer is already half over. Things are moving a little fast around here and I feel like I'm jogging next to the school bus with four fingers hanging on.

Today Kevin left for a 10 day vacation to interior Alaska to visit his best friend and go canoeing. Unfortunately, the part of the Yukon River they were canoeing in Alaska/Canada is greatly flooded and looks like the Grand Canyon right about now. Not good for canoeists. Wait....he's going on vacation and leaving me home with the kids for a week and a half?! Yep!

MUCH worse than this, and in a canoe

Wait, aren't we closing on the NEW house next week?! Yep! I'm doing it all alone. This boy owes me big time, BIG TIME! I'm not sure what would happen if I left the state for 10 days and was not available by phone for most of the trip. I'm already making a "honey do and make-up" list.

The girls are going great, growing big. Charlotte seems more grown up every morning. Talking up a storm and starting to understand concepts and ideas. She really amazes me. I also can't believe how much she remembers. Tip: Don't tell her anything you don't want repeated, like a secret. She might not give it up right away, but she'll spill the beans at an awkward moment. Gretchen is rolling over and wants to move around so badly. She's still a smiley girl and such a joy to have around.

Charlotte got a new bike helmet in preparation for our new move. No, she's not getting a bunk bed, she'll be getting her first bike! We promised her she could have one at the new house. I think she's really excited -- now we just need to find one that works for us and doesn't cost a small fortune.

new bike helmet

Gretchen, or "Scretch" as Charlotte would say, is definitely going to be a fast learner. She watches Charlotte all the time and is just sucking it all in!