French Toast Casserole Anyone...

My grandmother's recipe for Stuffed French Toast seems to be a big hit whenever I make it! I actually only remember her making it once...but I inherited the recipe ten years ago and have made it many times over the years. 

This is a great breakfast recipe for anytime of the year...but I typically make it for my Macy's Thanksgiving Parade Breakfast and Christmas morning breakfast.  It is so easy and my husband loves it almost as much as my regular French Toast...


Stuffed French Toast

Cut Crust off 8 slices of bread, cube. Put 1/2 in bottom of 9 x 13 buttered casserole dish. Cube 2-8 ounce packages of cream cheese layer this over the bread. Add last layer of cubed bread.  Beat 12 eggswith 1/3 C maple syrup and 2 C milk. Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned.  Serve with extra Maple Syrup and fresh fruit.

*Note...I have made a few adjustments to this recipe...I use a very dense bread such as Pepperidge Farm Farmhouse Sourdough bread.  I tend to use more slices too. I cut down the Cream Cheese to 12 ounces total and I sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the cheese layer before adding the last layer of bread.  This is not a low calorie recipe...that is why I fix it when there are going to be a lot of people around :)

Scripture Memory Rings...My Idea of " A Good Thing"

I have been neglecting my blog lately...I've been to Auburn and Birmingham and even fit in a trip to the beach for some "summer" weather this past weekend.  Lots has been happening, but for today I want to share a little project I have been working on for a BIG project that Nicole is involved in. 


I call these Scripture Rings...they are simply 75 index cards on rings. I started my first one about 6 six years ago when I did the "Believing God" bible study.
I record scripture that I want to 1)commit to memory and 2)provide an instant reminder of God's sovereignty.  I admit that I am terrible at memorizing...I need every trick...but I love my Scripture Ring...the red cord tied to it is the bracelet I got last summer from Katelyn's Israel Study Group before they left on their two week trip. I wore the bracelet around the clock for a month until it finally stretched out and slipped off easily.  

I love my Scripture Ring...but I have no delusions about its aesthetic appeal :)

So I came up with an idea for some fun and hopefully motivating Scripture Rings...

To make these I purchased note card organizers at Office Depot. I bought fabric rolls at Hobby Lobby...I like them because they are color-coordinating 44" long strips of fabric about 3" wide.  I cut each strip into two long strips and then cut them into four 11" length strips. Next I tied four fabric strips to each ring and then trimmed the ends.

For the front cover I used Psalm 119:105...Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.  There are two dividers and a back cover in the stack and I chose other verses for those pages.  I printed the verses on  3M  2" x 4" labels and after placing the labels on all of the plastic inserts, I decorated the front covers with various embellishments.  The inside blank lined cards are for you to fill with scripture that is meaningful to you and that you want to memorize.

The back of each Scripture Ring is adorned with a Cross.

So...What does all of this craftiness have to do with Nicole? ...

Nicole and her friend Meredith have signed up for a booth.  They have been juggling families, jobs, and sewing machines for the last month and will have some wonderful things for sale including...aprons, gameday onesies and girls' reversible gameday tops, Christmas dresses, Knot Dresses, skirts....and more!  I wanted to do something...and Scripture Rings came to mind (alas, the sewing gene skipped me).

If you live in the Birmingham area...go to the Market this coming Saturday and support a wonderful work for God while finding some awesome one of a kind shopping.  But at the very least I encourage you to start a Scripture Ring of your own. 

Book Club Update...11 in 11

October is here and I have quite a list of books I want to read this month for Non-fiction...so here goes!

First up...Malcom Gladwell's  What the Dog Saw

This book is a compilation of his writing in The New Yorker. Some of the essays included in this book are the story of Ron Popeil and the Conquest of the American Kitchen, The Ketchup Conundrum, and Million-Dollar Murray.

Next is a book that Nicole gave me for my birthday...One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Taken from the book jacket inside flap...

"A beautifully practical guide to living a life of joy, One Thousand Gifts invites you to wake up to God's everyday blessings.  As Voskamp discovered, in giving thanks for the life she already had, she found the life she'd always wanted."

Last, a book I read several years ago I am reading again because Chelsea is reading it as part of her AU girls' bible study...A.W. Tozer's ...

Looks like I will be reading in all of my spare time...

On another note, I recently ran across this wonderful blast to my past love of reading Nancy Drew mystery books. If you would like to see this article up close...go tohttp://www.countryliving.com/antiques/what-to-collect/nancy-drew#fbIndex1

Here is my collection of Nancy Drew books.  My favorite...The Hidden Staircase was published in 1959...the year I was born! 

The oldest book I own is The Scarlet Slipper published in 1954...love her hair!

This makes me want to curl up on the couch and just read away...it also makes me want to go out and find some of the books I don't seem to have like number one in the series...The Secret of the Old Clock...hmmmmm maybe I should start by looking in Katelyn's room...

Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon...all the fun and pain relived!

Here it is...my account of the Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon on October 1, 2011.

We arrived at Disney on Friday mid-afternoon and went to the Wide World of Sports Complex and picked up our race packets and checked out the Expo.

We checked into our hotel...the Boardwalk. We chose it because it was right next to Epcot's World Showcase and we could walk home in the middle of the night after the race and the party.  It had a lovely view from our balcony!

We ate on the Boardwalk Friday evening and walked around a bit enjoying the boardwalk magicians, then tried to get to bed at a decent hour.  Saturday morning we were up early and went to Cat Coura's Restaurant for breakfast...on the menu...scrambled eggs with spinach, feta, and tomatoes and sweet potato hash...excellent breakfast for race day! 

