Tuesday, October 26, 2010

French Toast Cake



This year, The Ol’ Man had to work all day on his birthday, which was a total drag. But, to make the drag less heavy, I tried my hand at a yummy recipe I found on Confections of a Food Bride. You see, the Ol’ Man just loves French toast. He also loves cake. Why not put the two together? My concoction varies slightly from the Food Bride’s in that I only used heavy cream. I didn’t substitute regular-ass milk into it. I also skipped the part about caramelizing the sugar as I do not have a kitchen blow torch, although I kind of wish I did. I just dusted it with powdered sugar and it tasted amazing. Lastly, I used store-bought thick white bread instead of homemade Challah bread. This simple recipe would be a great treat for visiting family this Thanksgiving.













Ingredients
1 loaf thick white bread (AKA French Toast Bread)
4 egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream
2 TBSP sugar, divided
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
¼ cup powdered sugar

Directions
Do this part the night before for best results.

Grease a 9-inch round cake pan

Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and leave on a baking sheet to dry out for a few hours. Go watch a movie or something.

Place cubes in a large bowl.

Whisk egg yolks, half and half, 2 Tbsp sugar, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon until well combined and pour over bread. Toss until all liquid is absorbed. Pour into the prepared pan and lightly press down on the bread to spread evenly.

Wake up about a half an hour before everyone else to bake.
Preheat oven to 325. Bake the French toast cake for 25-30 minutes, until browned. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the rim. Evenly sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. Cut into 6-8 wedges and serve warm, with maple syrup.

Serves 6-8

Monday, October 11, 2010

Crochet Pumpkin

There is no better way to re-start the crafting fun here at Apocalypse Meow then with a bit of Halloween fun!
I found a cute pattern for a very simple pumpkin at Lion Brand’s website. I wanted to make some pumpkins of varying sizes though, so I created a crochet pattern for a slightly larger one. I think it turned out pretty good! Give it a try. It is really simple.

Cute Pumpkin

Body
Chain 2
Row 1: SC 10 in first chain. Place stitch marker
Row 2: Two SC in each SC around (20 SC total). Move stitch marker to last stitch in round (repeat after each round).
Row 3: Two SC in each SC around (40 SC total)
Row 4: *SC three, two SC in next SC*. Repeat from * to end of round. (50 SC total)
Row 5-16: SC around.
Row 17: *SC three, SC2Together.* Repeat from * to end of round (40 SC total)
Row 18: SC2Together around (20 SC total)
Row 19: SC2Together around (10 SC total. Stuff pumpkin with Polyfill or other cotton stuffing. Cram that stuff in there, as much as you can!
Row 20: SC2Together around (5 SC total)
Bind off, weave in ends.


Stem
Chain 2
Row 1: SC 5 in first chain. Place stitch marker
Row 2: SC in front of stitch around. Move stitch marker to last stitch in round (repeat after each round).
Row 3-5: SC around
Bind off, leave a long tail to sew stem to pumpkin. Sew stem to top of pumpkin, weave in ends

Please note: I’m writing this pattern off the top of my head, so please forgive any inaccuracies.

Friday, October 8, 2010

We aren't dead!

Dearest blog,

So sorry about abandoning you. Things have been crazy busy around these parts. I promise to try to keep the love alive and post again more frequently. Please don't be mad. Lory and I love you.

heart, kb

P.S.
I love this song and can't stop listening to it. Just thought I would share!