The Best French Toast Recipe
So, as you can see, we love French Toast! In any shape,
and form.
We experimented with lots of recipes over the years, but this one (found here originally) for sure beats them all! And the reason is because it has a fluffy batter from the flour that the recipe requires. I guess it’s like a glorified version of the Hungarian “Bundas kenyer”, except it’s much better! And healthier too, since there is no frying involved in the making.
So, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the best French toast recipe you have ever tried:
The Crispy-Fluffy French Toast
What you’ll need:
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or any other flour)
1 cup almond milk (or any other milk)
3 eggs
1 pinch salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (optional)
1 t. vanilla extract (or French Vanilla flavored coffee creamer)
1 T. raw brown sugar (or a pinch of Stevia)
12 thick slices of whole grain bread (crusty bread and rolls are the best to use)
What you’ll do:
Measure flour into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk in the salt, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla extract and sugar until smooth. Pour the batter into a shallow bowl. Heat a lightly oiled griddle (or frying pan works too) over medium heat. Soak bread slices in mixture (until saturated) and cook bread on each side until crispy and golden brown. We usually flip them 4-5 times so it becomes really crispy on both sides.
Serve hot with maple syrup, fresh fruit, peanut butter and whipped cream.
And if it’s properly done, the bread supposed to be crisp around the edges and rich and custardy in the center. Oh, it’s so incredibly delicious!!
This recipe feeds about 4 people (3 slices per person). If you’d like to make it just for 2, simply cut the recipe in half and make it for 6 slices. However, if you still have leftovers, just store them in the freezer with wax paper between each slice. Just toss them in the toaster oven when you’re ready to eat them!
Also, for a quick breakfast sometimes we make the batter the night before and refrigerate covered overnight. Oh, and you know what else tastes really good? Adding a pureed banana and a little bit of rum extract to the batter. Give it a try!
Hope you’ll enjoy this recipe just as much as we do!
And as Julia Child would say (imagine the voice): Bon Appétit!
Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
It’s amazing how much money a family can save just by cooking ahead for the week! I wish TS and I knew that when we first established our little family. My father-in-law (being a financial councilor) has taught us many practical tips on money management over the years. We know not to buy things we can’t actually afford, we always pay off the credit card balance before using it again, and we’re pretty good at saving up for something we feel it’s worth to buy. We use Dave Ramsey’s Envelope System, and although we had a weekly grocery budget from the beginning, somehow we always ran out of money before the week was over. It’s not because we were not wise with our money. We always did our best with our resources. We never really ate out much, but instead packed our lunches the night before. However, we were both new at this marriage thing and didn’t have any experience in managing a household.
Since then we have definitely learned many life lessons together, and slowly mastered the art of cooking ahead too!! Couples that grow together (and eat together!), stay together, I often say. He-he.
It’s sure not easy to come up with new lunch ideas all the time, but God has given each of us a phenomenal, creative mind (we’re just often afraid to use it I think). And then, there’s the internet and the library too for free resources.
So, this week we decided to make this amazing Chicken Enchilada Casserole for lunch. With lots of black olives of course (TS loves them!)
By the way, thank you Miss Sarah for the original recipe. I added some changes to it.
You know me 
The recipe is listed on the bottom of this post.
What you’ll need:
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 (10.75 ounce) can Cream of Chicken soup
1-2 cups of sour cream (depending how creamy you want it to be)
2 cups of chopped, cooked and marinated chicken
10 (8”) whole wheat tortillas (careful, these bake much faster!)
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or any other cheese will work I think)
salt, pepper and garlic powder-according to taste
What you’ll do:
1. In a large bowl, sauté chopped onions and the green peppers in the oil. Stir in the cream cheese and add spices. Stir in the cooked chicken.
2. Place 2-3 Tbsp. chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 13x 9” baking dish. (If you’re in rush, just lay the tortillas out flat, top them with the mix and then top them again with 4 tortillas—kinda like a sandwich).
3. In a large bowl, combine the soup with the sour cream. Pour over enchiladas.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with the cheese; bake for a couple of minutes longer, until cheese is melted.
Marinated Vegetable Platter
Lunch today was chilled, pickled, full of flavor and totally random 
Three beans salad, Beets, Manzanilla olives, Pickles, Artichokes, Red Cabbage, Salsa, Sour Cream & Whole grain chips. Total deliciousness!
