Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

I've never posted a recipe to my blog before, that's not what I am known for, (seriously, ask anyone). I despise making meals, mainly because I am so not creative, and have trouble thinking up fun and tasty things to eat. Also, I am 98% sure my brother inherited any and all culinary skills in the family, since he is able to magically whip up the most awesome dishes with absolutely no recipe to follow, whatsoever. By the time I was born, I was pretty much left to fend for myself, which has meant as an adult relying on prepackaged foods, pizza delivery, and the occasional drive-through.

However.

This morning I was in the mood for a delicious, comfort food kind of breakfast, and so I made my most favorite french toast recipe, and it did not disappoint. As I sat at my table enjoying every delicious bite, I thought, what the heck? I shouldn't keep this delicacy all to myself, I want to share it with my friends! So, friends, here you go. A delicious, and, most of all, easy, french toast recipe, (scroll to the bottom for a healthier alternative!):

Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

2 slices bread (I prefer white or wheat)

1 tbsp. butter

2 tsp. cinnamon/sugar mix (optional)

2 eggs

1 tbsp. cream cheese

1-2 tbsp. maple syrup

Mix eggs and cinnamon/sugar mixture in a bowl. Dip one slice of bread in bowl and cover both sides with the mixture. Melt half of the butter on frying pan, throw dipped bread on frying pan. Flip occasionally until it is fully cooked. Repeat with second slice of bread. Place cream cheese and syrup on bottom piece of french toast, then place second piece on top, making a sort of french toast "sandwich". Enjoy!

I took this picture mid-meal, that's why it isn't exactly "pretty", but wanted to give an idea of what it looks like. Really though, who cares how it looks when it tastes AH-MAZ-ING?!

Healthy Alternative:

*Substitute diet bread (45 calories or less per slice)

*Cut out cinnamon/sugar mix, or replace sugar with a sugar substitute of your choice

*Substitute nonfat cream cheese

*Substitute sugar-free maple syrup

*Substitute no-calorie cooking spray instead of butter

I have made this recipe both ways, and it is delicious no matter which recipe you go with! A wonderfully satisfying breakfast for a fall or winter morning. Pair with hot chocolate or coffee. Yum!

Written while not under the influence of sugar, carbs, alcohol or anything else delicious that is now restricted since it is the new year and I am on a diet.

I have ten blog drafts waiting to be edited. Or discarded.

I have been writing and trying to create something of value, but I don't feel like any of it is worthy of being read.

However, I wanted my readers, (all of six of you), to know that I am alive.

It's been almost two weeks since my last blog post and it has taken me this long to recover from our holiday season of overindulgence. And it was ohhhh so worth it.

Creamy coffees, Swedish pancakes with maple syrup, brown sugar glazed salmon, lemon drops, roasted turkey, mashed potatoes made with cream cheese, peppermint bark, buttered peas, buttered everything! OMG it was spectacular.

But then.

Reality hit. Our pants were feeling tight, and so was our budget. Richard and I decided it was time to get back to eating healthier and watching our spending. Diets aren't fun, and they are doubly un-fun when your debit card goes on a diet too.

This is where we are now though, January 2011. Looking to make positive changes in our lives.

Isn't that how we always start the new year? In the spirit of bettering ourselves, I thought I would share with all of you some of my goals for 2011:

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Read the Bible in one year - When I was about nine years old I read my children's Bible, which is like 500 pages, so I mean, that's quite an accomplishment for a child. But, I have never read the entire Bible, all the way through. I decided that it is something I need to do in my life, thus I have set out on my journey to read the Bible, beginning to end within this year. The funny thing is, I thought it would feel like a chore, but I am genuinely enjoying it and I look forward to my nightly readings. Husband has joined me in this too, and the nights he is home we read out loud with each other. It's become a really fun activity for us to share, and best of all, I'm only 28 chapters in and have already learned so many things that I never knew before. Now I am just wondering why it took me 26 years to get my act together, and start reading the most important book on earth on a regular basis!

Memorize one Bible verse every week - This one goes hand in hand with my first goal. I figured since I am reading the Bible, I might as well start committing some passages to memory.

Get paid for at least one writing job - So in the last seven months I started my blog, and became a contributing writer for The Smartly. This is all great experience for me and I love it...but would really love to branch out a bit and find some writing jobs that pay in actual money, in addition to the satisfaction I get from writing.

