Happy Easter-- French Toast Casserole Recipe!

Happy Easter! This is the first time in 3 years that I've been home for the entire Easter break, and it has never felt so good to lounge in my yoga pants. The weather has been absolutely beautiful but given me a bad case of summer fever. I'm counting the days!

I enjoyed the day with my family in which we were blessed with love and grub. We usually cook a dinner feast but this year we chose to dabble in the traditional Easter brunch. Needless to say, I was game. We called up our good friend, Betty Crocker, and borrowed some of her award-winning recipes (what a lady). We tackled a french toast casserole and an garden egg bake (<-- click to check them out). The french toast was a holiday treat and the egg bake was healthy and delicious!

 French Toast Casserole

Garden Egg Bake

Though I'm 22, I am never too old for an Easter basket. Since I was little, every Easter morning my parents would hide my basket somewhere in the house: the bathtub, behind the couch and I think it was once in the oven. To keep the tradition alive, I ran around the house like a giddy child to find my surprise... I must say it took me a while to find it (touche, parents). As I've grown, the contents have changed. Chocolate bunnies have turned to Green & Black chocolate bars, malt balls to Stacy's pita chips, glittery head bands to K-cups and sticker books to a jar of pickles (yes, pickles). The Easter egg hunts are over and coloring eggs has become an activity of the past but I will always look forward to my Easter basket. I am lucky to have such wonderful parents and will pass on the same tradition until my children have children. Happy Easter everyone!

Super Simple Overnight Oatmeal Recipe

Just last week I made a delicious discovery. My boyfriend and I were wandering in downtown DC where we stumbled into The Corner Bakery. Apparently it's a chain and I had no idea! Shame on me because it was fantastic. To paint a picture of this restaurant to those who are not familar with it.. I'll say this: if Starbucks and Panera Bread had a love child, The Corner Bakery would be it. Does that clear things up?

Anyways, I ordered chilled oatmeal. CHILLED!? Who chills oatmeal? Wouldn't that insult the Quaker Man?... but you know what? These cold oats (mixed with yogurt, bananas, cranberries, apples and other yum yums) WAS AMAZING. I can easily say it was in the Top 5 of my favorite breakfasts. How could I've been so naive? I'm embaraased to say the least.

CEREAL FACT ALERT:

According to Quaker, the "Quaker Man" was the first registered trademark for a breakfast cereal... in 1877!

As homange to the Quaker Man, I've created my own cold oats recipe. You only need 3 main ingredients which makes it so easy that a caveman could do it!

Ander's Super Simple Overnight Oatmeal

  what you'll need:

1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c greek or plain yogurt (I use flavored yogurt to give the oats some zip!)

1/2 c almond milk or any other milk

(if you want to make a larger batch, just make sure the measurements are about equal; ie. if 1 cup oats then 1 cup of milk and yogurt... just eye ball it )

Add-ins:

walnuts (check)

apples   (double check)

bananas

cranberries

    what to do:

mix all the ingredients together well, cover, then place in the refridgerator overnight! Follow the pictures for a step-by-step:

REFRIDGERATE for 12 hours AND....

BAM. Welcome to Heaven in your mouth. Enjoy!

Breakfast Quesadillas!

Why is it Lenten Fridays that I crave meat the most? It's like when you're 7 and your parents tell you not to do something and it only ignites your passion to be naughty. Well, thank god I love seafood and tofu or it would make these Fridays pretty rough; but recently, I have been dying for a tuna melt.... but I can't have cheese AHHHHH! What is a lactose-intolerant person to do? Well I have opened my mind and mouth to Veggie Slices. Everyone please hold your "ews" and "icks", these little soy-based cheese impersonators aren't too bad. Dare I say it even tastes like the real thing? You be the judge.

Lets talk breakfast. Now that I have a new cheesy friend, my food opened have broadened exponentially. I feel limitless, powerful even. What have I been denied that I can now tackle with Mr. Veggie Slices? 

Quesadillas!

