Warm Bread Pudding

I was sitting at my computer at the kitchen island, I glanced up and saw some rolls just sitting in the bread basket and all of a sudden I thought, bread pudding sounds really good right now.  So, I pulled out all of the ingredients and got to work!

                                   
 This recipe is quick, easy and perfect for that cold winter night!

WHAT YOU NEED:

8 inch square pan

2-3 cups day old rolls or bread

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup raisins 

7 eggs, beaten

2 cups milk

1 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2.       Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If     desired, sprinkle with raisins.

3.       In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.

4.      Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Strolling down Ornament Memory Lane

After the busy Thanksgiving weekend, Nutcracker practices and end of year school projects we can finally sitting back and enjoying all of the Christmas decorations that have been up for a few weeks.  I love to unpack each of the plastic bins holding the many ornaments that we have collected over the years. Some are as old as we are (past down from our parents) other have been collected in the many cities we've lived in over the years and some are the ones we have given to our children.

Our family tradition for the last 22 years has been to exchange ornaments every Christmas morning, needless to say, we have a lot of them.  Each of the ornaments has a sweet memory and story to go along with it. Here are a few of my fav's!  What story does your tree have to tell?  ~ Jo Ann