The Redhead Riter - Witty, Intelligent & Addictive: 6/1/11

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked French Toast for Breakfast

I have tried changing my recipe for French Toast a million times, but this one is by far my favorite...so far.

If you want to enjoy French Toast the way it was meant to taste, follow my delicious directions below.

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked French Toast

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and butter well.
Yeah, I know you want to use your fingers,
but use the wrapping of some softened butter
or a paper towel.

Cut the Challah bread
Isn't it beautiful?

In a pan, melt the butter and

brown sugar and

maple syrup together.
Do not boil into candy!
Just let them melt together until...

creamy and a little thick.

Pour this mixture into the buttered pan.

Add the slices of Challah bread scrunching them close together.

Leave a little bit of holes, but not many.

For the topping start with 5 beautiful eggs cracked in a separate bowl.
Yes, eggs are beautiful.
No, you can't argue with me.

Add the half and half.
Fattening?
Nahhhhh, don't think about it.

Add vanilla.
Mmmmmmm....Doesn't it smell good?

Add a little salt.

Sprinkle cinnamon on the bread.
Lightly coat if you want a "soft" flavor of cinnamon
and add a little more if you want a "strong" flavor of cinnamon.
I like it soft.

After mixing the wet ingredients, pour over the bread.

All that wetness will get soaked up.
I promise.
You just gotta believe me.

Cover and unfortunately,
you have to put it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

I prepared it at night and then went to bed.
In the morning I popped it in the oven and
took a shower while it baked.
The whole house smelled....
ahhhhh, wonderful.

Cut a piece of the bread and flip it over on the plate.

Gorgeous.

It is so delicious, I can not even explain it.

I'm not selfish.
Here, take a bite.

Would you like another piece?

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked French Toast

Ingredients:

1 lb Challah bread
1/4 lb (1 stick) butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon to taste

Directions:

Butter all the sides of a 9 x 13 inch pan. Melt the butter, brown sugar and maple syrup in a small pan and simmer until smooth. Pour the melted liquid into the pan. Cut Challah bread (a braided loaf) into 1 1/2 inch slices. Use a bread knife to obtain a good cut. Push the bread into the pan to fill all spaces except for a few holes. It doesn't HAVE to be totally scrunched together.

In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, half & half, vanilla, and salt. Sprinkle the bread with cinnamon. Pour the liquid mixture over the bread. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight or approximately 8 hours.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 40 minutes. Let it rest for 10 minutes - this is a necessary step. Serve hot. Serves about 5-6.

Let me know what you think when you make it and if you could only eat one piece.

Chuckles of the Day - The Amish Elevator, 11 People On A Rope

I had several wonderful things happen to me which I want to share...but not in this post. Instead, I want to share a couple more fast funny stories to lighten your day.

Laughing feels so good...

Amish Elevator

A fifteen year old Amish boy and his father were in a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and then slide back together again.

The boy asked, 'What is this Father?'

The father (never having seen an elevator) responded, 'Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is.'

While the boy and his father were watching with amazement, an overweight, older lady in a wheel chair moved up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened, and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed, and the boy and his father watched the small numbers above the walls light up sequentially.

They continued to watch until it reached the last number, and then the numbers began to light in the reverse order.

Finally the walls opened up again and a gorgeous 24-year-old blond stepped out.

The father, not taking his eyes off the young woman, said quietly to his son.....

'Go get your Mother.'

rope

11 People On A Rope

Eleven people were hanging on a rope
Under a helicopter.
10 men and 1 woman.
The rope was not strong enough to carry them all
So they decided that one had to leave,
Because otherwise they were all going to fall.

They weren't able to choose that person,
Until the woman gave a very touching speech.

She said that she would voluntarily let go of the rope,
Because, as a woman,
She was used to giving up everything
For her husband and kids or for men in general,
And was used to always making sacrifices
With little in return.

As soon as she finished her speech,
All the men started clapping...

Men, you know that was funny. Go ahead and laugh.

Chuckle of the Day - Last Words , Wear Your Glasses, Two Girls In A Box

"I love people who make me laugh.
I honestly think it's the thing
I like most, to laugh.
It cures a multitude of ills.
It's probably the most important thing
in a person."
~Audrey Hepburn~

The Pastor

An old pastor lay dying. He sent a message for an Internal Revenue Service agent and his lawyer to come to the hospital.

