Pumpkin French Toast Bake

I found this recipe at Allrecipes.com.  I made up the pumpkin mixture, but soaked my bread slices and fried them in the pan like normal French toast.  It was delish, but next time, I want to try the baked version.

Ingredients

  • 8 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon white sugar
  • 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 loaf Texas toast thick-sliced bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon butter, softened

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
  2. Whisk the eggs, vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, the cloves, nutmeg, and white sugar together in a bowl; beat in the pumpkin until fully incorporated.
  3. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in the prepared baking dish; pour the pumpkin mixture over the bread cubes, and gently toss to coat.
  4. Stir 1/3 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, flour, and butter together with a fork in a small bowl until the mixture is crumbly; sprinkle over the bread cubes.
  5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top, 30 to 40 minutes.

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Pie Spice Substitute

I never have pie spice at the beginning of the baking season.  I had every other ingredient for the Crustless Pumpkin Pie (which is amazing and you have to try it!), but no pie spice.

I found a recipe for the spice on food.com and here it is…

This spice is a blend of warm spices. Typically ingredients are: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice and mace. Pumpkin pie spice adds a nice extra pumpkin taste to pumpkin pie.

Season: available year-round

Substitutions: 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + 1/8 tsp ground allspice + 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg = 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Read more: http://www.food.com/library/pumpkin-pie-spice-173#ixzz1cAhcqHLY

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Yummiest Cheddar Broccoli Soup

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • a good sprinkling of dry mustard
  • 2 cups half-and-half
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head or I used the majority of a frozen bag of florets)
  • 1 large carrot, diced
  • 2 1/2 cups ( 10-12 ounces) grated sharp white and yellow cheddar cheese, plus more for garnish

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and mustard and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half (yep, the whole pint) until smooth. Add the chicken broth, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  At this point, you can either puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you’ll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Then return to the pot.  Or, leave the broccoli and carrot bits in your soup to eat. (We preferred having it this way.)

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese.

I adapted this from a food network recipe.  We really enjoyed it and I hope you will too!

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Microcephaly Awareness 2011

Today is National Microcephaly Day – Microcephaly affects 2 – 2 1/2% of the entire population. Microcephaly is COMMON – it is far more common than other well known disorders (i.e. Autism). Microcephaly affects more than 25,000 infants in the United States each year.
The Foundation for Children with Microcephaly is the only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children diagnosed with Microcephaly (and other closely-related neurological disorders). We need your support! Join us in the fight of raising awareness of Microcephaly!
Please visit www.childrenwithmicro.org for more information.
We started our journey with Microcephaly three years ago with our special little girl Rebekah.  We wear yellow every year on September 30th to raise awareness and spread the word about these amazing people.
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Bekah’s first day of school

Bekah starts receiving her services in the public school now that she is three years old.  This day came way too soon for me.  It just seems like yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital.  We worked hard with therapists in our home for two and a half years and this last week she “graduated” from Babies Can’t Wait (the early intervention program in Georgia).

Although we are indebted to the ladies who have worked so hard with Rebekah so far, we are extremely optimistic about the journey ahead.  We have a whole new set of hands, ears, eyes, and ideas to keep Rebekah moving forward in progress.

This Mama was one emotional wreck that day. But, look how happy Rebekah was!

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Rebekah checking in at the office.

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“car line” =)

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Bekah had a great day and was happy to see Mama!

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Thank you so much for praying for Rebekah and our family.  I would love for you to continue praying for her on this new leg of the journey and for her teachers Mrs. Michele and Mrs. Margaret.

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The High Museum of Art

We had an amazing time with our girls at the High.  We weren’t sure how the day would end up, but were so pleased!  We headed down in the afternoon and were going to stay as long as the girls would let us.  We ended up staying until the last minute when the museum closed.

Kayla took her sketch book and art pencils and had so much fun picking out different mediums and artists to copy.  The museum even had a few different projects that the children could try to learn how to express their creativity.

Some fun shots of the Atlanta buildings.

Watercolor painting on the lawn.

The sun was shining bright and everyone was in high spirits.  A cool breeze was blowing and Kayla had such a nice time painting.

Bekah was all smiles.

I wasn’t brave enough to hand Bekah the watercolors, but we borrowed some colored pencils of Kayla’s and gave it our best shot.

Sister came to help Bekah draw a flower.

We were able to do a watercolor out on the lawn and then create a picture frame for the painting using fabric, glitter, magazines, buttons, etc.  Such a nice event!

We headed inside to tour some of the galleries.  Kayla made herself right at home and got sketching.

Tilman Riemenschneider, St. Andrew. ca. 1505

Kayla’s version

Henry Moore, Beechwood, 1932


Henry Inman
American, 1801-1846

Tai-O-Mah, 1832-33
Oil on canvas

Anonymous gift, 1984.174

Tai-O-Mah, a Fox, was the leader of the Sauk and
Fox Midewinin, a secret medicine society.


I love the bright colors and hidden pictures in this piece.

A large atrium inside the High.

It’s so sweet being a Mama!

I wonder where she’s going.

Lots of furniture pieces caught Kayla’s eye.

John Marin’s work was on display.  Very watery and dreamy work. Lots of city life in New York.

Radcliff Bailey also had his work on display at the High that day.  We had just toured the exhibit and were getting ready to leave when the guard told me that Mr. Bailey was at the exhibit and right behind us.  Kayla and I went to talk with him and he signed her journal book.  Such a nice experience!

Tricky

Minor

Radcliffe Bailey, Windward Coast, 2009-2011, piano keys, plaster bust, and glitter, dimensions vary.  (The black form in the far corner is a plaster head covered in black glitter.)

Radcliffe Bailey, EW, SN, 2011, acrylic, glitter, and velvet on canvas. Image courtesy the High Museum of Art. (My favorite of his pieces.  This was very large – maybe 6ft x 8ft)

When Mr. Bailey opened her sketchbook to sign it, he opened it to the page where she had sketched his piece, Minor.  He gave her an almost shy smile and told her what a great job she had done on her sketch.  So nice of him!

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Bekah’s 3!

We had a very small party here at home with our closest friends, Rocky and Kelly.  Bekah had a great time opening some very special gifts with Daddy.  Can’t you just see the love she has for her Dad?!?

Happy third birthday Bekah!

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Bekah’s PT sent some cute gifts for big sister Kayla too.  How sweet!

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Hot Wheels

Rebekah’s wheelchair came!  She really likes it.  I am so glad that now she has a comfy spot to sit, that holds her in the right positions, while Mama does her retail therapy!

Rebekah was helping Mr. David from Mobility Designs figure out all the adjustments.

Can I get in the chair yet?

How do I look Dad??

All the buckles!

Oh good, I can still chew my bibs in this chair.

We   L O V E   it!

Posted in Rebekah's Updates | 2 Comments

Here we go again!


We are officially home from vacation.  We had a terrific time away, but are back to the appointments and the running around.  I am looking forward to some routine in our lives again, but will be very sad to see Summer end!

Kayla starts her homeschool co-op in a couple of weeks and Rebekah will start her preschool after her birthday.  This will be a big year with lots of changes for all of us!

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Pass Me Not

by: Fanny Mae 1868

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.

Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?

Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

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