Cinnamon Toast Crunch

wasn't that the song for the cereal? I can hear it in my head! I used to be addicted to that stuff when I was kid. My mom raised us on goats milk, wheat grass shots and everything that equals healthy. But for a season, my mom got lenient and she would buy me cinnamon toast crunch cereal. Oh mom, you are the best! Speaking of cinnamon toast, when I used to live in NH, I would make breakfast almost every morning for up 75 people. Usually it was oatmeal, pancakes or cold cereal. But there were times, when the stars would align and we would get a donation of cinnamon bread, and if it was in the budget to purchase cream cheese; I would make cinnamon bread french toast! Holy Moly was that delicious. Yesterday, I knew that Bonnie and Paula were coming over. (No Tabitha though, cause it was her birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TABS!)
So I polled B & P and asked them what they were craving for dinner, and the response was French Toast. So then I thought, OMG I could make the cinnamon bread french toast! And it was decided. I jazzed up the recipe with chunks of honey crisp apples, and it was like a moment of heaven in your mouth.

Cinnamon Bread French Toast
serves 4

2 Tablespoons of butter
8 slices of cinnamon bread (with raisins optional)
4 oz of cream cheese
1 half apple chopped into small chunks
3 eggs
2 Tbls milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Heat griddle or pan on low and melt butter. In a small bowl mix cream cheese and apples together, set aside. In another shallow bowl or dish, whisk eggs, milk & nutmeg together, set aside. Take 2 slices of bread and spread cream cheese mixture between them, follow likewise with the other slices. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture and coat thoroughly. Follow with the other 3 sandwiches. Place on griddle and fry sandwiches until they are golden brown on both sides.
Serve with your favorite toppings. heaven.

It's Not Delivery, It's Sabrina!

Awww... cooking and delivering food is so much fun. I had the urge to make one of my favorite meals: Shrimp Stew with Israeli Couscous. Now since its more fun to make food and share, I made the stew, packed it up and headed over to kelly, who still remains a medical mystery with her ankle. We enjoyed the meal and then watched ANTM... Kelly is in the lead with the most points, but i predicted that last night Kimberly would go home and by golly she did!

Goodbye to blog?

I've been thinking about my blog and I was wondering if i am getting bored with it? Maybe i am, maybe this is silly to write about my life? I don't know, I haven't had anything to really say the past few days. Not that I haven't been busy, or have had memorable moments, but sometimes I just get sick of hearing myself think. I think too much. Way too much. Not too over analytical, but i just think about things and people and situations and circumstances... hopefully not obsessively, but i do think a lot. Anyway what is my point in all this? I don't know, for now I will keep the blog going.
Last night i met with the girls i do bible study with and we are now in the midst of covering Philippians. Somehow i ended up being the leader this round, though I'm sure i am doing ok, i always assume i could be doing better. We were talking about grace and peace last night. And i was saying how God measures out to us the amount we need to get you through. This year has been a big down pour of grace and peace, and the payoff of receiving this bounty has been more freedom then i have ever experienced in my life. Although it comes at a cost, and i hope i never have to relive this year again, but I like who i am now, better then in all 30 years of my life, and that is a good thing. Soon I will be 31 (3 months!!!) and I think it will be a very good year, I just have a feeling about it...
After my group ended i snuck over to kyle & kelly's house to drop off some "dinks" (little gifts of silliness or fun). I didn't plan on staying long, but that is the splendid thing about good friends, you mean to stop by for 3 minutes and you stay for 30... PTL Kelly has found out that her ankle is not broken, nor tendons pulled, but an infection. Soon with some antibiotics and grace, she will be back to her cooking extraordinaire self! Meow!
Tonight i am making one of my favorite meals: Shrimp with Israeli Couscous. And of course I will be watching ANTM... ah how wonderful! AND one week from tomorrow I will be with my best friend Rachel! Happiness.

Bloody Mary

At 3:00am(!) I get a text message from Jaime, inviting me for bloody marys and the Vikings game Sunday afternoon. Cindy called me in the morning to confirm, and after talking to my mom, I decided to kill two birds with one stone, kinda literally that is. I have been bird sitting for my mom and so I brought the bird out to my parent's house and then i met up with cindy & jaime for bloody marys and to watch the Vikings play and lose. I never thought i would be a bloody mary fan, but i think they may be one of new favorite drinks! Probably the reason I didn't like it was the thought of drinking V8 tomato juice as a kid, and that has always grossed me out. But my palate and tastes have changed. And so the bloody marys i drink have delicious flavors like Tabasco, pepper, celery salt and other great flavors. They don't even need to have the alcohol to be tasty either.

We hung out and ate pizza until Andy and Magnus showed up. Magnus was a foreign exchange student from Sweden back in the day, and Andy is my friend Heather's little brother. Well not so little anymore, andy is a chef in sweden! How cool is that! So both andy & magnus are living in sweden, but happened to be back to visit. We had a fun time playing pool and drinking the place out of bloody marys... I only had one thank you very much, (ok and half of Jaime's, but they are soooo good!) After all that I stopped back out at my parent's to say hello and to see my mom\dad\brother before i headed back to the big city.

Kelly is 30!!!

My cousin Kelly turns 30 today! Happy Birthday Kelly!!! We celebrated by having dinner at Azia, along with all of Kelly's favorite friends and family. Azia was a great restaurant and the food was delicious. Our other cousn Chris also made an appearance, along with his new lady friend Jen... who is hilarious and adorable. It was a great night and I'm glad I could be there to ring in this milestone with my dear sweet cousin. Happy Birthday!

St. Francis

The Prayer of Saint Francis

"O Lord, make me an instrument of Thy Peace!

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is discord, harmony;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light, and Where there is sorrow, joy.

Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love;

for it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life."

My friend Diana has this prayer posted on her blog today, and since this prayer of St. Francis is one my favorites too, I thought i would "borrow" it from her. Saint Francis of Assisi was a monk who had a deep love for animals and nature, something I have as well. But more than anything I think the beauty of this prayer is that it is simple in truth, yet rich in meaning. Sarah McLachlan made this prayer into a song and it is so beautiful. I hope that my life can always be an expression of this prayer... even though some days I fail miserably. Bad moods, bad feelings, bad attitudes. I wish I could be sweet and cheerful all the time, kind and giving and joyful. But life happens, and then what? Thank God for grace and that His mercy is new every morning. It's a journey, so i still have miles to go, and that ok too. Perfection is overrated anyway!

There ain't no party like a Natasha party!

As per request of my father's sister's daughter, I am blogging about America's Next Top Model. Last night was the first elimination of this cycle. (cover your eyes, spoiler alert!) Mila went home! And unfortunately, on my elimination pick list I had picked Mila as going home later in the show! Kelly leads with the most points, followed by Kyle and then yours truly! But I will make my comeback cause Kyle can't pick models worth a crap! One other noteworthy point is that all the models this cycle are just s0-s0. There are definitely no Natashas this time. Long live the Russian mail order bride! Meow!

BTW, I did my good deed today, by picking up 3 nails in the CUB foods parking lot. I have had the misfortune of having a nail in my tire on more than one occasion. So I just didn't want that to happen to anyone else.

Tonight my father's sister's daughter and my father's sister's daughter's husband are having me over for a little Office party! Vlach on!