Recipe: Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

This past weekend we had our annual Framily Christmas. This is the 3rd time we have done it and we get together with all of Mike's childhood friends and Eat, Drink, and Be Merry. Everyone brings a dish and we provide the ham. Really, it's just an excuse to get together and have a meal.

My friend Lenny is notorious for bringing the only thing he can make.....Frito Pie....and it's not exactly the best compliment to ham, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole, and all the norms for holiday meals. So, this year Mike told him to come over early and took him to the store to get everything I needed to make Bread Pudding. Then we agreed that would be his contribution. lol.

I have to tell you this is THE EASIEST recipe for Bread Pudding you will ever come across. And...it's so delicious. I made it one year for Mike's birthday and ever since he has requested it for every time we need a special dessert. The best part is that you can make it ahead of time and then just bring your muffin tins or ramekins and prepare it there if you have to travel. And it will literally take you 5 minutes to prepare. I would recommend making the sauce on the spot, but you could probably prepare that ahead of time and heat it up later if you wanted to.

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

for the pudding

• 1 loaf Pepperidge Farm cinnamon raisin bread

• 1 1/3 cups milk

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

for the sauce

• 1/2 cup light brown sugar

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1 pinch ground cinnamon

• 1 egg

• 2 tbsp butter, melted

• 1 1/4 cups milk 

• pinch of salt

• tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375º and spray muffin tins or ramekins with non stick spray. In a LARGE bowl, mix together milk, sugar, and eggs. Slice bread into cubes and add to egg mixture. Fold through to coat all of the bread. Put in refrigerator for about 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Scoop into muffin tins or ramekins. Bake for about 30 minutes.

While bread pudding is baking. Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan. Mix together and heat over medium heat whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Pour over bread pudding. Enjoy!!

Apple Pie in a Glass!! - Thirsty Thursday

It's Thirsty Thursday and boy do I have a treat for you!!




My cohost this week is Brandi!! Brandi blogs over at Realities of Brandi and might just be the most awesome chick out there. Or maybe I'm just partial because we're exactly alike. We even share Mikes!! Well, not share Mikes, but we're both stuck with Mikes FOR-EV-ER!! Yikes, Mikes!! You have to stop by her blog and check out her recipe for this week!! I can't wait to see it!!




So a coworker of mine actually gave me this recipe this week. I'm super excited to share it with you because, it is dessert in a glass!! It takes a little prepwork, but totally worth it!! Oh!! And this makes a big pitcher so...PARRRRRTAAAAAY!!!!
Apple Schmappled

INGREDIENTS:

Half gallon Apple juice

Half gallon Apple cider

2 cups sugar

4 cinnamon sticks

1 fifth of Everclear

Bring apple juice, apple cider, sugar, and cinnamon sticks to a boil. Let cool. Add Everclear. Put in fridge to cool. Drank that 'ish!!
Yeah it's legit Apple Pie in a glass. Like, might as well skip dessert and just drank the night away. You have to try this!!
Don't forget if you're interested in cohosting to email me at hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com
Now go write a post about some kind of alcohol you like. Or maybe you have a famous cocktail you need to share with us alcoholics over here!! Either way, stop back here and lank that drank!!

1. Follow Hopelessly Ever After and Realities of Brandi via GFC or Bloglovin'.
2. Grab a button from below or my sidebar and put it in your post.
3. Write about your favorite alcoholic beverage.
4. Come back here and link up!!!
5. Get some new recipes or drink ideas for the weekend and make a new friend!! 6. Send a tweet with #ThirstyThursday and include @leggs532 and @BrandiMBarrera so we can see it!!

Anyone interested in co-hosting (it’s free) email me at: hopelessly_ever_after@yahoo.com

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Strawberry Delight!!

Here it is...the moment you have all been waiting for.....all 16 of you. :)

I made this delicious concoction for our monthly "Goodie Day" today. My MIL actually made it first, but I copied. :) 

The best part about it is that it is also healthy-er!! Imagine that!! A healthyer dessert!

Sorry for the crappy phone pic

Strawberry Delight

INGREDIENTS:

     2 quarts ripe strawberries, cut up

     1 angel food cake, diced

     1 tub Dannon Lite and Fit vanilla yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

     1. Layer the ingredients as follows: angel food cake, strawberries, yogurt, angel food cake, strawberries, yogurt.

     2. DONE!

Here's what the bowl looked like when they were done with it. Think they liked it??

Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

   

     I know what you're thinking....not possible...but it really is!

     Mike and I had a VERY long weekend. Not sure if I've mentioned before but Mike races cars. He has been into racing long before we even met and has had a variety of cars that he loves to take to the track and race. During the spring, summer, and fall months we often take his weekends off to go to the local race track and watch the races since he hasn't had a car of his own. Last summer, however, he bought another race car so he could participate. He's not one to hold on to things long and eventually he came across an even faster race car. So, on Saturday we made the long trip to CT in order to trade his '86 Mustang (runs in the 9's) for an '88 Mustang that he can race Ultra Street this year. We left our house at 5am and were on the road. 6 hours later we arrived at the guy's house for the trade. Then, after about an hour of comparing cars, we were back on the road headed home.

(For those interested...here is the pic of "The Changing of the Guards". Mike's Our old car is the one with the black stripe and the "Proline" sticker. The darker one is the new one.)

     After all of our "excitement" on Saturday we wanted to lay low on Sunday. We called Mike's parents and convinced them to come out to breakfast with us. Then, we somehow convinced them to make us dinner as well!! I agreed to make some sort of dessert, which was hard for me considering the whole "healthy eating" thing we are trying to do. But then remembered the amazing Skinnytaste website!!

     We looked and looked and finally agreed upon the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. I, of course, added my own twist to it, but mostly because raspberries were so expensive!!!

Here it is!!

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Nutritional Facts: Servings (9) Amount per Serving - Calories: 181, Total Fat: 7.1g, Cholesterol: 14.9 mg, Sodium: 145.9 mg, Potassium: 99.5 mg, Total Carbs: 24.6g - Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g, Sugars: 16.8g, Protein: 5.5g

INGREDIENTS:
     4 low fat graham crackers, crumbled
     1 tbsp light butter
     1/4 cup, sugar
     8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt
     1 tbsp flour
     2 egg whites
     1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate (for drizzling)
     9 strawberries

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a square baking pan with nonstick spray.

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs and the butter and press into the bottom of the dish.

Slowly beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Then, gradually add in egg whites, flour, and yogurt. Do not overbeat!!

Pour over graham cracker crust (I needed to spread mine out a little with the spatula to make it even).

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until center feels almost set. Cool to room temp and then put in fridge for a few hours.

Cut pie into 9 equal bars (I made mine a little bigger and couldn't finish the whole thing). Melt the chocolate and then drizzle on top of the bars. Add a few strawberries and confectioner's sugar for garnish.