Seriously, the most decadent baked French toast ever.....

French Toast.....pain perdu

"This dish does have its origins in France, where it is known as "ameritte" or *pain perdu* ("lost bread"), a term that has persisted, in Creole and Cajun cookery; in Spain it is called "torriga" and in England "Poor Knights of Windsor," which is the same name for the dish in Denmark, "arme riddere," and Germany, "arme ritter." At one time or another in America it has been referred to as "Spanish," "German," or "nun's toast," and its first appearance in print as "French Toast" was in 1871. "
---The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani (p. 134)

We had company over for brunch and I wanted to try something new. I did some research and decided to check  The Pioneer Woman's website in case she had it. Not surprising she did. I compared a few other recipes and decided to try hers. She is amazing and even has her own show now. I can understand why.......You can make it with any stale bread but I made it with challah bread. I soaked the bread and liquid all night, before baking it the next morning.
So whether you're making this dish for yourself or company you will never eat regular French toast again.

Here is the link for it :
http://thepioneerwoman.com/

I would love to hear from you if you make it............
Bon appetit !

Mini Pastry Canoli Cups................to die for

 Because so many people have asked me for the recipe I've decided to put it here on my blog. Please note that I did alter a few things from the original recipe from the  Pillsbury's site. The only other change I would recommend is that you double the cream filling recipe. I found that the one they give in the recipe doesn't make enough.

• 20 min
• total time 45 min
• ingredients 9
• servings 48

  Ingredients

Filling

1 container (15 oz) whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Cups

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Garnish

1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Additional powdered sugar

Steps

1 In large bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Place filling in 1-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag; refrigerate while making cups. Or you can spoon it instead when ready to fill.

2 Heat oven to 350°F. On lightly floured work surface, unroll pie crusts. Sprinkle each crust with turbinado sugar and cinnamon. Lightly roll rolling pin over sugar and cinnamon to press into pastry. With 2 1/2- to 3-inch round cutter, cut out pastry rounds. Lightly press each pastry round into ungreased mini muffin cup.

3 Bake about 7 minutes or until pastry cups are golden brown. Cool completely in pans, about 15 minutes. Remove from muffin cups to cooling racks.

4 Just before serving, remove filling from refrigerator. Cut 1 bottom corner off bag; pipe scant tablespoon filling into cooled pastry cups. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and powdered sugar. Serve immediately. Store any remaining pastry cups at room temperature and filling in refrigerator.

Enjoy .Buon Appetito.....

My Kitchen Aid mixer is tired....very tired

This year I decided to not bake 14 different kinds of cookies. After all who needs all those calories ?
I did make an all time favorite : chocolate espresso cookies and I also made Russian tea cakes, Florentine Lace cookies and Brown sugar chocolate chip cookies..........all quite decadent and I suppose all favorites. As if that wasn't enough I made some cupcakes with butter cream frosting adorned with pretty little Holiday decorations.
If I died after our Christmas meal, I'd die happy.
I also tried a new dessert this year because I saw a picture of it on facebook, and it looked wonderful. So wonderful I wanted to dive into the photo itself.
 They are mini cannoli pastry cups. In fact I just finished straining the riccota cheese over night in order to make the cannoli filling. I cannot wait to taste them tomorrow, after I fill the cups I'll cheat and taste one. I wouldn't want to serve the family AKA my guests anything that didn't taste good.

PS> Before posting this blog, I must make a confession : I am truly ashamed of myself. I couldn't resist, I just had to fill two pastry cups with the cannoli cream.............All I can tell you is that I could eat these at every single meal for the rest of my life and be very content............they are light and just sweet enough. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go make one more.......I pray I have some left for tomorrow.

I love escargots !

