By Teri Cayton
The Parsons Advocate
Fall has set in and we are having a beautiful Indian Summer. We had temperatures in the low 40’s during the day a couple weeks ago and now it is back in the 70’s, my kind of weather. Just right for outdoor activities, it is not too hot and not too cold. Momma Said, “The Three Bears knew what they were talking about.”
The weather could stay like this all year long and I would be happy, it was so hot this summer that it made it hard to do anything outside. And that posed another problem, I stayed inside way too much and I do not like that in the summertime. I would be happy to stay outside all the time if the weather cooperated.
Mom was the same way she was outside all the time doing something even if it did not need doing. Her lawn was so short everyone laughed and said she just mowed the dirt. But she had the best looking place in town. She would say she was very proud of her little patch of dirt. I try to follow in her footsteps and keep my place tidy, but with three dogs weighing in at around 60 pounds apiece it is a little hard sometimes.
I would not change it for the world, they are my little family and that is the end of that. I will take the mud and the dirt any time because it is worth it to have the companionship. Momma Said, “In my case I can pick my family.”
French Toast Casserole
Make your mornings special with this easy French Toast Casserole. It has everything you love about traditional French Toast, and is baked all in one pan!
(It is very important to use French bread so it doesn’t get soggy.)
Ingredients
- ½ a loaf of French bread, (about 8 oz.) cut into cubes
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, for topping
- powdered sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 13×9 inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in brown sugar until dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- Add bread cubes to the pan, spreading over the top of the brown sugar/butter mixture.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tsp. of cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over the top of bread cubes, insuring that all pieces of bread are saturated. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.