When they arrived, they were ushered up to his room. As they entered the room, the pastor held out his hands and motioned for them to sit on each side of the bed. The pastor grasped their hands, sighed contentedly, smiled and stared at the ceiling. For a time, no one said anything.

Both the IRS agent and lawyer were touched and flattered that the old man would ask them to be with him during his final moments. They were also puzzled because the pastor had never given any indication that he particularly liked either one of them.

Finally, the Lawyer asked, Pastor, why did you ask the two of us to come here? The old pastor mustered all his strength, and then said weakly, Jesus died between two thieves, and that's how I'd like to go.

Wear Your Glasses

Yesterday my daughter asked why I didn't do something useful with my time. She suggested I go down to the senior center and hang out with the "old guys".

So I did this, and when I got home last night I told her that I had joined a parachute club.

She said, "Are you nuts?! You're almost 70 years old and you're going to start jumping out of airplanes?"

I proudly showed her that I even received a membership card.

She said to me, "You idiot, where are your glasses! This is a membership to a Prostitute Club, not a Parachute Club!"

I'm in trouble again and don't know what to do...I signed up for five jumps a week !

Life as a senior citizen is not getting any easier.

"Don't think.
Thinking is the enemy of creativity.
It's self-conscious
and anything self-conscious is lousy.
You can't "try" to do things.
You simply "must" do things."
~Ray Bradbury~

Two Girls And A Box

Watch it in awe, but believe it.
You can do anything.

Rockin' Friends Woo Us To Your Blog

"Finish each day and be done with it.
You have done what you could.
Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in,
forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day,
you shall begin it well and serenely..."~Ralph Waldo Emerson~

Each week I have posts for Woo Us To Your Blog and Rockin' Friends. Both have very different purposes. On the Woo Us To Your Blog post, I attach a Linky so that you can drop the main URL of your blog or the URL of every post you publish during the week. If you write seven posts, then you can put all seven in the Linky. I do it for you to have another means of free advertisement. Nothing is expected back. Yes, you are welcome.

The Rockin' Friends post is a way that I can recognize the Top Nine commenters in my community. Sometimes I will highlight their blogs, have a prize for one of them or talk about something interesting that happened in the community as well as have a list of the winner's links to their blogs. This post not only is a way of thanking them, but also a means to assist in growing their blogs.

Rockin' Friends Spotlight of the Week

Now, the time we have all been waiting for...(drum roll) This is the weekly post where I spotlight my Rockin' Friends who are the Top Nine active participants and loyal followers in my community! If you want to be mentioned here next week, then all it takes is to come in and start chatting with everyone in my community.

This week there have been several fun things happen such as (to name a few):

Katlupe had a birthday which is a day after her grandmother's - beautiful pictures
Paula made a lamp
Teresa is on a wonderful trip and I am loving the pictures
Kristi got a job!!!
Marlene had another fantastic party and she made stuff - no shock there, Miss Queen of Crafting
Pam had a pool party
Mama Penguin's husband started a new job!!

Below are a few discussions going on in my community :

With a big, heartfelt thank you for their participation and friendship, here are the Rockin' Friends this week in order of most participation.

I'm so glad that I've been able to become friends with these wonderful people who are so active in my community. I encourage you to add their blogs to your blogroll, but also come over and chat with us in my community.

For everyone mentioned in the top nine this week, feel free to grab the Rockin' Friend badge below (Yeah, we do crazy poses like that too because we are so stylish) and thank you for your participation!!

Teresa at Teresa's Thoughts And Ideas

Bev at eBlebco.com

Aleta at Aleta's Arty Facts

Pam (doesn't have a blog...yet)

Kristi at Child Sensitive Communication Grid

PJ's Prayer Line

Carol at ArtMuseDog

Meg doesn't have a blog...yet (wink)

Katlupe at Homesteading On The Internet

Until next week...Kiss your family, hug your friends and don't forget to be the friend you would like to have around.

Woo Us To Your Blog

As always, attached is the weekly Linky to enter either the main URL to your site or add each post you publish throughout the week. You don't have to do anything special, just drop your link in and get a little extra exposure to your site.

My grandmother, who is now deceased, grew up and lived in the same town all her life. When she was young, a man could should shake hands and it was as binding as a contract because his integrity within the community was directly tied to his actions.

