Excuses...Excuses

So in between watching two games of soccer.

A trip to the apple orchard where we were soaked head to toe by rain..


A visit to the pumpkin house.


A practice session of trick or treating.

I failed at even attempting the challenge I gave myself last Friday. The one where I thought it was possible to use up a whole scrap kit. I'm laughing at my high expectations. I must have been high on sugar from my Sonic Lime Slush to even think that was possible. Whatever. So the weekend was a bust creativity-wise, but I did manage to do a challenge.

Barb is holding a breakfast challenge on her blog, Cook. Eat. Repeat? Basically, find a new recipe, make it, photograph it and blog about it. On Saturday night I headed to the grocery store with the following recipe in my hand:

French Toast Soufflé
10 cup (1-inch) cubed sturdy white bread
(such as Pepperidge Farm Hearty White, about 16 (1-ounce) slices)
Cooking spray
1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat-cream cheese, softened
8 large eggs
1 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2/3 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
3/4 cup maple syrup

Place bread cubes in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Beat cream cheese at medium speed of mixer until smooth. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add milk, half-and-half, 1/2 cup maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix until smooth. Pour cream cheese mixture over top of bread; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Remove bread mixture from refrigerator; let stand on counter for 30 minutes. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until set. Sprinkle the souffle with powdered sugar, and serve with maple syrup.

Cooking Light, APRIL 2000

I bought all the items I needed:

and a back up just in case of an emergency:

Despite the fire alarms going off (seriously) and me remembering that I really am not a huge fan of french toast, the recipe was very good. I served it with a side of ham and forgot that breakfast should have a beverage other than water.

Here's what the souffle looked like when plated up:
I did make a change to the recipe. I used regular cream cheese. It's what I had in the fridge and I wanted to use it up. If I changed anything about the recipe, I would either add cinnamon to the wet ingredients or I would make it with cinnamon bread. To me it needed just an oomph of something, but that seems to be just me as everyone else loved it as is.

Even Miss Scream.