Strawberry and Banana Stuffed French Toast

My munchkin and I had these stuffed French toasts with tea for breakfast today. After each bite of his toast, he would say “Mmmm” and after each sip of his tea he would say “Aahhhh”. That’s how I concluded the recipe is worth sharing.



1 loaf French bread
2 tablespoons strawberry jam
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
¼ cup chopped strawberries
¼ cup chopped banana
6 eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup milk
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided

Cut French bread into eight 1 ½ inch slices. Make pocket in each slice by cutting slit from top of bread almost to bottom.

Combine jam, cream cheese, strawberries and banana in small bowl to make filling. Place heaping tablespoon of strawberry filling into each pocket. Press back together.

Beat eggs and milk in wide shallow bowl (even though not in the recipe, I added a pinch of salt, a tablespoon of sugar, and a bit of ground cinnamon as well). Add bread; let stand to coat, then turn to coat other side.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium-low heat. Add as many bread slices as will fit; cook until brown. Remove and keep warm. Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices.
Makes 8 slices.

I'm linking this recipe to:
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Potpourri Friday @ 2805.

Eggplants

Earlier this year I planted four eggplant seedlings. They established quite well and turned into beautiful and healthy plants. They bloomed a lot too, but… no eggplants.

Through the three summer months, I didn’t get a single eggplant! I thought I should check if other eggplant growers had this problem. Through the Internet, I found out that I’m not the only one. Moreover, I found the solution!




The trick is to thump the blooms. How simple is that! I was so excited to find several baby eggplants on the plants just a few days after I thumped the flowers. And more of them appear every day. Luckily, here in California we still have summer weather, so there is still a chance to harvest some eggplants!

With the eggplants, tomatoes, and basil from my garden, I can now make my favorite End-of-Summer Pasta.



I wish I learned this little eggplant pollination trick earlier.

Today, I'm joining An Oregon Cottage for Tuesday Garden Party.

Tea Time Tuesday

It’s been quite a while since I joined Tuesday Tea Time link parties, which are always so much fun to participate in.



So today I want to share a charming little teacup from my collection. I bought it at a flea market in Copenhagen when I went there on a short vacation a year ago. Even though I bought it in Denmark, the cup itself is from Germany. The lady who was selling it had the entire dinning set, but I only bought one cup.



I love its sweet flower pattern on the saucer and the same one inside the cup. The colors are a bit faded (especially inside the cup), but that’s the charm of it.



Thank you for stopping by and if you have a moment, please visit these tea parties and their gracious hostesses.

Martha's Favorites @ Martha's Favorites,
Tea for Two @ The Plumed Pen,
Teacup Tuesday @ Artful Affirmations,
Teapot and Tea Things @ Silken Purse,
Teapot and Tea Things @ Breath of Fresh Air,
Tea Time Tuesday @ Rose Chintz Cottage,
Teatime Tuesday @ Lady Katherine Tea Parlor

Spinach and Feta Bake

This bake is one of the favorite spinach recipes in our family. It is best served cold so all the flavors can fully develop.



1 lb spinach
5 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped mint
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
4 ounces feta, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Gently cook the washed spinach in a saucepan until soft. Put the spinach in a colander to drain off all the excess water. Press the spinach down with the back of a wooden spoon to squeeze out as much water as possible. Chop the spinach coarsely.

In a bowl stir the eggs lightly to combine the yolks and white. Add the chopped spinach, mint and cumin. Stir in feta and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the mixture into a lightly oiled ovenproof dish and bake in a preheated oven (350 degrees Fahrenheit), for 25-30 minutes, or until just set. Leave until cold then cut into wedges or squares to serve.
Makes 4 servings.

Today I'm joining:
Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum,
Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Potpourri Friday @ 2805.

Doilies

I can’t believe the summer is almost over! It went by way too quickly…

I don’t have any projects or recipes to share with you today, but I love joining Friday link parties, so today I’m showing a few white doilies that I crocheted earlier this year.







As usual on Fridays, I am joining

Home Sweet Home Friday @The Charm of Home,
Show and Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home,
Flaunt it Friday @ Chic On a Shoestring Decorating,
Friday Favorites @ Simply Sweet Home,
Feathering Your Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage.

There is also a new link party at 2805 called Potpourri Friday.