If my grandparents were still alive, it would be nearly impossible to explain internet relationships to them. No one shakes hands. The only contracts seen are "agree" radio buttons that only require a click at the end of a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo. Communication is accomplished through email, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, BlogFrog, StumbleUpon, Digg, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, blogs and many, many other ways.

There is very little face-to-face interaction.

Two years ago, after a forced introduction to blogging, I started my own blog and named myself The Redhead Riter. Online I was like a child in pre-school - I knew absolutely nothing about social media, blogs, communities, forums, blogging conferences or any of the people that had already built a social authority in a niche. The one thing that I did know was that I enjoyed the whole online atmosphere of opportunity and learning, so I jumped in with both feet.

The first thing I did was research, visit and read other people's blogs. I jumped through all the hoops: Google followed, Twitter friend, Facebook Fan, Facebook Friend, Networked Blogs followed, BlogFrog followed and became a member of countless online communities where I followed, followed, followed. Along with all the following, I commented, commented, commented for four to eight hours every night. Yeah, I heard you gasp, but I am a little OCD and I wanted to find the "success" that everyone claimed was online.

During all these late hours, I still remained true to myself. What you read is who I am - a simply complicated, redheaded woman who loves deeply and is passionate about many things. I love my family...completely. My Mom, sister, niece, daughter and I have been to Hell and back many times during our lives, but one thing remains solid and true - we love each other no matter what happens.

So with that kind of background and foundation, I started blogging and tried to learn the ropes from the "big" bloggers. I made comments on their blogs and wrote emails asking questions and seeking advice. Since blogging was touted as a warm experience with caring people, I was eager to be a part of a wonderful experience. I kept seeking answers to questions from those people that knew the answers, but my mailbox remained barren and the comments/questions I had left on their blogs were never answered. Their online persona professed that they wanted to be part of a community of women. That was true, but it was also only one-sided - they wanted to be adored, but did not want to truly give back.

Had I been disillusioned or was the upper echelon of big bloggers selfish, arrogant and hypocritical? Those are the hot buttons in real life or online that turn me off. I can not tolerate hypocrisy in any relationship. I truly believe that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander!

Since I was determined not to fail, I put my nose to the grindstone and studied blogging and social media online, in books and articles. I quit reaching out to big bloggers for answers because the rejection left a bitter taste in my mouth. I do not think rejection is easy for anyone, but it really is a toughie for me.

Eventually, I started a community on Ning that I eventually moved over to BlogFrog. This proved to be an excellent choice. Everyone at BlogFrog headquarters has been helpful, kind, friendly and supportive which was a stark contrast to my former community host and big blogger experiences.

Another thing happened when I started a community - I found people who were not arrogant. Instead they are sincere, open, caring and supportive of not just me, but each other as well. Now that time has passed, these same people have become my friends and I have also found friends on Facebook and Twitter. They are willing to help promote my dreams just as I have made the effort to assist them. It is a total win-win situation.

What I have now are "relationships" online.

Do you want to know the secret to online success?

Relationships.

Two way, give and take, sincere relationships.

It is the same thing you have to do with people face-to-face...build relationships.

After two years of doing everything myself, I have a whole bunch of blogging "how to" and "how not to" information floating around my gray matter. I am not a pro who is earning six figures (yet), but I am not a novice either. I feel more comfortable with the entire blogging process and actually have goals that hopefully will lead to further success online. There are several differences between me and the "big" bloggers that ignored me:

I know that we are all valuable human beings existing on the same planet and in case you haven't noticed yet - the planet is not that big
My actions towards other people should always reflect my values because it leaves a lasting impression
I truly enjoy helping other people.

The saying is, "To thine own self be true," and I am in fact a reflection of "what you see is what you get."

Do I harbor ill will against the arrogant, hypocritical bloggers? Well, no, of course not, but I must confess...

Every time I go to Twitter, there is a section on the page that offers suggestions of people to follow. Today, the three suggestions were none other than bloggers who ignored me - not once did they ignore me, but many, many times. I am just one person, so if I follow them on Twitter or not, well, it means nothing to them. I do not follow them in any sense of the word...not on Twitter, Facebook or in the way they treat other people. Seeing them splash on my Twitter page caused me to think about the last two years with "me". I like who I am, what I believe, how I love and how I am not arrogant nor will I ever be that way. After a long struggle in my personal life, I finally see light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

Yeah, when I looked in the mirror of my soul today, I am happy to be me and thankful to know you.

