Rich & Creamy Cheater Hot Chocolate

My family began a tradition where, in the time between Thanksgiving & Christmas, each family member of the household would draw a number (before Thanksgiving) to decide which order we would go in to watch their Christmas movie & enjoy a Christmas treat of choice. Then the whole family partakes in the family member's indulgence.

When my turn came around, I picked one of my very favorite Christmas movies (based on my favorite children's book), "The Polar Express." Now, I was going to do a treat mixture of gingerbread cookies with eggnog. But when I realized my movie still hadn't been chosen & I had the chance to pick it...you gotta have hot chocolate with this movie!

So I took in the best of all of it! I brought back my Eggnog Mousse (recipe HERE) topped with my Gingerbread Streusel (recipe HERE). Since that's all edible, I made my drink of choice be hot chocolate!

My hubby had a pretty good idea of getting pre-made chocolate milk & heating it up. OK...not a bad thought. But I got thinking...this needs to be a decadent chocolate drink. But there wasn't a lot of set up time. So, here's what I made:

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RICH & CREAMY CHEATER HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients:

* half gallon pre-made chocolate milk
* 6-8 packets hot chocolate mix (without marshmallows)


Directions:

~ in a large pot, pour in the half gallon of chocolate milk

~ heat the milk on medium to medium-high heat to just boiling, stirring occasionally

~ once the milk has just hit boiling, reduce heat to lo to simmer & add in the hot chocolate packets

~ whisk vigorously until hot chocolate mix is dissolved

~ begin to ladle into mugs

OR

~ fill microwave-safe mugs with pre-made chocolate milk

~ place in microwave on high for one & a half to two minutes

~ pour in 1 hot chocolate packet into each mug, and stir vigorously



~ garnish your hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired

~ serve


Yield: 6-8

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Oh-me, oh-my! This was so rich & chocolatey! And perfect for a super cold night with the family!

You're welcome.

Make it a cheater mocha! Pour in the chocolate milk instead of creamer with your coffee & stir in the hot chocolate packet. YUM!

ENJOY!

Easy Holiday Cranberry Sauce

Growing up, I did not understand the cranberry thing at Thanksgiving. When the large part of the family got together, there would be a couple of small dishes on the table, each containing a deep red cylinder with ridges that strongly resembled the shape of a can...but people were actually eating from it! There were even times when the cylinder was horizontal & sliced on the ridges so folks could get a disc of the cranberry loaf.

Even as a kid, it never seemed appetizing to me. I think, in my young mind, they might have been beets or something. I just know that there was no way I was gonna have any of that!

Now, I would drink things like Ocean Spray's Cran-Apple or Cran-Grape juices. Eventually I'd have to make the jump to straight up cranberry juice now & then due to some...uh...issues. But I don't mind cranberry juice. And you know what? I never associated the juice of cranberry to be from the same source as the cranberry loaf! So I obviously was OK with them.

I also remember stringing actual cranberries with popcorn for a school Christmas tree. They were pretty beads, in my young mind. I never put it together that those are where I liked the juice from...and cringed from the gel loaf it made.

Not too long ago, I came across the easiest cranberry sauce EVER! I made some at the house & the family might have thought I was a genius! Or just crafty for half of a moment...whatever. But they really liked it & do ask for it sometimes!

The recipe I found was on Pinterest by One Good Thing by Jillee. (recipe HERE) So easy; so divine.

But, with it being the holidays, and having apple cider to work with (I love using apple cider during the fall in recipes!), I thought I'd use some of that for our Thanksgiving gathering.

So, here's what I did...

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EASY HOLIDAY CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients:

1 bag fresh cranberries (like Ocean Spray)

1/2 C apple cider or juice

1/4 C granulated sugar

1/4 C brown sugar

1 T apple pie spice

Directions:

~ in a sauce pan (which I sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray first), add the cranberries

~ pour in the liquid, the sugars & the spice

~ stir until well mixed

~ turn on the burner until the mixture is boiling, stirring occasionally

~ once boiling, turn to low heat as the cranberries continue to pop (the skins will burst...and it's so cool) & break down

~ I like to mash up the berries as I stir it, but it should be turning a beautiful red color & into a great chunky sauce

~ after about 15 minutes, total, on the heat, remove from the heat & allow to rest as the sauce settles a bit

~ serve warm (my family's fave), at room temp, or chill it in the fridge & add some whipped cream to the top

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Oh man, this is so yummy!!!! And my youngest even helped out.

