A Savory Holiday Breakfast Bake

My friend Cathleen asked me about a savory breakfast bake, so I thought I'd share one of my favorites from a few months ago, with a more savory twist.

A Deliciously Easy Savory Breakfast Bake

Ingredients:

• (1/2) loaf of French bread (leftover Italian bread would be fine too)
• (1 1/2) cups of shredded Cheddar cheese
• (1/2) cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• (1/4) cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• (6-12) eggs (depending on your number of guests, I usually do 2 to 3 eggs per person, depending on what type's of eaters you're baking this for)
• (1)tsp thyme leaves, chopped rosemary and thyme (the world won't end if you use a bit more than this.)
• (6-12 Tablespoons) milk (about 1Tb of milk per egg. It's not an exact science; you really don't need to bust out the measuring spoons, just guestimate and I can assure you, the bake will turn out great.
• Sausage (I prefer Whole Foods Sage Pork Sausage that you get at the meat counter.)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
• Spray the inside of a 13x9 cake pan with cooking spray.
• Heat a medium skillet on the stovetop at medium heat with a small glug of olive oil.
• If using uncased sausage (I prefer it to sausage in a casing), pull your sausage apart into chunks and add to the hot pan.
• Cook about 1-2 minutes per side, just so that each side is nicely browned. Keep in mind that it will continue to cook in the bake, so don't overcook it.
• When done, place in the cake pan. (I used a 13x9 pan.)
• Slice your bread.
• Place the sliced bread in your cake pan.
• Whisk your eggs, milk, herbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl until well beaten.
• Pour the mixture into the pan over the bread. Make sure it's spread throughout the pan.
• Place in the hot oven for 15 minutes, or until the bake looks golden and firm.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the bake and cook for 5 more minutes. I prefer my bread and cheese a little gooey and crunchy, so I tend to leave it in a few minutes longer. If you don't like your bread or cheese that dark, take it out when it's just melted.

*You can prepare this to be cooked the following morning the night before. Just be sure to put it in a safe spot in your fridge, and to wrap it well with saran wrap, otherwise you'll have a mess (anyone who's seen the Family Stone knows just what I mean)! Just let it sit out for about 10-15 minutes to get closer to room temperature prior to baking.

Enjoy!!

Gingerbread for Jessica...

Since my girlfriend Jessica asked for my gingerbread recipe after checking out my breakfast bake, I figured I'd share it with all of you!

I got the recipe from Better Homes and Gardens: New Cookbook.  It was one the first cookbooks that I ever bought, and this recipe is really great- so long as you don't overwork your dough.  I made the mistake of thinking I could make this and keep Laela from climbing the walls, tables, etc, and it just wasn't a good idea.  I wound up running around while letting the dough mix itself into a tizzy.  My advice?  Make this recipe, it's super easy- so long as you're not super distracted.  (FYI, it came out perfect when I tried it again during Laela's naptime!)

Gingerbread

You'll need:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup mild flavored molasses

Instructions:

• Grease a 9x1 1/2 inch round cake pan; set aside.  In a bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, beat until fluffy.  Add egg and molasses, beat 1 minute.  Alternately add flour mixture and 1/2 cup water to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.  Pour batter into prepeared pan.
• Bake in a 350-degree oven for 35 to 40 minute or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool for 30 minutes in pan on wire rack.  Serve warm.

Enjoy!

A Very Merry Breakfast Bake

I don't know about you, but the smell of gingerbread cooking in our house is one of my favorite smells.  It reminds me of all things holiday and cozy.  Since I'd made some gingerbread the other day, I thought it'd be fun to try making a traditional breakfast bake using the gingerbread. 

The result was pretty amazing.  I think I'm going to have to make this the night before Christmas, and put it in to bake while we open presents!

Gingerbread Breakfast Bake
serves 4-6, or 3.5 very hungry people

You'll need:

• 5 slices of gingerbread (You want them to be about 2 in thick.)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk (I used whole milk for this recipe)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp sugar

Instructions:

• In a medium sized bowl, beat your eggs, cinnamon, heavy cream, milk, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and sugar together until well mixed.
• Spray some Pam or non-stick baking spray into an 8x8 square cake pan (I used a glass pyrex pan).  If you choose to double the recipe, use a 9x11 cake pan.
• Place the slices of gingerbread in the pan.
• Pour the mixture over the gingerbread.
• Let soak for at least 10 minutes.  I like to let this sit for longer, but no worries if you're in a rush.  You can also let is soak overnight and bake it in the morning.  Just let it sit out for ten minutes or so before you bake it (it's better for it to be closer to room temperature before baking.)
• Preheat your oven to 350-degrees. 
• Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the bake looks like a solid custard, and the bread is slightly golden on the sides of the pan.  (If it still feels soppy when you touch the top of it, it's not ready.  The inside should be a bit custardy, while the outside is lightly toasted.)
• Shake a bit of powdered sugar on top.
• Serve!

Mark Cuban on "How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It"

One of my readers, Jeff Rivera, Editor-in-Chief of The Gatekeepers Post, recently contacted me about posting an interview with Mark Cuban.  Mark Cuban is well known for being the owner of  the Dallas Mavericks.  He recently wrote an e-book called, How to Win at the Sport of Business: If I Can Do It, You Can Do It.  Mark is an inspiration to all hopeful entrepeneurs, and his book, as well as his blog offer up some really great advice on what it takes to be a successful, thriving business owner.