I woke up early and in my mist of tired zombieness, I decided to whip up some breakfast quesadillas!en  Since steak and chicken would be a Lenten Friday no-no, I used egg whites. All I did was brown a whole wheat tortilla in a pan and threw in the egg whites that I cooked on the side. Finally I added my "cheese" and boom. Breakfast is served. Crunchy, cheesy goodness!

Sunny Side-Up Pizza for a Rainy Day

Rain, rain, go away. Come again...neverrrr. Ugh. There's puddles outside my front door the size of kiddie pools, and I somehow always park my car right next to them. My optimistic side is thanking the Heavens that it's not snow, but I'm never a fan of grey skies and roads adorned with slimy worms that never made it to the other side. Lets have a moment of silence for the worms....... okay, that was nice.

Well, on a positive note... I'm feeling creative and I'm starving. I am a subscriber to Whole Living magazine and it's pretty fantastic. It's filled with dozen of scrumptious recipes and health living tips, hence right up my ally.

In the last issue, it featured a ton of pizza recipe ideas. I adore pizza, but being lactose intolerant has stripped the best part: cheese. Sigh. So I never really bother making it unless I can get my family to indulge in my "special" cheese (I give them credit, they're good sports). But anyways, the point I'm trying to make is that I'm in pizza denial...until I was inspired by the picture below.

Do not adjust your monitors.. what looks like cheese is really a few fried eggs. I have been on an egg kick for the past couple weeks, so this has been God-sent. People put eggs on toast, steak, and even hamburgers so why not pizza. This is breakfast pizza with an edge, and since I'm making it for lunch we'll call it lunch pizza. Sunny side up lunch pizza for a cold and rainy day. I like it.

I'm making a few modifications since this foodie epiphany just daunted upon me, and I'm too hungry to make a run to the grocery store.

What you'll need:

A large whole wheat tortilla

2 eggs

Spinach

Tomato sauce

Olive oil

Oregano/spices

I preheated the oven at 400 degrees. I drizzled my tortilla with olive oil so it crisps in the oven, and don't forget to cook it on aluminum foil to avoid sticking. Spray the aluminum with non-stick spray, too!

Crack the 2 eggs on top of the spinach. Try to avoid breaking the yolks and letting them slide off the pizza; they're slippery little guys. Throw the pizza in the oven and watch carefully. It should be ready in about 20 minutes or less.

Drum roll please.....

This brightened my day...well at least my stomach since it just started snowing outside. The pizza was so delicious! I definately recommend trying this recipe and experienmenting with different toppings. The eggs add a nice touch with huge flavor!

Enjoy! and go away snow!

My New Addiction: Cinnamon Apple Straws

I am not a huge fan of Wal-Mart, but am forced to shop there because there isn't a Wegmans or Target within a 100 mile radius of my university; but, I do give them credit for beginning to stock healthier and organic options...which brings me to my new found love: Cinnamon Apple Straws. I found these randomly on a Wal-Mart shopping escapade...so for that (and that reason only) I thank you, Wal-Mart.

No

Yes 

Here are  5  6 reasons why I'm obsessed:

1. 38 straws = a serving (130 kcal).. this makes me happy because I can munch mindlessly without feeling like I'm consuming half of my daily calories
2. The ingredients list impressed me.. usually a snack like this is too good to be true, but the ingredients proved to be very simple and chemical-free; I'm not a chemist and was able to pronounce every ingredient!
3. They're crunchy and sweet.. these little guys satisf my sweet tooth and my craving for something crunchy...it's like a BOGO sale in my mouth
4. They come in a variety of flavors.. if you're not a fan of cinnamon, the same company has veggie and potato straws...perfect to satisfy a sweet starch tooth
5. They're healthy.. yay!, a snack that claims to be good for you that actually is! More, puhhhlese
6. They're college budget friendly.. less than 3 bucks a pop

So that's my plug for the Apple Straws. 

They're nutritious, delicious, and if you polish off a bag by yourself, hey, it's okay. Enjoy licking the cinnamon-y crumbs off your fingers...it's the best part.