I'm looking forward to Christmas so I can make it with orange juice instead of the cider. Or I might mix 'em. We shall see. 

I know some people like to throw in some walnuts or pecans, too. Totally optional. I love the sauce as it is.

Oh, and by the way, a big gathering meant doubling the recipe. That also insured some leftovers!

Now it's your turn!

ENJOY!

De[con]Structed French Toast

Lately, I've been looking for easier (lazier) recipes to fix. We have super-crazy schedules right now, so finding meals with a lot of steps to it is just nearly out of the question! But...what if I could just do something nice, tasty, but with very little work? Like maybe not even having to mix much of anything?

I came across some recipes in "deconstructed" form. Basically, it's your favorite meals/dishes that you just layer instead of mix together. And I'm game!

So, I'm thinking about starting a whole new category of recipes based on this idea. And, since I tend to tear things up & make them look demolished instead...I like the thought of having them "destructed".

Today, I bring you the first recipe in the De[con]Structed series...and it's breakfast!

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DE[con]STRUCTED FRENCH TOAST

Ingredients:

1 slice slightly-stale bread
1 egg
1/2 T cinnamon
1 T brown sugar
2 drops (1/4 t) vanilla extract
3 T milk
1/2 T sugar
1 pinch ground nutmeg


Directions:

~ preheat oven to 350 degrees F

~ in a small baking dish or ramekin dish, spray with cooking spray, then place your slightly stale bread in the bottom (may want to tear in half or into smaller pieces)

~ sprinkle with cinnamon & brown sugar

~ crack the egg, leaving the yolk in tact (if possible), on top of the bread

~ in a tiny glass (like a shot glass), pour in the vanilla & milk, then swirl to mix

~ carefully pour the vanilla milk over the eggs & bread

~ sprinkle it all with the sugar & nutmeg

~ place the baking dish into the oven; 20 minutes for softer yolks, 30 minutes for harder yolks

~ when the French toast is done, pull out of the oven

~ top it with powdered sugar &/or maple syrup, if desired

~ serve


Yield: 1

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I doubled this since I like having a couple of slices at once. Plus, I used slightly stale Pepperidge Farms brown sugar & cinnamon swirl bread. The brown sugar & cinnamon were already in it.

However, all of the measurements are approximate. Just eyeball it according to your taste!

Now then, if you are concerned that the 20-30 minutes is too long for you in the morning, just think: you can layer your stuffs, place it in the oven, go get ready, then have a hot breakfast ready to go!
TA-DA!

Also, this form of "deconstruction" is very elegant & minimalist...so it creates a gorgeous presentation.

Imagine doing a few of these for a brunch! YUM!!

ENJOY!

Easy Orange Chicken

My youngest surprised us by saying he really likes one of the lunches from school. And it's certainly one that I never would have realized & am proud of him for trying! He gets very excited when the school lunch menu reads that it's gonna be Tangerine Chicken.

Not too long ago, my youngest wanted to know if we can have it at home, too. Hmmm...I started trying to research it. I did find some recipes for it to try. I attempted one in the lazy cooker, and it didn't turn out well at all! Plus it took a lot of extra work that I didn't want to do.

However, we were willing to try it again...but I was not willing to search far & wide, or even pay more to get tangerine anything. But I did have some orange marmalade hanging around...so I decided to try an orange chicken. And after doing some looking into some recipes & figuring out what might work better for us, here's what I came up with:

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EASY ORANGE CHICKEN

Ingredients:

1 bag breaded chicken chunks (I used popcorn chicken & some leftover chicken nuggets)
1 jar orange marmalade
1/2 C barbecue sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Original)
1/4 C orange juice
2-3 T cornstarch
1/4 C sweet & sour sauce
3 T soy sauce
3 T teriyaki sauce
2 T ground ginger
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
2 T chili powder
1/2 C mandrin orange slices with syrup
1-2 T dried orange peel or zest of orange
1-2 palms full of sesame seeds


Directions:

Cook chicken in the oven to package directions

Place remaining ingredients in a large pot & bring to a boil on medium heat

Once orange sauce is boiling, lower to a simmer & stir occasionally

Once chicken is done in the oven, pull out & add to the sauce in the large pot

Be sure to coat the chicken chunks, thoroughly, with the orange sauce

Serve


Yield: 4-6

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Oh. My. Yum.

