Easter Week ~ Stained Glass Cross

Stained Glass Cross

Luke 9:23 Jesus said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

Supplies:

Tissue Paper cut into small pieces

Construction Paper Cross Border

Glue Stick

Scissors

Saran Wrap (you could use contact paper and then you wouldn't need saran and Glue)

April Fools Day Fun ~ Grilled Cheese and Orange Koolaid

Grilled Cheese for April Fools' Day

We usually use Entenmann's pound cake but I could not find it this 

year so I substituted Angel food cake.

Found Here at Family Fun

Ingredients

• Pound cake (we used Entenmann's brand)
• 1 cup buttercream or white frosting (canned is just fine)

• Yellow and red food coloring

Instructions

Cut the pound cake into bread-like slices and toast them in a toaster oven just until they turn golden brown. Once they've cooled for a few minutes, stack two slices for each sandwich and cut the stack in half diagonally (slicing the sandwich before you fill it makes for fewer crumbs).

Now tint the frosting by stirring in a few drops of yellow and red food coloring (more yellow than red) to get a shade of orange that resembles American cheese.

Carefully spread frosting between the slices of each half sandwich. If you mound the frosting on one slice, then top it with the other and gently press down, the frosting will ooze out a bit and look all the more like melted cheese. Makes one sandwich.

Orange Kool Aid aka Orange Jello!

Gelled Juice

 

April 1st is a day for fooling, so why not make a little mischief this year? A thirsty family member is the perfect target for this glassful of trickery that's impossible to drink. And since the undrinkable beverage is made by the batch, you'll be able to fool more than one person.

Ingredients

• Lemon-flavored gelatin

• Red food coloring

Instructions

1. Following the package directions, mix up a box of lemon-flavored gelatin (we added a drop of red food coloring to darken it). Pour the mixture into clear glasses and insert a drinking straw into each. Place the glasses in the refrigerator to set. When they're ready, serve the jiggling juice to the next parched target (or two!) looking for a cool drink.

Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Place eggs in pan with cold water and a bit of oil.

Bring to a boil and then turn off heat. 

Cover, and let sit for 15 minutes for large eggs, 17 for extra large. 

Cool in ice water. 

You will never have a runny or green egg yolk, and it will peel easily!

Recipe of the Week: Sugar Crusted Vanilla French Toast

Sugar Crusted Vanilla French ToastAdapted from La Phemme Phoodie

1 smallish baguette or crusty loaf of bread, cut into 1-inch slices (about 1 lb loaf)

FOR THE CUSTARD:
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

FOR THE SUGAR COATING:
1/2 cup (1 stick or 8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1 Day Ahead:
Butter a 9×9-inch pan on the bottom and sides. Place the bread slices, standing up, in the pan. Set aside while preparing the custard.

In a large measuring cup or pitcher, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until well combined. Pour the mixture evenly over all the bread slices in the pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Next Morning:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the french toast casserole from the refrigerator and set it on a baking sheet.

In a large microwave safe bowl or heat proof large glass measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave till just melted (about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on high). Add the brown sugar and corn syrup, whisk well to combine. Microwave on high again in 30-second bursts (two to three times should be enough) till the sugar is melted and the mixture is bubbly and hot. Gently whisk in the vanilla extract. (Alternatively, you can do this process in a pan on your stovetop.)

Carefully and evenly pour the sugar mixture over the french toast casserole, covering each slice well. Place the casserole, on the baking sheet, into the oven and bake until puffy all across the pan like a good bread pudding, and is golden and baked through, about 40 to 45 minutes depending on how packed your pan was. The casserole will deflate as it cools. Serve warm with mixed berries.

This recipe originated here!

Recipe of the Week: French Toast

French Toast

I have included 3 of our favorite recipes for french toast.  It all depends on how much time and ingredients we have on hand as to which one I use!  Nate made me French toast for Mothers Day a few years ago and stuffed it with cream cheese and fresh fruit!  An easy tip to have your own stuffed french toast is to take 2 slices of french toast, spread 1 slice with cream cheese and fresh fruit, top with the other piece of french toast, add fresh fruit, a drizzle of maple syrup and a small dollop of whipped cream! Fantastic!

Alton Brown, 2003

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

24 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup half-and-half
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions

In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

William Sonoma

French Toast

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Soaking the bread in the egg-milk mixture produces exceptionally moist, tender French toast.

Ingredients:

• 1 day-old baguette, cut diagonally into slices
    3/4 inch thick
• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
• Unsalted butter for cooking
• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
• Blackberries or other berries for garnishing
    (optional)
• Maple syrup for serving

Directions:

In a shallow baking dish, arrange the bread slices in a single layer. In a bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar and whisk until blended. Pour the mixture over the bread and let stand for 1 to 2 minutes so the bread can absorb the liquid. Turn the slices over and let the bread absorb the remaining liquid, 1 to 2 minutes more.

Preheat a griddle according to the manufacturer's instructions and coat generously with butter. When the griddle is hot, cook the bread in batches (do not overcrowd) until golden and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Transfer the French toast to a warmed platter, dust with confectioners' sugar and garnish with berries. Serve immediately with maple syrup alongside.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

French Toast

~My adapted recipe

• 8 eggs
• 2 teaspoon sugar, optional
• dash salt
• 2 cups of milk
• 20 slices of thick bread
• Almond extract
• butter
• maple syrup or other syrup

Preparation:

Break eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate; beat lightly with a fork. Stir in sugar, salt, and milk. 

Add a couple dashes of almond extract to taste!

Over medium-low heat, heat griddle or skillet coated with a thin layer of butter or margarine.

Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate, letting slices soak up egg mixture for a few seconds,

then carefully turn to coat the other side. Soak/coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time.

Transfer bread slices to griddle or skillet, heating slowly until bottom is golden brown. 

Turn and brown the other side. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup.  Delicious with fresh fruit.
Recipe for French toast serves 4.