SWEET SUNDAY

While it's still a little winter'esk outside, I figured now's a good time for a little Bread Pudding action. Bread Pudding brings me to a very nostalgic place. A very smiley, warm and fuzzy place. Back when I was dating Dave - my husband of 7.5 years - and living in Seattle, WA we always seemed to detour to Blue Water Bistro (one of our all time favorite Seattle restaurants) to get our Bread Pudding fix. It was always about 1:30 AM and we'd sit at a small bistro table in the bar with the candles illuminating our mound of mouthwatering bread pudding smothered in warm caramel sauce and whip cream. We'd sit laughing about the night and talking about the future. I never wanted those nights to end.

As the years past and we moved away, I really started to miss our romantic, late night rendezvous with the Bread Pudding. So I pulled up this Bread Pudding recipe on AllRecipes.com and instantly fell in love all over again. What I love about Bread Pudding is you can serve it as a dessert but also pairs well with a morning cup of Joe.

~BREAD PUDDING~

Ingredients:
6 slices french bread (I personally like to use Pepperidge Farms Cinnamon Swirl Bread)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
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 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Note: Double the recipe and layer in a 13x9 inch dish. If you want to cut out some calories/fat, use fat free milk and egg substitute. Drizzle the top with caramel and a dollop of whip cream for extra umph.

Nutritional Information~
Servings Per Recipe: 12 (if made in 8 inch pan)
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 165
Total Fat: 4.8g
Cholesterol: 79mg
Sodium: 140mg
Total Carbs: 26.5g
Dietary Fiber: 0.7g
Protein: 4.6g

I hope this ends your weekend on a sweet note! xo