Easy Peanut Butter Pie Recipe
Have I ever mentioned how fascinated I am with American pies? I love that they come in so many different sizes, shapes and forms, like Mince Meat Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie, Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Peach Pie, Coconut Cream Pie, Banana Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Turtle Pie, Pecan Pie, etc., etc., etc.
Although English women were baking pies long before the settlers came to America, I don’t remember ever making or eating one before I came over from Europe. I read somewhere that historians can trace the roots of pie all the way back to 9500 B.C. These early forms of rustic-style pies were known as “galettes” and they were baked over hot coals. —If you’d like to know more about pies, click here.
It’s no secret that pies have become a sort of symbol for the American nation. Have you heard the saying ”There are few things as American as apple pie”? There have been entire cookbooks dedicated to pies, songs composed about them (Don McLean), National Pie Championships organized each year and even movies named after them!
Pies are a big hit in our little culturally mix-matched family as well. Especially peanut butter pies, because they are so easy to make!
Three point one four one five nine
Makes the lazy student whine,
But give this ratio a try,
You will find: it’s as easy as pie!
Ha ha. Can you tell I’m married to a college math tutor?
While I was making this pie yesterday, it just hit me: this is the very last pie I’ll ever make in this kitchen! (Sniff, sniff). And thus starts the long list of “Last things in Ohio” I guess.
Anyways, since there was none left to save you a piece, here is the recipe: 
What you’ll need:
1 (9 inch) graham cracker shell
1 (4 oz.) instant vanilla (or chocolate) pudding mix
2 c. cold milk
1 c. peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1/2 c. confectioners’ sugar
Whipped cream
Other toppings
What you’ll do:
CRUST:
Plan A: Crush some graham crackers (1 1/2 cups), then add some sugar (1/4 cup) and melted butter (1/3 cup). Press the graham cracker mixture into a 9” pie pan. Use the bottom of a rounded cup, or your fist. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before filling, or bake at 375 F for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack before filling.
Plan B: Or you can just forget about all this and buy the ready crust from the store. Ha ha.
FILLING:
1.Cream sugar and a half cup peanut butter together until crumbly. Place half of crumbs on bottom of shell.
2.Mix pudding and milk as directed on package. When thickened, add remaining peanut butter, about a cup of whipped cream, some cinnamon, and 2 Tbs. cream cheese (optional)
3. Pour filling over crumbs, then decorate with whipped cream, the remaining crumbs, white chocolate chips, nuts, sprinkles..or whatever else your heart desires. This is def. the best part in the whole process! This and the licking of the mixing bowl.
WARNING: You might want to eat this in moderation, because it’s not what one would call a light dessert. Just sayin’.
Jello for dinner!!!!!!!!!! :)
Only 2 more weeks left of this semester!!!!!! Yaaaay! 
But wait! Doesn’t that mean TONS of homework, class presentations and stressful exams? Yep. You got it! Boooo! 
So I apologize already now for the coming days. Just bear with me. Things will get back to normal! They will! Eventually…
But until then…I’ll be in survival mode!!!! ʘ‿ʘ
Meal 1 of the day: Whole wheat toast with a grilled egg, a side of hot multigrain cereal and some grapefruit pulp.
Plus my energy fuel that I can’t don’t want to live without: coffeeeeeee!
Meal 2 of the day: spinach & veggie salad (radishes, carrots and tomato) with some creamy potato soup (from the freezer), topped with grated Amish Cheddar Cheese. Quickie and yummy! 
Snackie: Hot, multigrain cereal (left from today’s breakfast) with some icy cold almond chocolate milk, topped with shredded coconut. It was the first time that I tried it like this, but I’ll def. have it again! 
Meal 3 of the day is waiting for me in the fridge. And I’m pretty sure it’s calling my name!! 
Sugar-free strawberry jello….Wowee! 
…with some frozen, sliced strawberries…Yumm! I soooooo love fruity jello for dinner.
Light and delicious! 
I’m not so crazy about the sodium content and the food colorings in the jello mix, but I think it’s OK to have it every once in a while.
I mean, com’on! There’s only 10 Calories in it, for the whole box!! You can’t beat that, right? Plus the strawberries of course, but those are also low in calories (and are an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber!)
So, is it dinner time yet?
By the way. Did you know that there are more than 600 varieties of strawberries? Seriously!