Write at least two blogs a week - Ok. FAIL. I know, I already messed up on this, the first week of the new year, but I am totally focused now and will work hard to keep to this goal.

Have Binker potty-trained by June 30th - This is a fluid goal for me. I would love to have him potty-trained by this date, but I know that potty training is something that cannot be rushed or forced, so if this date comes and goes, and he is still in diapers, then I am cool with that.

Date nights four times a month - Our lives are craaaaazy, yo! Between Husband's ever-changing work schedule, the kids, the housework, my writing, Husband's college classes and all the other millions of things that fill up our days, it's hard to get that essential "couple time". We're committed to setting aside time though, to focus on each other and our relationship. Whether that means dressing up and going out to dinner or putting the kids to bed early and just renting a movie doesn't matter, we just like to hang out together and talk about the two of us and how we're doing. In reality we do this a lot more often than once a week, but writing it down as a goal just reminds me to always keep our marriage the priority. 

Mommy and me dates with Binker and Bug four times a year - I get to hang out with the two coolest little dudes every day, but they are each so different and unique, so I like to do "mommy and me days" with each one individually, where we go do a fun activity and maybe go out to lunch. Basically, that kid gets to pretend to be an only child for a few hours and have mommy's full attention. What child doesn't love that? Plus, it is really fun for me to be able to have one-on-one time with each of my sons, and really see what's new with them and what they're doing now.

Read with the boys for a total of 30 minutes every day - Both Binker and Bug love books, and I want to foster that love for reading more and more as they grow. I don't time us or anything, but I just aim to sit and read with them as much as I can throughout the day - whenever they bring a book to me, or they seem bored, or I have a few extra minutes.

*     *     *

So there you have it, some of my goals for 2011. I would love to hear some of yours - please feel free to share in the comments section for all to see. Until next time, Happy New Year! 

And to my fellow New Year dieters - Ughhh, here's to another day of being "healthy" or whatever.

Weighing-In

If you know me, then you probably know I've been trying to lose some weight. It's weird how when I'm dieting, time seems to go by so slowly, and it can feel like it will be an eternity until my next bite of a delicious, high-sugar carb. When I'm not dieting however, time suddenly goes into warp speed, and the next thing I know, the "baby" that I keep claiming I recently gave birth to, is now nearing his 18 month birthday and I realize that I really can't use that excuse anymore.

So I decided that I needed to take some action; I need to lose some of this chub so that elderly people and Asians will stop asking me when my baby is due, (and no, I am not ageist or racist, those are the two specific groups who have actually asked me when my baby is due).

So if today is the 18th of June...then that means that I have been on a diet for the past 26 years. It's okay though, I accept the fact that I will never be naturally thin, and that I will always have to be mindful of what I eat, (and try not to hate skinny people in the process). If I look at the bright side of this, maybe I could start a website that reviews all different diet programs and regimens, as I have been on most of them at one time or another. I think the first official diet program I ever did was Weight Watchers, but I have also used Slim Fast a couple times through the years, as well as Atkins, from time to time. During college I had much success with LA Weight Loss, and more recently I was on Nutrisystem; but at the present time I am simply counting calories. I have also tried some not so well-known diet programs, such as drinking three Sobe juice beverages a day, as meal replacements (I thought this brilliant plan up all by myself, if you can believe it), that one lasted less than 48 hours because ohmigod was I STARVING!

My weight has been up and down throughout the years, and I have the stretchmarks to prove it. Yet something is different now that I am married. Richard is such an amazingly sweet husband, and never once has he made a negative comment about my weight, not even when I was 9 months pregnant and enormous. He tells me every day that he thinks I am beautiful, and when I tell him I am dieting he says that I don't need to, and that he is concerned I am going to get too skinny, bless his heart! In fact, the time when Richard told me he thought I was a size 4 - that was the moment I knew I would stay with him forever! Honestly though, Richard has given me a confidence and acceptance of myself that I've never had before. While I know I still need to lose some weight, and I would like to do so in order to feel better about my appearance, Richard's support is so helpful, and lets me know that even when I falter in my weight loss attempts (which I know is inevitable every now and then), he will always be there to tell me that I am still good enough in his eyes.

I am so lucky to be his wife.