I know that this post is a bit out of type for me, but I keep hearing my friends, as well as my readers, talking about how badly they want to start their own business, but that they don't know where to start, or that they're too afraid of failure.  Hopefully, Jeff Rivera's interview with Mark Cuban will inspire you- and remind you that the American dream is achievable with a lot of hard work, a lot of personal sacrifice, and the right kind of business savvy.

Here is Jeff's interview with Mark:

One part in your book I loved and my heart sank at is when your fiance lost your $7500 ring. What's your advice for those moms out there who are distracted by a relationship? How do you balance a real life with your dreams?

I never was able to balance.  Each person has to make their own decisions.  But remember, your competitors aren’t sitting by idly waiting for you to have a nice dinner with your significant other.  They are trying to kick your ass. So choose wisely.

Mark, you mentioned that you were approached countless times to write a memoir but instead chose to ePublish.  Why?

The time obligations of a traditional release were more than I was willing to undertake. I couldn’t ask for advances and then not want to do a book tour. Plus, the editorial deadlines were much more forgiving. I made changes hours before the final release.

You have three kids. What life lessons do you give them so that they don't go through all the heartache that you've gone through?

That is a life-long process . My oldest daughter is just 8, so we are still dealing with the basics. But I try to do some things in my businesses that are great for my kids. For instance, we changed the programming on HDNet Movies so that every morning we run commercial-free, kid and family-friendly movies. I was mad that my kids always were so excited about commercials they saw in their favorite shows that I wanted to give them a commercial-free environment.

One of my favorite parts of your book, How to Win at the Sport of Business, that completely broke my heart was when your ex-secretary robbed your first company of over $83,000, leaving you only $2000 after a year of work. If there are moms out there that have lost everything, what advice do you have for them to pick themselves back up?

Keep working. Don’t feel sorry for yourself because it won’t do any good.

There are many young moms who are just beginning their lives and can relate to you when you said you were sharing a small apartment with 6 people and sleeping on the floor. How can someone keep their eye on the prize when they’re living on Ramen noodles?

Who cares how you are living today? I loved every minute of living in that dump. The low rent and utilities and eating Mac n’ Cheese all the time allowed me to afford the startup of my business. Instead of paying myself much, I could put it in to my business.  
Where can we get a copy of your eBook, How to Win at the Sport of Business?
 
Anywhere eBooks are sold: Amazon, BN.com, and sites that support independent bookstores too.

Jeff and Mark, thank you for taking the time to do this interview to inspire my readers!  This time of year tends to be a time of reassessment and reflection for many, and I hope that for at least some of you out there, Mark's story shows you that everyone goes through hard times.  It's up to you to choose the path you want out of your life, come up with a solid game plan, and go for it full throttle.

In the words of someone very wise..."Do or do not.  There is no try."

Momspectations

It's wild how quickly days go when you have a toddler.  Between playdates, Little Gym, playing at the park/children's museum/zoo, running errands, keeping house, and cramming in as much family time as possible, I sometimes wake up the next day, wondering where the heck the time from the day before went.  I think people that don't have children, or haven't stayed home with them, can't fully understand how jam packed a stay-at-home mom's day can be.

Lately, I've been re-evaluating where I'm at with my life- what my expectations for myself are, what they were before I had Laela, and what I actually want, versus what other people have tried to tell me I should want or expect from myself.  I love being a mom.  I love staying home with Laela.  I love that I get to help her learn, watch her grow, and help her face each new challenge- whether it's learning to swim, or something that might seem so simple- like getting undressed and dressed on her own.  It cracks me up how adults forget that someone had to teach them to use a fork, peel a banana, read, and yes, go to the potty on the potty.  I've had to give myself a gentle reminder that people that criticize stay at home moms, or try to be negative or rude about the work they do, have never ever been a stay at home parent themselves. 

I treat being a mother as I would treat a job.  I make to do lists, I create objectives, I have expectations, a schedule, and yes, I have spreadsheets.  When my girlfriends have babies, I send them my crazy spreadsheets of what you need, what you don't need, what you might like but probably won't use much.  I have spreadsheets of Laela's books so that we don't buy doubles.  Christmas list?  Spreadsheet.  Moving?  Spreadsheet.  You get my drift.

The single most important part of being a parent to Laela is making sure that she has, as she calls them, "a happy day!"  That is a job.  It is rewarding, it is challenging, and sometimes I think I know too much about Elmo and Disney Princesses, but it's the best job in the world.

In a few years, when Laela is a "big girl" (a phrase that I've avoided like the plague!  I want her to stay my baby for a little while longer!!!), I"ll embark upon starting my own business, but for now, I'm going to enjoy these moments...and continue to make more spreadsheets- including the one with my expectations, hopes, and ideas for my bakery in a few years.

Tomorrow, I'll be sharing an interview with Mark Cuban- businessman, Daddy, and all around inspirational character.  He has some great insights on starting your own business.

Thanksgiving Feast!

I thought it'd be fun to share some pictures of our Thanksgiving feast!

The star of the show, the Turkey:

Old Fashioned Macaroni and Cheese with Toasted Homemade Breadcrumbs:

Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Honey Glazed Carrots:

Green Bean Casserole:

Sweet Potato Casserole:

Dressing:

Rolls:

Roasted Veggies:

The turkey only took 2 1/2 hours, so I had everything cooked and prepped while the turkey cooked, and then baked and cooked the things that needed to bake off and get reheated while the turkey rested for about 15 minutes.

For Christmas, I'm thinking of making beef bourguinon, but I'm not entirely sure yet.  My brother will be staying with us, and Kyle has a few days off, so I thought it'd be nice to make something really special.