Fresh strawberries are now in season and are in abundance in our local markets.
Husby recently picked up a ton of the sweet, red fruit,
so I had some extras on hand to get creative with.
We happen to LOVE muffins in our house.
Of course, we love all other baked goods, too…
but I tend to make muffins nearly every week
for a good after school treat or to throw into the kids packed lunches
{they just seem healthier, so I don’t feel as guilty}!
basic batter + your choice of add-ins = pure yumminess!
Who doesn’t love a tasty muffin?
This is the perfect recipe…
a simple muffin batter, with endless flavor possibilities!
Warm… gooey… sweet…
D E L I C I O U S
I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love french toast…
How great would this be on a lazy weekend at home?
This recipe
{adapted from the Pioneer Woman},
is super simple to make.
You can prepare it the night before and bake in the morning,
waking your family to the smells of this decadent dish!
Or perhaps you can make it during the day,
while the kids are at school,
and surprise them with breakfast for dinner
{our personal favorite around here}!
* Butter, for greasing
* 1 loaf of crusty sourdough or french bread
{or a few mini loafs}
* 6 large eggs
* 2 cups of sweetened vanilla almond milk
{or milk of your choice}
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
{2 tablespoons vanilla if you used regular milk}
{Topping}
* 1/2 cup flour
* 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
{or 1 tsp. cinnamon & 1/4 tsp. nutmeg}
* 1 stick of cold butter, cut into pieces
* chopped pecans {optional}
{Serve with the Following}
* butter
* warm maple syrup
* fresh berries
{Preparation}
For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter.
Cut the bread into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan.
Crack the eggs in a big bowl.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla.
Pour evenly over the bread.
Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed {preferably overnight}.
For the Topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice
{or cinnamon & nutmeg}, salt and pecan pieces in a separate bowl.
Stir together using a fork.
Add the cold pieces of sliced butter with a pastry cutter,
and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles.
{Note: since I am always looking for ways to make things easier and kid-friendly,
you can mix the dry ingredients with butter in a zipblock bag.
Use your hands or seal the bag and let the kids mix until topping
is combined and in crumbled pieces}.
Store the topping mixture,
in the sealed bag,
in the fridge until ready to use.
When you’re ready to bake the casserole,
preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle on the topping.
Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture,
or for 1 hour + for a firmer, crisper texture.
Scoop out individual portions.
Top with butter, a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh berries!
Without a doubt, this dish is one of my family’s favorites!
I seriously think the kids and I licked our plates clean!
You just can’t go wrong when butter, cinnamon, bread & syrup are in the mix!
E N J O Y !
{Behind the Scenes}
It’s getting harder and harder to sneak a few photos past my older boys these days
and Mr. Amazing just wasn’t cooperating with the camera,
as you will see {he is nearly two, after-all}!
Here is one of Miss Blue, Pixie {one of our two cats}, & my littlest man… Finn.
