Stuffed French Toast with Cream Cheese and Strawberries

You have to try this fabulous-tasting French toast this weekend.  Though it makes the perfect brunch item, you would enjoy it anytime you're in the mood.  It's easy and you would have fun making it with the kids!

                                         A Little Bit of Heaven

Ingredients

Per Serving:

• 2 slices cinnamon-raisin bread
• 2 TB softened Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
  
• 2 TB strawberry preserves

Soak For One to Two Servings:

• l egg
• 2 TB milk
• Dash nutmeg
• 1/8 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. vanilla 

For The Skillet:

• Butter-flavored cooking spray
• 1 TB butter (per sandwich)

Directions

1.  The Stuffing:

For each sandwich:  On one slice of bread, spread the 2 TB of softened Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese and then spread the 2 TB of strawberry preserves on top of that, taking care not to spread the stuffing all the way to the edges.  Place another slice of bread on top of the stuffing and pinch the edges of the sandwich together all the way around.

2.   The Soak:

For one to two servings, use an approximate one to one & one-half qt. shallow glass cooking dish and whisk together the ingredients for the soak.  Lay each sandwich in the soak and let the sandwich(es) absorb the egg mixture until wet but not completely soaked.  Carefully lift each sandwich and flip to soak the opposite side of the sandwich(es) just until wet.

 3.   Cooking the Sandwich:

Spray a non-stick skillet with the butter-flavored cooking spray.  Over medium heat, melt 1 TB of butter for each sandwich.  Carefully transfer the sandwich(es) to the skillet and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on each side.


Enjoy and be prepared to be transported to heaven (for a minute anyway)!

Printable Recipe

Old Fashioned Snow Cream

It's snowing in the Deep South, and my friend Jessie brought over some snow cream she made from the snow - thought you could have some fun with the kids:

Jessie's Recipe for Snow Cream

1 gal. of freshly captured snow
1 TB pure vanilla
1 c. sugar
*milk or half & half

Mix the snow, vanilla and sugar, then add *milk or half & half until you achieve the desired consistency.

Tip:  Although it's best to catch the snow in a bucket, you can scrape the snow off a surface - but, don't use the first layer or the last - use the layer in between.

Printable Recipe

Satisfying Spatzle Casserole With Swiss Cheese

I was inspired to make this classic German dish when I recently ran across the noodles in a specialty grocery store (ok, Aldi). This hearty casserole is good as a winter side dish to beef or poultry, or just served with a salad for lunch. We enjoyed it this week with corned beef brisket and red cabbage.  There are many versions of this side dish, here's mine: 
   
                                         The Perfect Take-Along Dish

Approximately 8 servings

Ingredients

• One 17.6 oz. bag spatzle (Swabian egg noodles)
• 1 TB plus 1 tsp. salt (divided)
• 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (divided)
  
• 1/4 c. plus 2 TB butter (divided)
• 2 c. chopped onions (frozen are fine)
• 8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese (divided)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil.  Add the noodles to the boiling water with a 1 TB of the salt.  Lightly boil for 12 minutes.  Drain in a colander.  
3. Place the noodles in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1 tsp. of the salt, pepper and 1/4 tsp. of the nutmeg and gently toss.
4. Melt 1/4 c. of the butter and add to the noodles.  Thoroughly, but gently, toss the butter with the noodles.
5. Saute the onions in the remaining 2 TB of  butter until slightly brown and translucent.
6. Gently mix the onions into the noodle mixture.
7. Spray a 8" x 12" glass baking dish* with a butter-flavored cooking spray.  Spread one-half of the noodle mixture into the dish and sprinkle one-half of the cheese on top.
8. Spread the remaining noodle mixture on top of the first layer and sprinkle the other half of the cheese on top of this.  Evenly sprinkle the remaining 1/8 tsp. of nutmeg on top of the cheese.
9. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until hot.  Serve warm.  Enjoy!

*Tip:  If you want to make one-half a recipe, use a one or one & one-half qt. baking dish.  This casserole also freezes well; just thaw before cooking.  

                             Baby It's Cold Outside - Let's Have Spatzle!

Printable Recipe
 

How This Avocado BLT Stacks Up

Avocado is my butter, and I absolutely adore it!  Probably because I eat very little butter, I find avocado a special treat.  I remember my mother, a dietitian, always said avocado had a lot of fat, but the good kind - well, bring it on!

Following is my simple version of an Avocado BLT which I've been making for many years (way before the current wave of recipes for it).  But how you stack this sandwich is critical to its fabulous taste.  You want the bacon to impart its salty flavor between the avocado and tomato!

I typically enjoy this sandwich for brunch.  Whether you have it for brunch, lunch, dinner or in between, you'll find it delicious anytime! 

Oh, if you wondered what happened to those tomatoes from my last blog, well....