Day 14 : Dr. Dukan diet

Slower than an escargot being chased by a chef !
All the thyroid tests have proven that I have a very lazy metabolism. you see, I wasn't using it as an excuse after all...
 I have worked so very hard for the past 2 weeks at not having any cookies, cakes, starchy vegetables, or alcohol and yet have only lost 6 LBS. Yes I'm healthier and yes I don't crave any carbohydrates at all. Although a small bag of oreos would be a nice treat....just kidding (well not really).
This diet makes sure you aren't hungry at all. I can eat as much protein as I want and on the alternate days where I can eat vegetables, I really go to town. In fact the day after my protein-vegetable day I always show a 1 LB weight gain. They say it's normal because the vegetables hold a lot of water. I try not to be discouraged when I step on the scale, but being human and who I am, I cannot deny that it has happened.
I admit that this is the first time I have not veered off, a diet. Even at parties and dinners with friends I have stuck to it faithfully. I'm ok with this....really.
I actually do have some sweets....for example the Dukan muffins and pancakes (galettes). They seem to satisfy me just as much as a piece of chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache dripping down the sides.
Ok, so I'm lying. Please forgive me.
After the initial 4-5 days, called the attack phase I started alternating as the plan calls for: vegetable + protein day then a pure protein day and so forth and so on. This will continue until I lose all the weight I want to lose. After that I'll enter 2 more phases which will slowly allow fruits and other carbohydrates into this day to day living diet plan.
I was thinking this morning, while on the treadmill that I really should have been born in an a very wealthy family. It would have been just as easy to get my jaws wired temporarily and go to Bora Bora until the wires came off. Then spend another month there eating fresh fish and local vegetables. I think I would have been cured of the illness that they call Food Addiction ! I doubt they use additives and preservatives over there. And I'm pretty sure I'd start meditating while sitting on a beach staring out into turquoise water.
Well, that's it for today. I need to go devour some chicken.

Day 5 on the Dukan Diet - Big Girls Don't Cry

The weekend went by too fast, doesn't it always ? I spent it mostly outside keeping busy not focusing on salad, cheese, pate, French bread, vegetables and wine, the things I miss most about being on the "attack phase" of this plan. Three more days and I will be able to incorporate vegetables every other day.

This attack plan made meals easy, in a sense it made them much less work.
Saturday night was rough. Out to dinner with friends at a nice restaurant, The Public House 49 in Patchogue www.PublicHouse49.com . It was hard enough not ordering a cocktail when everyone else did, but I made due with a diet coke ( I never have that, so it was a treat) I needed a change from the plain seltzer I dink every day. I had no trouble skipping the appetizer as I do very often anyway.

My main meal was a beautiful Prime aged Rib eye, a super tender steak, served without sauce Bearnaise. Yes I almost cried. The rest of the plate was filled with perfectly cut thin fries, which I had none of.....not even one ! So I quickly dispersed them to the others dining with me.

Thankfully no one had dessert. I think that would have pushed me over the edge !
I don't remember ever NOT cheating on any diet so this was an occasion that merited a medal (made of chocolate). I was skeptical about going out to a restaurant in the first place since I knew it would be difficult and also because Dr. Dukan strongly discourages it during this phase, which is restricted to protein and some dairy. But that will all change in a few days.

Last night, Sunday, my hubby made me delicious grilled turkey burgers Moroccan style. Filled with my favorite spices : cumin, parsley, garlic, allspice and cinnamon. I made a mint & garlic Greek yogurt sauce to accompany them. I must confess, I didn't miss the buns at all.

Today will be a fish day, because I am not a huge red meat eater to start with and I need a change. After all it does take 2 days for red meat to be digested (so they say).

To lengthen your life, shorten your meals.  ~Proverb

Day 3 -July 20th

Just for fun I weighed myself this morning and was very excited to see a loss. But the excitement quickly turned to doubt, so I weighed myself 2 more times to make sure my eyes weren't going on me, or better yet the floor wasn't slightly crooked/tilted which would have altered the result (so I moved it a few inches away ). Same result, so I guess it's official, I lost 2.7 LBS since Wednesday.
 My breakfast consisted of a galette made with Greek yogurt, oat bran and 2 eggs, again stuffed with fat free cream cheese, which was very tasty and satisfying, especially with 2 cups of strong coffee.
Later in the morning, as a snack I made my new concoction: 2 tablespoons of non fat cottage cheese mixed with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.
After working outside today in the horrible heat, I really wanted to sit and have a beer before going out for dinner with friends. I saw it as a reward...what could be wrong with just 1? But then I reasoned with myself and actually talked myself out of it. That my friends, has never happened ! Kudos to me...
For lunch it was a simple plate of London broil and some grilled chicken from last night.
It was enough until about 3 pm, when I actually was in the mood for 3 slices of rolled up ham.
So it seems like I am satisfied with less food, and I am able to drink a tremendous amount of seltzer throughout the day without feeling starved.
Tonight might be a challenge, because this diet discourages people to go out to dinner during the attack phase. But I will prevail and conquer my fear. Hopefully.............

I didn't cheat.....

Day 2 July 19th,

It's amazing I made it through day 1 without cheating. Even knowing there were ice pops in the freezer calling my name.

Lunch yesterday was a lot of cottage cheese and a chicken breast which I ate with 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt mixed with some curry. Dipping the chicken in the curry mixture was delicious and tasty. Thank goodness I am allowed spices. During the afternoon I had some more cottage cheese and a few slices of low salt ham. I was surprised that it held me over until dinner time.

