Thursday, November 15, 2012

Foodie Friday

Baked Banana & Pecan Nut French Toast Kebabs



When I went to the U.S.A to work at a Summer Camp they used to make amazing french toast for breakfast that had a sweet vanilla/cinnamon flavour. I loved them! In fact, when I arrived at the airport back in South Africa- my whole family could see "just how much" I loved them!

I've never been able to get hold of the Summer Camp Recipe - so the recipe you see below is my own take on it. I've made it even more amazing by adding Baked Banana, Pecan Nuts & a delicious toffee sauce. Then I stuck it all on a kebab coz kebabs are cool! So if you ever need to make breakfast finger-food- this will be a winner!

I made it for Gaz for breakfast- and I think he felt like a very lucky guy! French Toast Kebabs served with a filter coffee, and some fresh strawberries and cream on the side. It sounds delicious doesn't it? Well it is! So go on...it's FRIDAY, throw your diet out the window and have a treat- you deserve it!

What You Need:
  • A big knob of butter (For Frying and For the Sauce)
  • A large handful of Chopped Pecan Nuts
  • 1 French Loaf
  • 1 Cup of Full Cream Milk
  • 1 Teaspoon of Cinnamon
  • 1/2 Teaspoon of Vanilla Essence
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3 Bananas
  • 1 Cup of Muscavado Sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
  • A Dash of Milk or Cream for the Sauce (About 1/4 Cup)
  • Kebab Sticks
  • Strawberries and Whipped Cream to Serve
FOR THE FRENCH TOAST KEBABS

  • Preheat your oven to 180 Degrees (C) and bake your bananas on a greased baking tray for 15 minutes
  • Cut the french loaf into thick chunks
  • Whisk together the 3 eggs, 1 Cup Milk, Cinnamon and Vanilla Essence in a bowl
  • Dip each chunk into the batter and fry in a pan a little butter until each side is golden.
FOR THE SAUCE
  • Combine the Muscavado Sugar, Syrup, Butter (A Thin Slice) and Cream in a Sauce Pan
  • Bring to the heat and continously stir until all the sugar has dissolved
  • Throw in your chopped pecan nuts
  • Allow the mixture to reach boiling point and then quickly remove from the heat
PRESENTATION
  • Put alternating chunks of french toast and baked banana onto the kebab sticks
  • Pour the warm toffee sauce over the kebabs
  • Serve with strawberries and whipped cream on the side and...VIOLA!


Happy Happy Weekend All!

Love Abz



Monday, November 12, 2012

Darling Decor

Weathered & Distressed Decor- Be Inspired!

Following on from my recent post about DIY Weathering & Distressing (View it here) I thought I would provide you with a little inspiration on the topic to show you just how much you can do with this look. Who would've thought that scratching, sanding, chipping and battering objects could look so beautiful. I just love these images... it makes me want to paint and sand EVERYTHING! Have a peek and let these pics be your muse ...

White Washed & Weathered Cafe Style Table & Chair

You can see that they have done ALOT of work on this server- different layers of paint create a textured look. And BONUS POINTS for the gigantic lantern...LOVE!

Weathered Arch Mirrors

This is a good look too- keep the top dark and only make changes to the bottom of the piece.

So original- an old train station bench/church pew weathered and put in an entrance hall. So simple, so creative and just stunning! Anyone have a spare church pew lying around for me?  ;)

Weathered Shutters.

Weathered look combined with a glamorous chandelier. Works!

French blues & greys work beautifully on weathered antique pieces. I have to try this sometime- watch this space! And it just proves that you don't always have to go for traditional colours to still create a classic look.
Have a blessed week! Love Abz



(Images Sourced From: Pinterest; Paintmewhite; Brookegiannetti; Eclectic Revisited; CDN.Indulgy.com)