Serve this chicken with steamed rice (we used speedy quick Minute Rice). Even serve it on top of the rice! And it's beautiful!!

My youngest got seconds! That's a huge win! HUGE!! And my hubby was equally impressed. YEA!

So, we will be serving it again. And it would be an easy one to fix up for something like Chinese New Year.

Very happy to be adding another one to the dinner rotations!

Oh...and the popcorn chicken was SO good to use with it!!

ENJOY!

Beastly Boo Hash - Lazy Cooker

Halloween.

It's my favorite holiday! Hands down!

I love pretty much everything about Halloween. (read about it HERE...and read this one so that more of this post makes sense)

And, since I love to celebrate pretty much everything (find out why HERE), I really wanted to try to find a fitting dinner for Halloween for the family. But I wanted something not too weird, but still holiday appropriate.

As I was meal planning for the week, while prepping for a trip to the grocery store, I just needed one more meal. That one perfect Halloween meal. Because of timing & schedules, I figured something in the lazy cooker would work out best. So I had thought about recreating my Roast Beast Who Hash (recipe HERE), but was iffy on it. So I was discussing with my hubby what that Halloween dinner...

...and then I was shocked about what he said!

I'm obviously rubbing off on him when he read my mind, but twisted it:
He said, "What if we have your Who Hash, but call it Boo Hash (or something like it) with a couple small changes somehow?"

*GASP* I was so proud of him in that moment!
But he had a stipulation that it couldn't change too much...cuz he really likes the Who Hash!

So I got thinking. And here's what I came up with for a Halloween tweak to Who Hash:

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BEASTLY BOO HASH - Lazy Cooker

Ingredients:

2 lb stew meat, browned & mostly drained
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope ranch seasoning mix
1 lb (apprx) purple potatoes, diced or quartered, and even a small sweet potato cut to 1 inch pieces
1/2 C cider or apple juice (I used cider)
1 beef bouillon cube
3 T worchestershire sauce
6-8 oz frozen hash browns


Directions:

Coat the lazy cooker insert with cooking spray

Brown the stew meat slightly, drain mostly, and place meat into the lazy cooker

Add the diced peppers, onion & potatoes on top of the meat

Sprinkle the contents of the onion soup mix & ranch seasoning envelopes over the veggies

Pour cider & worchestershire into the lazy cooker, then add the bouillon cube

Stir it all up, cover & cook on low for 6-8 hours...do NOT open the lid until the next step

About 1 hour before serving, add the hash browns, stir, cover the lazy cooker again, set the lazy cooker to high & allow to cook thru

When all cooked thru, stir thoroughly & serve

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OK, I could not get a whole pound of purple potatoes. I was very disappointed. So I had to settle getting a couple of 1 & a half pound bags of Klondike Mix potatoes & pulled out the purple ones. I probably ended up with about 2/3 of a pound. But I was determined to get those purple potatoes in there!! And next time, I want to add in the sweet potato pieces. (first wash & scrub them - I'd still leave the skin on, but you can remove the skin before cutting up)

Side Note:
I put the rest of the potato varieties to the side so I could boil them, mash them & color them green to make Monster Mash Potatoes!
('Monster Mash Potato', by the way, was the original title for the Bobby "Boris" Pickett hit, 'Monster Mash', based on the popular 1960's dance of the time, the Mashed Potato. A little Halloween trivia for you. You are welcome.)
 I left the skins in so there would be "eyes" for the monster mash. But I would suggest mashing purple potatoes & have incredible looking, naturally colored, Monster Mash Potatoes! However, I used my Smashed [Leftover] Potatoes (recipe HERE) to make the Monster Mashed Potatoes, and just adding a few drops of green food coloring.

The Boo Hash turned out to be delicious, perfect for autumn, and bears amazing Halloween colors! Serve it up with a dark bread or roll (like pumpernickel, rye, or a sweet multigrain - we used the dark & sweet multigrain rolls). It's a hearty, warm, and filling meal before trick-or-treaters start showing up...or before you head out with your own kiddos.

You can even cook this thru the night to have for a great breakfast to start the day! You can even take it to work with you for that special food day at the office.