About 2 hours before dinner I was looking for a new recipe for my steak and found :The Dukan Cuban Skirt Steak recipe.

 I marinated a nice size skirt steak in a large baggie. My marinade was lime juice, lime zest, onion & garlic powder, scallions, soy sauce, cumin, oregano, red pepper flakes and 1 truvia (natural derivative of stevia). I took it out of the refrigerator about 20 minutes before putting it on the grill. I can tell you that it was full of flavors, and the most tender ever. I probably could have had 10 LBS of it but I didn't !
For dessert I mixed a few tablespoons of Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of natural oat bran ,some cinnamon and one truvia, just to appease my sweet tooth.

I drank a lot of seltzer (plain) all day long as recommended and did my 20 minute workout on my treadmill.

It was a great day because I didn't feel deprived or tired, or irritated.

This morning I made the Dukan galette and it was delicious, especially since I added some cinnamon, and chia seeds in it. it's made with Greek yogurt and oat bran plus 2 eggs. Once cooked I added a little low fat cream cheese and ate it like a sandwich. This was quite satisfying along with my coffee. Now off to do a workout on my treadmill. Until tomorrow my friends...............

Food interrupted.............it's going to be tough

Dear blog,

I need accountability, so I am putting this out there....on my public blog to be exact !
Too much wonderful food has forced me to evaluate my life and make drastic cuts and changes in the way I eat and drink....at least for a while. I also don't want to be an unhealthy looking MOTB (Mother Of the Bride). That date is creeping up on us quickly and I honestly am so excited for my daughter and future son in law!
Like everyone else in the world I have tried a few diets, and I have tried changing portion sizes as well. Since no Dr. will wire my jaws shut I have to change my ways.
 I'm not going to blame my darn thyroid anymore for all this extra insulation I have (although it's been quite practical to do so). For health reasons and for visual reasons I'm going to follow Dr. Pierre Dukan's diet or way of life. I have researched it for days, read articles, and listened to numerous videos, clips and experts talk about this French Doctor.  And frankly, there's nothing wrong with his ways. This Doctor was introduced to me by two co-workers who like me post food pictures on their social media walls every day. I noticed that their plates were mostly filled with protein and vegetables. So I asked them a few questions and after a few messages back and forth I decided that being French I should give my French neighbor a shot. With that being said I must admit that when I lived in Paris, France I was always thin, yet I ate cream sauces with each meal and had desserts every day. However, I walked everywhere, and I was younger (102 years ago) AND didn't have a thyroid that was dysfunctional. Oops I mentioned it again....
Anyway those Parisian days are long gone and so are the days before having kids and commuting by car to get the smallest item such as milk. Life has changed in many ways obviously, including the way I have been eating for the past 20 years or so. Indulging in rich foods and drinks around the world and here in the US is (was) a hobby and way of life. Unlike many who eat to live, I live to eat.
 I suppose it all started at a very young age with my mother, who was French and was a fabulous cook, she always prepared healthy new dishes that opened my nose & palate to new smells and tastes. I am lucky she was so adventurous and talented in the kitchen.
I was always taught to finish everything on my plate, and like any well raised kid, I listened.
 Except....I finished everyone else's food too......

So today is day 1 of the Dukan diet.
I'm 3 hours into it and so far so good. I've had 2 cups of coffee and fat free half & half, 2 hard boiled eggs cut into 12 pieces (looked like a lot of food on my plate) and 1 cup of low fat cottage cheese. By the way in my opinion it's always nicer to use a pretty plate and to make the food you prepare esthetically beautiful. I love food that is plated in a beautiful and appealing way.
As Dr. Dukan recommends, I also walked at a fast and sweaty pace on my treadmill for 20 minutes.
Tomorrow, I'll write again.........let's see how today goes.

Summer recipes

I am guilty ! Of not blogging enough...so I'm going to start again......Hope everyone is enjoying the summer !

Here are some refreshing appetizers and a delicious dessert to have for your next BBQ or dinner party.
The first skewer is made of a grape tomato or a 1/2, a slice of cucumber and a chunk of feta cheese.
The 2nd skewer is 1/2 a grape tomato, a small piece of melon wrapped in a little prosciutto, a grape tomato, a mini mozzarella ball, another grape tomato then repeat first 2 steps.
The delicious and ever so tasty dessert I make often (it's a palate pleaser) is individual strawberry cobblers and the recipe is just as
easy.
http://snappygourmet.com/2012/05/10/individual-strawberry-cobblers/

if you have any questions about these recipes or any others please contact me.....Bon Appetit !