"There is nothing noble in being superior
to your fellow man;
true nobility is being superior
to your former self."~Ernest Hemingway~

Almond Branches in Bloom by Vincent van Gogh

Almond Branches in Bloom, San Remy, c.1890
I have always been fascinated with the well known artist and works of Vincent van Gogh. Below are a few facts to help wet your appetite to learn more about the art around us.

On March 30, 1853, Anna Cornelia Carbentus gave birth to Vincent van Gogh in Groot-Zundert, Holland.

Vincent's father was Reverend Theodorus van Gogh.

He was named after his grandfather and stillborn brother who died a year earlier than Van Gogh's birth.

"Van Gogh" is pronounced differently in English and Dutch. In the United States his name has a silent "gh" -- /ˌvæn ˈɡoʊ/ or /van-goh/ which is the most common pronunciation. However, in Holland, the "v" in "van" is silent -- /vɪnsɛnt fɑnˈxɔx/ Listen here.

He had several siblings - a brother named Theodorus nicknamed Theo, another named Cor, and three sisters whose names were Elisabeth, Anna and Willemina.

As a child, Vincent was serious, silent and thoughtful.

Vincent van Gogh suffered from temporal lobe epilepsy, hallucinations and mental illness.

Van Gogh was close friends with Paul Gauguin, another famous artist.

Vincent van Gogh's earliest career aspiration was to be a pastor in the Dutch Reformed Church like his father. He was a missionary temporarily, but eventually gave in to pressure from his parents and gave up on the idea.

Astonishingly, Vincent wrote over 800 letters in his lifetime with the majority of them written to his brother and closest friend, Theo.

When Van Gogh first began painting, he used peasants as models and later would paint flowers, landscapes and himself, mostly because he was too poor to pay the models.

Van Gogh never found romantic love in his life after a couple failed relationships.

It is simply amazing that Vincent created a total of 2000 pieces of art which included 900 paintings and 1100 sketches/pencil drawings.

Vincent van Gogh was a self-taught artist with little training.

Van Gogh was financially supported most of his life by his brother, Theo.

Irises, Saint-Remy, c. 1889

Vincent van Gogh never had much formal training in art, however, he attended an art school for a few months in Antwerp, in 1885, which was four years before his death.

In a short period of ten years, Van Gogh created approximately 900 paintings. Think about it - in just ten years, he created 900 paintings that are now known to be some of the greatest works of art ever created.

Van Gogh is considered to be a Dutch Post-Impressionist.

Unfortunately, Vincent van Gogh only sold one painting during his lifetime and it was called The Red Vineyard.

Van Gogh only became famous after his death.

During an epileptic seizure, Van Gogh attempted to attack his friend Paul Gauguin with an open razor. This ultimately resulted in the Vincent cutting off a piece of his own ear - not the whole ear.

At the age of twenty-eight, in a letter to Theo, he wrote: "I came away from him with some painted studies and a few watercolours. They are not masterpieces, of course, yet I really believe that there is some soundness and truth in them, more at any rate than what I've done up to now. And so I reckon that I am now at the beginning of the beginning of doing something serious. And because I can now call on a couple of technical resources, that is to say, paint and brush, everything seems fresh again, as it were." Van Gogh would be shocked to know how people marvel at his work every day all over the world. Yes, Vincent, we know you did something serious.

Van Gogh painted 37 self-portraits.

In 1890, Vincent van Gogh ended his battle with sanity and shot himself in a wheat field in Auvers, France, when he was only 37 years old, but did not die until two days later.

His brother Theo died six months after Vincent and is buried next to him in Auvers, France.

Theo, at his side when he died, said that Vincent's last words were "La tristesse durera toujours" which means "the sadness will last forever."

More than one hundred and fifty psychiatrists have tried to diagnose the cause of Vincent van Gogh's illnesses and the diagnoses range from schizophrenia, porphyria, syphilis, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy.

His brother’s wife collected Vincent’s paintings and letters after his death and dedicated herself to ensuring that his work received the recognition it deserved.

Van Gogh's work began to shoot to fame eleven years after his death due to the diligence of his brother's wife.

Vincent van Gogh's most famous work and my favorite is Starry Night, c.1889 and was created while staying in an asylum in Saint-Remy-de-Provence, France

Starry Night, c.1889

Honeysuckles are beautiful flowers that grow on arching shrubs or twining vines that have vibrant green leaves. Hummingbirds, bees and people are attracted to these plants for the same reasons...intoxicating fragrance and sweet nectar.