Have a wonderful & safe Halloween, everyone! And be sure to treat yourself to a great meal before the evening festivities start!

Happy Halloween, folks!

ENJOY!

Lazy Cooker Chicken & Noodles

Things are beginning to cool down, and autumn is beginning to rear its head just a bit. This is my favorite time of year! I love fall so much! And I do mean everything about it. EV-ER-Y-THING!!

It also gets me excited to start switching over some of the dinner items served, too. We are still in the transition time in our house: we still grill, but it's time for soups & things in the lazy cooker, too! Have I mentioned that I love this time of year? Just checking...

Now then, our lazy cooker still works just fine, but the handle is falling off...and...well...it's one we got as a wedding gift in 1996. So, we've had it a while. But we haven't been using it as much as we probably needed to until last year.

And since I've been using the lazy cooker (see some of the recipes HERE), my hubby has decided to start putting some of his barbecue meat in the lazy cooker, too. So it's gonna get more usage this time around!

My hubby & I laugh at our changing excitements & wants as time goes by. Nowadays, the thought of a new refrigerator, a fancy washer & dryer, or even a new & updated lazy cooker is drool-worthy! (Yeah...I don't know who I've become, either! But I digress...)

I have been so impressed with the oval lazy cookers that can hold more than 4 quarts of stuff, has a timer, buttons, and a locking lid. And then we went out & found one! Just in time to do a couple of lazy cooker meals this week! WOO HOO!!

Last year, I found this recipe on Pinterest, HERE, for lazy cooker chicken & noodles. Sounded good to me! But I, of course, wanted to make a couple of tweaks to it. I just felt the need to boost some of the overall nutritional value, too.

So, here's what I did:

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LAZY COOKER CHICKEN & NOODLES

Ingredients:

~ 3 lbs boneless chicken (breasts, tenders, etc.; fresh or frozen - but thawed if frozen)
~ 42 oz chicken broth/stock or water with 4 chicken bouillon cubes
~ 4 small or 2 large cans cream of chicken soup
~ 2 celery stalks, diced
~ 1 carrot stick, diced
~ 1/4 C minced onion
~ 2 handfuls parsley (I used dried)
~ 2 handfuls coleslaw mix (optional)
~ 1 stick butter, thinly sliced
~ 1 handful flax seed (optional)
~ 2 bay leaves
~ 1 bag egg noodles


Directions:

* in the clean ceramic insert, spray the entire inside with cooking spray

* place the (thawed) chicken in the bottom of the insert

I forgot the minced onion here, but I add it in later;
go ahead & add it in on this step

* add in the carrot, celery, minced onion, parsley butter, cabbage/coleslaw (if using), and flax seed (if using)

* cover everything with the chicken broth/stock or water & bouillon cubes (I didn't have enough broth, so I added some water & added 2 bouillon cubes)

* add in the cans of cream of chicken soup

* give everything a good stir, add the bay leaves, close the lid & set the lazy cooker on low for 8 hours

* when 8 hours is up, remove the bay leaves, make sure the chicken is good & chunked into shreds & pieces

* add in the bag of egg noodles (I used whole grain noodles), give it all a good stir & allow to cook on low for about 45 more minutes

* give everything a good stir & serve


Yield: 8-10

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Tonight was the first time I added the cabbage & flax seed. Guess what! You couldn't taste the difference! So I upped the nutrition & fiber factor without changing the taste. Plus, we've been trying to up the fiber intake in many of our foods, so we have bumped up as much of the whole grains as we can, and I have been sneaking flax seed into a lot of things...and the family doesn't even know! I also used low sodium & heart-smart soups & broths, too. But I always love the color additions of the soup staples of the carrot/celery/onion mix. And I add dried parsley to a lot of dishes (even in eggs)!

As for the taste...it's supposed to be bland! It's supposed to be just a rich & creamy, stick-to-your-bones kind of meal. No need to add a bunch of pepper or salt...or hot sauce. Just allow it to make you feel good.

I just baked up some little homestyle biscuits, and we were happy. My 8 & a half year old had 2 bowls of dinner tonight! I think it went over well...and was so excited to be fixing it again! It also reheats well for lunch the next day or two.

Oh...and loved this 1st time out with the new & fancy-schmancy lazy cooker! Can't wait to use it again...and I'll now take it off my Christmas Wish List (for real)...

