Sunday Brunch: Breakfast Casserole

Good morning! It has been a while since I have shared a Sunday Brunch recipe, but this casserole made with eggs, cheese, bread and sausage is by far the favorite in our house for brunch parties or just your typical lazy Sunday morning! The best part about this recipe is that it is super easy and you can easily change it up by adding in any of your favorite breakfast ingredients.
You will need:

*You can make this vegetarian by nixing the sausage and replacing with some chopped peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc. The recipe tastes best if you prepare it the night before to allow all of the flavors to soak together and then bake it in the morning.

Brown the breakfast sausage in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. Cut the bread into cubes and bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes or until toasted. While those are cooking, mix together the eggs, cheese, cream, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Once the sausage and bread are done, add them to the bowl and mix all together until the bread is covered with egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight. 

The next morning, pour mixture into a baking dish and bake covered on 350 degrees for about 30-40 minutes or until the casserole is set. Makes about 8-10 servings. 

Enjoy! 

The Making of a Bachelorette Party Cake

I loooove to bake and have a serious weakness when it comes to desserts or any kind of baked good! I have recently tried my hand at cake decorating - we're talking fondant, sculpting, the whole shebang. It's almost embarassing how much time I have spent in the cake deocrating section of Sir La Table oohing and aahing over all of the fun tools that I definitely do not have room for in my kitchen. I have only experimented with fondant a few times before, but for the bachelorette party I went to a few weekends ago, I tried something a little crazy. I brought this guy with me to our little shindig...a man made of cake! (Well, part of a man). Some pretty strange things pop up on your computer screen when googling "man torso cake"...so after some awkward moments at work, I kind of just winged it. Made out of fun fetti with chocolate muscles and vanilla buttercream frosting, this guy was a pretty delicious hit!

Some great places for baking inspiration and delicious recipes - Bakerella, Cupcakes Take The Cake and the Hello Cupcake book.

The Perfect Pair

Bananas met peanut butter and it was love at first sight. Well, that is how it went down in my kitchen at least, where the two lived happily ever after. This is one of my favorite snacks and the combo is just so amazingly delicious (and healthy to boot!). Served up on toast, rolled in tortillas, simply sliced or the ultimate confectionery treat - banana bread with peanut butter icing! Any way you work it, you really can't go wrong!

It's 5 o'clock somewhere!

I am a dirty martini girl through and through, no doubt about it. My usual go to: a Greygoose martini, extra dirty with blue cheese stuffed olives. With the exception of the requisite pina colada on the beach, I am not typically one for sweet drinks. I don't like soda and I usually dilute juice with water, but I recently had the most delicious (sweet!) cocktail and I am obsessed! This new found concoction happens to include St. Germain elderflower liquor and pineapple juice, my fave. Introducing the Buttles Bohemian...The perfect not-too-sweet cocktail! 

As far as cocktails go,  a summertime favorite of mine is homemade fruit infused vodka. Infusing vodka is super easy and  you can pretty much create any flavor combination from melon to berries to cucumbers to cinnamon and I have even seen it done with bacon! (Weird or awesome?). Naturally infused vodka is so light and delicious! It tastes nothing like sugary store bought flavored vodkas which use artificial flavoring and sweetener. Add a cute bottle and some ribbon and it makes the perfect hostess gift for all of those summertime parties!

You can find complete instructions for making your own infused vodka here! 

Mint Chocolate Dessert

Minty frosting met a chocolate brownie, was smothered in chocolate and it was love at first bite! This chocolaty treat is a delicious mint chocolate party in your mouth and is super easy to whip up. Like any good dessert it is chock full of butter, so not exactly bikini body friendly, but oh so worth it!

Melted chocolate...

Mint frosting...

Amazingness!

Get the recipe here...and enjoy!

Sunday Brunch: Lemon Avocado Toast

Yum! I had this delicious dish at Cafe Gitane the last time I was in New York and it has quickly become one of my go-to favorites to make at home. Thick crusty slices of whole wheat bread toasted, 1/2 of an avocado smashed on each slice, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt and crushed red pepper.  Pair this baby with  some cheesy scrambled eggs and a mimosa and you have yourself a perfect little brunch!