After breakfast we took the bus to Downtown Disney and did some strolling about, stopping at Lego Land to buy Claire a Christmas present.  We got a banana pineapple Smoothie...trying to keep it healthy! We went back to our hotel...napped and watched some college football, snacked, drank water, oh yea...also a glass of wine, dressed...and here we are ready to go at 8:00 p.m.

There was a long wait at our hotel for the bus to the starting line but finally we arrived checked our bag and waited another hour for the race to begin.  At 10:00 pm corral A started...the competitive runners...the winner of the half ran it in like 1:13! Every four minutes they started the next corral...we had signed up for E because I was going to walk the race!!

Mile One: We jogged...first in the road and finally when we just couldn't get moving...in the grass (not always smart especially at night). 

Mile Two:  With some space we could walk and began to work on our plan...run 2 minutes and walk as much as I wanted; run 2 minutes...We also implemented our candy countdown...every mile a piece of laffy taffy.  It was a great distraction at times as they were hard to unwrap :)

Mile Three:  Things are going well EXCEPT for the slight pull going up my shins.  I am trying to get to a place where I can run with Rich...he is a runner and has a faster "jog" than I.  I tried to lengthen my stride and so... by the end of the mile I realized that I was going to be in trouble if I didn't do something different (like maybe walk)!

Mile Four:  We are now walking...I spend the mile adjusting and wondering why I drank so much water all day...where is the bathroom (yea, I am not good with those porta potties...which distinguishes me from real runners)!  It is interesting how you come to "know" your fellow runners.  No we don't really talk to each other much, but we are aware of one another. 

Mile Five:  At Disney there are lots of runners wearing costumes.  There were two women who were dressed up in Snow White costumes who were slow...they obviously had signed up in a corral ahead of ours and we caught up with them at some point and passed them.  After arriving at Animal Kingdom and rejoicing at finding the real bathroom, I felt better and was ready to kick it up a bit.  The "princesses" as Rich called them had passed by while I was luxuriating in the bathroom haha and he was ready to pass them once and for all (we did pass them and in spite of my troubles during mile 10 never saw them again).

Mile Six:  Back at the walking park in Panama City, there are people I see on a regular basis.  Two women in particular always amaze me because they walk every morning, are great friends and talk non-stop while walking, and fly along in that power walk that makes me tired watching them...also, they both wear knee braces too!  Well, knowing that I needed to limit my running, I decided I was going to have to do the "EB Walk" (EB being the initials of one of the gals)! 

Mile Seven:  Doing great!  I am flying along and have discovered that the swinging arms thing aids in propelling me along...who knew! Rich is eyeing me and his watch in amazement...I am plugged into my ipod and in the zone...

Mile Eight: While parts of the race are in different theme parks and it is fun...half of the race is on the interstate or access roads of the Disney property and is very boring.  Disney doesn't allow spectators because they can't get from place to place in cars as the roads are all closed.  I have been walking "in the zone" for awhile now.  I am looking forward to the mile markers and the occasional entertainment of a band or characters walking on stilts.  I haven't run for awhile now and wonder if I should start adding that back in.

Mile Nine:  Here it begins to get a bit foggy...not sure when I started the running again but I have noticed a distinct pain in the back of my left knee and on the top of my left foot.  I keep thinking that my foot is swelling inside my shoe...

Mile Ten:  The candy doesn't help...walking doesn't help...running isn't possible...stopping at the bathroom in Hollywood Studios helped a bit but I limped in and out and well shot 5 minutes of hard earned time...at one point I asked Rich "How long till we get to 11?"  He said, without thinking, "just around the corner." At some point I thought to myself...we have passed mile marker 11 and didn't realize it (this would be pretty hard to do...but I was hanging onto hope).  My left leg was killing me at this point and I am wondering if I will make it :( 

Mile Eleven: Only two miles Rich says...he is so very encouraging...and can tell I am in a lot of pain.  He tells me how amazing I am doing and it helps...At some point I decide to do 2 things...loosen my shoelaces on my left shoe...jog as it is different pressure than walking and actually does relieve the pain for about 45 seconds.  This is how we made it through mile 11.  Run 45 seconds and limp fast...run 30 seconds and limp fast (or not so fast). 

Mile Twelve: 1.1 to go.  I know I can do it. There are spectators now yelling "you can do it!"  "dig in!"  "half a mile to go!"  Seriously...is there only half a mile?  Well then let's run a bit more....Okay, so I should have paid more attention to what that guy looked like cause he needs a lesson in what a half a mile is!!  We kinda jogged right past the Swan and there across the lake was the Boardwalk...my wonderful hotel.  I could see my room!  I knew it wasn't far to the end.

Mile Thirteen:  More spectators and loud music but we are still running through a maze-like course and I have no idea until I turn the corner where the finish line is.  I am not even aware of the pain...there are medics everywhere and if I have a real problem Rich will get me to one of them.  I just want to run across the finish line, get that shiny medal, and feel the accomplishment of FINISHING...it has taken 3 hours and 18 minutes.  After eating a banana  we headed over to the bag check...the pain is back or rather never left.  I don't quite remember the order but after the banana and I think before the bag check, definitely before I changed, we turned in the bottom part of the running bib for the celebratory beer!  Rich and I had to laugh.  I don't drink beer...at all.  On our very first date he bought me a beer...which I "sipped" cause I didn't like beer (I have learned over the years that sipping a beer just prolongs the agony...get it ice cold and drink it down)!  Here we are, celebrating 30 years of marriage drinking an ice cold beer...it is so fitting! Finally, in dry clothes we ask someone to take a picture of us...notice I am favoring my left leg...but I'm smiling.

 Now we are off to Epcot's World Showcase for the Wine and Dine festival...we will eat some food...hungry or not :)  7 1/2 hours have passed since we last sat on the couch and took a picture!!

One more look at the medal...now for some sleep!