So...HAPPY FALL, Y'ALL!!

ENJOY!

Fish on a Plank

I love holidays. So much. And when even a little-known holiday comes around, I give it the attention it deserves! This includes activities, attire, and (of course) the food!

One of my favorites is a fun holiday that is gaining speed in notoriety is International Talk Like a Pirate Day! Every September 19th, talk like a pirate. How fun is that? Then you can take it a step further by dressing like one. I wouldn't advise totally acting like one (just pretend you're acting like one). And then, here's more fun: EAT like a pirate!!

I really do think thru what to eat on holidays. And I like to combine some authenticity with fun. And my thought process may start small, I do a little research...and then something happens: my brain starts making connections. Sometimes it ends up with me giggling...like this one...

Pirates would eat seafood, amm-i-rite? And they might make a person they aren't so happy with walk the plank, amm-i-rite? And there are cedar planks made for grilling fish...amm-i-rite???

OK, so I had this crazy-hilarious-cool idea. Are you ready for this insanity?

Well...here's what I made my hubby do:

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FISH ON A PLANK

Ingredients:

~ 4-6 fish fillets, fresh or frozen (if frozen, make sure fillets are thawed)
~ about 4 lemons, sliced (about 4 slices per fish filet)
~ 1-2 spring rosemary or thyme per filet
~ seasonings: we used lemon-pepper seasoning (you can add fine sea salt, too)
~ cooking oil like olive oil (not spray)
~ melted butter (may or may not need)
~ wood planks - we bought cedar planks that fit 2 fillets per plank


Directions:

* soak wood planks in water for at least 1 hour

* make sure grill is cleaned & preheated

* rub planks with cooking oil

* place fillets on the planks, and add seasoning

* arrange planks on the grill, cook for about 10 minutes with cover closed

* if fish is looking a bit dry, lightly baste with melted butter

* arrange herb sprig(s) & lemon sliced on top of each fillet

* close cover & allow to cook on the grill for about 10 more minutes

* when done, remove planks from grill & serve

Yield: 1-2 fillets per person

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OK, I want to let you know about how far my brain went. Since I wanted to have my hubby try this on International TLAP Day...the fish to use was obviously TiLAPia! Amm-i-rite? And the citrus in the lemon would help ward off scurvy! Amm-i-rite?

So, yes...that's what we used. And we got frozen tilapia and did 6 fillets. They were beautiful! And? They were so delicious!!

I didn't know how it would turn out, but the whole idea was making me giggle. And my hubby loves grilling, but had never tried fish on a plank. So this was exciting & nerve-racking for the both of us. So glad it was great! And we may keep this on our upcoming menu...and next time may be with salmon! YUM!

And these beauties were served with "Seaweed Salad" (baby spinach & baby kale mix tossed in a splash of lemon juice & sea salt) and some gold potato quarters with butter, lemon juice & sea salt. Plus some sea salt flavored along with lime & pepper flavored rice crisp crackers. Because that's what Polly might want! Amm-i-rite? And I didn't have any hard tack. That will be done at a future time.

Even better...this is a a quick & super easy meal...that is really good for you, too!! There is so much win in this dish!

As a serving idea: use 1 fish fillet on the plank & use the plank as your platter for serving the meal! All fancy & contemporary looking. You'll look like a culinary genius!

For dessert...we had the free dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts that were given away for dressing like a pirate. But might I suggest my Rum Cannon Balls? (recipe HERE)

A couple more pirate-based recipes to come soon! Stay tuned for those...

ENJOY!!

Irish Bread & Butter Pudding

When I say I love getting in touch with the Irish side of my heritage, I'm not kidding! (find some of my other Irish [based] recipes HERE)

I finally got around to trying an Irish dessert I've been wanting to try...since...like...late February or early March. Now that it's September, there's no better time than now! Amm-i-rite?

With fall being right around the corner, I want to attempt to increase the overall foodie repertoire for the cooler months.

I do try to keep the authenticity of dishes like this. So I did some serious research into some different variations, and came up with one that worked the best for me to make.

