The Best French Toast I Ever Celia

Dear Mouse,

Happy after Hanukkah and almost Xmas. Oh my god.  Here's where I'd go into a song & dance routine about my Slacking Shame and how long its been since I posted except that I think making everyone read excuses now would just be piling insult upon injury like stevia on wheat germ flakes. You and I have been just far too distracted of late. But instead of apologizing, I am going to make it up to everyone with the BEST and EASIEST SHOWSTOPPING WINTER BREAKFAST RECIPE of all time. Seriously, I can't believe I haven't blogged this yet because it's always a hit, and maybe you should make it right now.

Hey, does anyone want to see a picture of my niece?

Blogosphere, Celia Mar Cordova. Celia, Blogosphere.

Wait that was from a while ago, look at this one:

                     Who's a smiler?? Is there a robot on your onesie? Aw is that funny? It sure is.

What was I saying? Oh, yeah. So. Maybe you have a guest you want to impress. Maybe you have a very busy week, or you have kids, or both, and you have no time but you want something to get out of bed for. Maybe it's Christmas Eve and you have NO will to cook anything outside of the Big Dinner Menu that is looming. Basically, you want to have a Very Special Breakfast without breaking a sweat. Impossible, you say. I say, No. And then I say, Make Overnight French Toast.

It goes like this. The NIGHT BEFORE you wish to knock some socks off (yours or anyone else's), cut 12 one-inch thick slices of soft supermarket Italian bread (or french bread, or challah) and arrange tightly in a buttered baking dish (9x13). Butter each slice.

I call this one "A Baby Prepares".

        Ah, theatre family jokes.  Oh, speaking of...

                          Never too early for this one.  I think there might be rock n roll in her future though:

Look at the hand!

In a bowl, whisk 2 eggs with 1 2/3 C whole milk and 1/4 tsp salt, and pour evenly over the bread slices. Cover with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge. Go to bed.

We said go to bed, Celia!

Come on!

That's better.

 (No Aunts gave any babies wine during the making of this)

    Mama says Naptime. 

In the morning, roll out of bed and say breezily, "What about some french toast? It'll take me two seconds." (Note: do this even if no one else is there.) Prance into kitchen. (Same.) Preheat the oven to 425. Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. The bread will have absorbed all the custard during the night. Awesome! Sprinkle the slices with sugar and put the whole thing in the oven for 20-25 minutes, until puffed and golden. BOOM. Pass the maple syrup. Brown n crispy outside, hot n custardy inside. Mind Bendingly Delicious, Stupidly Easy, and Sexily Impressive. You may never make french toast in a pan ever again.

My point- which I hope you have figured out by now -is that this breakfast is very special because it is SO good but also because it is so simple it can be made while COMPLETELY distracted by something else. Like , say, this.

"Narcoleptic Baby", shot on location at the Mouse House. 

Happy Winter!

Love, 

The (Aunt) Boo

(who will never be known as 'Aunt Boo', ever)