Mmmmazing French Toast

Good morning bloggers!!! I hope y’all had an amazing week!! This week I celebrated the big 24!!! Woo hoo!!! I feel so much older than I actually am! I guess wild and rambunctious four year olds will do that to you! LOL!

Turning 24 has made me feel so much more ambitious about my dream of owning my own bakery! Lately I have had so many signs that I should follow my passion and begin putting more effort into pursuing my dream. Just the other day I met a young lady my age who owns a boutique and makes her own jewelry! On Sunday our pastor’s wife talked about the importance of pursuing your dreams! Plus, I’ve been hearing so many inspiring stories lately!

I think pursuing your dreams is so important and surrounding yourself with inspiring, ambitious individuals who encourage you will help you to accomplish that dream! Whatever your dream is, start taking steps to pursue that dream today! Don’t make excuses and don’t allow anyone the power to hold you back!

Now onto that mmmmazing french toast 😉 Fluffy, hot, full of flavor, smothered in maple syrup french toast! So delicious!!!

Ingredients

6 thick slices white bread

2 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 TBSP honey

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 TBSP butter

Directions

In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, whipping cream, honey, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract.

In a frying pan or griddle, melt the butter over medium high heat.

Dip both sides of the bread in the egg mixture and then place into your frying pan or griddle. Brown on both sides and transfer to a warm plate while the remaining french toast cooks.

Now, you can sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with desired toppings. I just used maple syrup but you could top with fresh fruit, fruit flavored syrup or whatever sounds most delicious to your taste buds.

The original recipe called for 1 TBSP grated orange zest but I didn’t have any. This sounds amazing and I plan on trying this in the future. The original recipe also called for slicing the bread into star shapes which I did not do but you are more than welcome to! I found the original recipe on http://allrecipes.com/recipe/french-toast-stars/detail.aspx

Old Fashioned Fudge Brownies

It astonishes me how fast time flies sometimes. It seems like when you’re younger it takes centuries for your birthday and Christmas to come and you just never quite understand your parents when they say, “it’s right around the corner!” Now that I’m older and have a child of my own I completely understand the concept of blinking and life flashing before your eyes.

This week we are celebrating my youngest brother’s 18th birthday! It seems like just yesterday I was hiding from embarrassment while my brothers went up and down the aisles of the store pretending to shoot finger guns at each other. You definitely don’t understand the importance of family until you get older either. I’m still learning everyday. In honor of my brother’s birthday though, I made brownies(one of his favorites) I found this recipe on http://www.mymommystyle.com/2013/09/19/classic-fudge-brownies/  and it was delicious!

Ingredients

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Spray a 9×13 pan  with non stick spray. Melt semi sweet chocolate chips and butter in a medium sauce pan over med-low heat. Whisk to combine.

When they are completely melted and combined remove from heat. Whisk in both sugars.

Add in eggs one at a time and then add vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Stir in flour and salt until evenly incorporated.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 35-40 min. Center should be set and a toothpick will come out clean when ready. Enjoy hot or allow brownies to cool so you can cut them into squares 🙂

My Mommy Style suggested lining 9×13 pan with foil but I had a hard time with my brownies wanting to stick to the foil even after I coated it with non stick spray. It may be something I did so if you would like to give it a shot and have better results, let me know!!

 This recipe was tested by me but originally found on http://www.mymommystyle.com/2013/09/19/classic-fudge-brownies/ 🙂

Fresh Strawberry Cake

Mmmmm…. I love strawberries and I am loving all the sales my local grocery stores are having on strawberries! Plus, strawberry season will be here before we know it! When I came across this recipe I just knew I had to give it a shot!

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 box white or yellow cake mix(I used white)

1 (3 oz) box strawberry gelatin mix

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup water

1 pint fresh strawberries or 1 cup crushed strawberries

Icing:

1/2 block (4oz) cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 and spray your 9×13 pan with the non stick spray of your choice. Rinse your strawberries, remove stems and gently dry them with a paper towel. Next, you will need to mash your strawberries. I used my Pampered Chef food processor, but you can place them in a Ziploc bag and mash them using something heavy.

Once mashed, you can set your strawberries to the side. In a large bowl, mix cake mix and gelatin until well combined.

 

Then, stir in your oil, water and eggs.

Once that is combined, stir in your mashed strawberries.

Pour batter into 9×13 dish and bake for approx 30-33 min. You will know your cake is done when your toothpick comes out clean. Your cake may be over done if your fire detectors begin to sound…. lol 😉

Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting:

Begin by mixing butter and cream cheese until there are no longer lumps. Mix in powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth.

Mmmm… Finally, frost your cake and enjoy!

You will want to store leftovers in the fridge. I personally enjoyed this cake so much more after it had sat in the fridge over night. Mmmmm make again!

This recipe was tested by me but originally found on: http://www.thecountrycook.net/2013/02/fresh-strawberry-cake.html#_a5y_p=1371066