So, here's what I did:

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IRISH BREAD & BUTTER PUDDING

Ingredients:

~ 8-12 slices slightly stale/dry white bread, crusts removed & set aside
~ butter
~ 1 C sultanas (plumped golden raisins) or other dried berries/grapes
~ 2-3 T sugar
~ 2-3 T cinnamon
~ 2-3 pinches nutmeg
~ 1 C heavy whipping cream
~ 1 C milk
~ 3 eggs, lightly beaten
~ 2 T vanilla extract


Directions:

* In a glass or ceramic dish (about an 8x8), spray the bottom & sides with cooking spray; I used a pottery casserole dish (that has family story)...it has a great look & fit with what I wanted to do, but I would recommend a squared off dish

* Place the raisins (or other dried fruit) into a small bowl or large coffee mug & cover with hot water for about 10 minutes; this will help plump up the dried fruit a bit to form the sultanas

* Take your bread slices & remove the crusts (set crusts aside - will use in a little bit), cut each slice down the middle (either into rectangles or triangles...but this step is optional: you may leave whole); I have an old Pampered Chef gadget that can make uncrustable sandwiches, so I used it to make my slices round & pretty to fit into my round dish - again, just make it easy

* Butter one side of 4 slices of the bread & place butter-side-down in the baking dish overlapping slices just a bit

* After the 10 minutes of soaking is up for the raisins (now sultanas), drain & sprinkle a few over the top of the bread layer

* Sprinkle about a tablespoon of sugar, a tablespoon of cinnamon & a pinch of nutmeg over the fruit layer & covering the top of the entirety of the bread slice layer

* Repeat the bread buttering step

* Sprinkle with more sultanas (plumped raisins or other dried fruit)

* Repeat the sugar, cinnamon & nutmeg step

* If you are doing a 3rd layer (I did), then repeat the last 3 steps one more time, otherwise move on to the next step

* In another bowl, whisk together the heavy whipping cream, milk, lightly beaten eggs & vanilla extract; pour mixture over the bread slice layers

* Set baking dish to the side for at least 1 hour, or place in refrigerator overnight

* When ready to bake the bread pudding, set oven to 350 degrees F

* You will want to place your baking dish in a bain marie (it's like a hot tub for the pudding in a sauna...spa time for the baking dish!)
Place the baking dish into a larger baking dish that will hold the pudding level; pour water into the larger baking dish - enough to go half way up the pudding baking dish. This will keep the cooking even throughout the dish for pudding

Prepping the Bain Marie

* Allow to bake in the center of the oven for about 1 hour

* After the hour is up, pull bain marie out of the oven & allow to cool for a few minutes, then remove the baking dish from the bain marie to cool a bit more from there

* Serve warm with a topping of whiskey sauce or whipped cream

* Top with a sprinkling of bread crumbs made from the cut off crusts from the bread slices:

   Bread Crumb Directions:

# Set oven to 400 degrees F
# On a baking sheet, spray liberally with cooking spray
# Lightly cover baking sheet with a dusting of cinnamon & a sprinkling of light brown sugar
# Arrange crusts in a single layer on the baking sheet
# Spray tops of crusts liberally with cooking spray
# Lightly cover the crusts with a dusting of cinnamon & a sprinkling of light brown sugar
# Bake for about 10 minutes
# Crusts should be hard & crispy
# Allow to cool for a moment & then crush the crusts into a near dusting or pulverize them in a food processor to make crumbs for sprinkling

~~~~~~~~~~

Irish Bread & Butter Pudding
with Irish Cream not-so-whipped topping "sauce"
and bread crumb topping

I have been wanting to make this dessert for quite some time...and it was so worth the wait! Oh, it's SO good!!

This is also another dish that terrifies my kids, and my hubby automatically said he won't do bread pudding. *sigh* I need to find folks to share this with. I am so happy with how it turned out!

It's certainly a perfect dish to have ready for St. Paddy's Day, but I would also love to make a more Christmas-y version using Craisins, and then maybe topping it with cranberry sauce.

This is also a great way to figure out how to use up some of that day-old bread, or the loaf that's close to it's Best By date. Don't let any of it go to waste!

There was a lot of time put into this dessert...but it really was easy!

I might even try this with our wheat bread. It's supposed to be white bread, but I have been working to try to take a more "make it good for you/make it better for you" type of approach.

Oh...and if you make your own bread, all the power to ya! OK? I just used the good ol' store-bought stuffs.

Let me know if you use this. I hope you love it as much as I do! (a new comfort food for me, I think)

ENJOY!