How to Stack This Avocado BLT*

1.  Toast two slices of a hearty, whole-grain bread (I like a 9 or 12-grain).

2.  Spread mayo on each slice of the toasted bread (I use a reduced fat).

3.  Place a large green salad leaf on one slice of the bread.

4.  Place a couple of slices of tomato on top of the salad leaf.  Add salt and fresh ground black pepper.

5.  Add a couple of slices of cooked bacon (I use an extra-lean turkey bacon; if you like, there is a low-fat pork bacon.)

6.  Add one-half of a ripe avocado,** sliced lengthwise.  Sprinkle with salt.

7.  Top with the other slice of toasted bread.

8.  Cut the sandwich in half with a sharp serrated knife. Enjoy!

*Use premium ingredients.
**An avocado is ripe when slightly soft to the touch.

           And here's a great way to use the other half of that avocado:

I used mozzarella cheese with the avocado in this omelette, but I always use whatever is on hand:  Swiss, Colby, Cheddar, etc.

If you're not quite ready to use the other half of your avocado, I recently discovered this neat gadget which helps retard browning.  You strap the avocado in it like a baby in a car seat and place in the refrigerator. Be sure to cut the avocado evenly, since the idea is to keep the avocado from being exposed to air, and place it in its little seat with the seed intact (there's an indentation for the seed);  a similar gadget is also made for apples:

                                               My "Butter Dish"

                    

Before I place the avocado in the gadget, I sprinkle it with lemon juice and/or "Fresh Fruit" produce protector (a powder typically used for canning and made by Ball) to also help retard browning.  If you keep the sliced avocado more than six hours in the avocado holder, it's still going to brown a little; but the lemon juice and/or powder will help prevent more intense browning.  I generally use the avocado within a couple of days and just scrape off any browning.  Have Fun! 

Printable Recipe

Steak Night

Are you ready for a big, thick juicy steak in between all the holiday fare?

When my son came over for T-Bones recently, I decided I'd use the oven broiler; I couldn't even remember the last time I had used it.  (My favored old electric grill burned a socket recently.  I knew I should not have been using it because of the condition of the plug, which was so old it wasn't even up to current standards.)

I did a couple of dumb things:  First, I thought I'd use a cooking spray on the broiler pan. Then I put the steaks on the pan in the oven with the broiler preheated; without thinking, I closed the oven door (instead of leaving it cracked open)...the worst mistake!!!  Before I knew it, my home was filled with smoke; and I had to open the sliding glass doors for the place to vent.  It was very cold outside!!  You would have thought I was a novice cook!

Before downsizing, and having the restrictions on grilling in our current community, we had a gas grill which we used until it literally fell apart.  My husband was often spotted grilling outside in the rain or snow.  Nothing beats steaks cooked on an outdoor grill!!

Either way, the following seasoning is terrific on T-Bones, and also in hamburgers.  (The better the cut of a steak, the less seasoning you need:  maybe just garlic powder, salt and fresh ground black pepper.)

Rub for T-Bone Steak

1.   Dry each side of the steak with a paper towel.

2.   With the back of a spoon, rub in about 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce on each side.

3.   Sprinkle each side with and rub in about:

•    1/8th tsp. garlic powder 
•    1/8th tsp. seasoned salt 
•   1/8th tsp. fresh ground black pepper

4.  Then divide about 1/8th tsp. dried thyme leaves between each side and rub in. (This makes it!!)

Use your favorite method of grilling or cooking and throw in a baked potato and salad with a crusty bread. Enjoy!


What's That Got to do with This? 

I'm rebelling! Want to join me?  I'm fed up with the American illogical placing of commas and periods inside quotation marks, regardless of the situation (other than a letter or number).  I'm a very logical person; therefore, I have great difficulty accepting the American practice. The British place commas and periods logically when quotation marks are involved.  My teachers must have all been British!  I'll try to be consistent, since apparently that's the most important thing.  What do you think?

Interesting - As a result of historical accident: When type was handset, a period or comma outside of quotation marks at the end of a sentence tended to get knocked out of position; so American printers, preferring convenience, placed the periods and commas inside the quotation marks.  Logical British printers continued to risk the misalignment of their periods and commas. 
"Quotation Marks:  Where Do the Commas and Periods Go--and Why?"

  

Tomatoes are accustomed to controversy (since not everyone agrees on the pronunciation of their name).

 

                                           You should come "inside."

                                           No, I want to go "outside".

 

They Cleaned The Store Out!

Can you believe it? Someone picked up 50 jars of the Crosse and Blackwell Rum and Brandy Mincemeat at the Publix I frequent since my last blog (and tweet) about the Holiday Mincemeat Salad! Coincidence?

Were they actually taking my advice? But with extreme hoarding? Or for a Really Big Party? Save a jar or two for the rest of us! What do you think? Will the mystery shopper please come forward?