I do not make a habit of eating things I find growing wild. Many times as a child my mother would encourage me to taste the honeysuckle, but it just was not my thing. Mom did, however, find willing participants in her plant sucking, namely her granddaughters.

I remember Alyssa running to me after spending a few hours with Mom and excitedly proclaiming, "I ate a honeysuckle!"

Actually, you do not eat (chew) a honeysuckle - you suck out the flower's nectar.

How To Eat A Honeysuckle

It is quite simple to eat a honeysuckle.

How to eat a honeysuckle

Pull off the bottom green part that holds the petals together.
You will see the tail of a "string" and you need to slowly pull it out from the petals.
At the end of that "string" you will find nectar.
Lick and enjoy!

If you say "Honeysuckle" really fast, it almost sounds like, "Honey, suck up." Of course, that is not a flower. That would be what women do to get their husbands to buy a new pair of shoes, large appliance or a car.

I don't really think about "sucking up" because it takes too much effort. Alyssa thinks I am missing a major woman gene because she has mastered the art with me. Some day her husband will know just exactly what I am talking about too.

Anyway, I passed a whole bunch of honeysuckles today and thought of my sweet mother. Every time I see one, I think of her and the fun times we spent together when I was a child. I also think about Alyssa's excitement at being able to eat a flower.

Just thought I would say, "I love you Mom and Alyssa."

Cookies - Sand Tarts Are Rich and Buttery

The moment I hear the word "sand," I am immediately walking under the moon with my feet wading through the water at the ocean's edge with the sand squishing between my toes.

Instant relaxation.

I love a moonlit beach. It exudes romance, sexiness, happiness and peace.

However, if you put the word "sand" with "tart" I get a totally different picture in my head. Suddenly I am thrown back in time and I am in the kitchen with my mother as she rolls tiny cookies with her tiny hands. Yes, I am like the Jolly Green Giant next to my mother. It was always, "Will you reach up there and pass me that box" or "I don't want to stand on the step stool, will you reach up there for me?"

Anyway, Mom made Sand Tarts all the time and we couldn't ever get enough no matter how often she baked them. That's how it is now too in my own home. Almost the moment they are rolled in sugar, it is like a disappearing act....the cookies are gone.

I love this recipe because it has no eggs in it which means we can eat the dough without feeling guilty!!!

Sand Tart Cookies

Combine sugar and butter.

Mix until creamy.

Add water.

Add vanilla.

Beat until mixed well and creamy.

Add flour.

Add nuts!

Beat until creamy.
Whole lot of beating going on here.

You need to roll the the batter into small balls.
If you roll the ball all the way around your palm once,
it will be round after a couple rolls around your palm.
Obviously Alyssa had to help with the photography.
Place the dough/batter under the index finger.

Roll around to the pinkie.

Around and down to the bottom of the palm.

Back up to the spot under the index finger.

Now you have a perfect ball with very little rolling.

Place on a baking sheet and press lightly with a fork once.

So pretty already!

Now bake and when they are golden brown,
place them on a paper towel covered wire rack to cool slightly.
They are not large cookies.

It is important that they cool because the heat will melt the sugar coating if the cookie is too hot.
While you wait, I will show you my recipe card.
I made everyone in my family a recipe box filled with the family recipes.
It was a total surprise to them and quite a hit.
Each card was decorated differently.
This one definitely needed the cookie monster
because it is IMPOSSIBLE to resist eating these cookies.

Now the cookies are cooled enough.
Let them have a bath in sugar.
First one side.

Flip it over and swish it around to coat the bottom and sides.

Beautiful and rich.

The first bite almost dissolves into a crunchy creaminess.

It is very hard to explain the deliciousness of this cookie.
The Sand Tart Cookie truly is in a class by itself.
I imagine it is the cookie for Kings and Queens.

It took less than a minute to eat those three cookies.
I have no self-control.

Sand Tart Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar, white
2 teaspoons water
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 cup pecans, chopped small

Directions:

Combine butter and sugar until creamy. Add water and vanilla and beat until creamy. Add flour and nuts and beat until creamy.

You can chill this batter 3-4 hours before cooking if necessary. Form dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten lightly with fork.

Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes. Cool slightly on paper towel covered wire racks and then roll in granulated sugar.

Yield: approximately 70 cookies