bread pudding – Loving Food, Fashion, & Life

Loving Those Beignets

Posted on February 29, 2016 by LFFL

Traditional Beignets hand-rolled, flash fried, and dusted in powdered sugar.

I have to say, I’ve never even heard of a beignet before I came across this place and I certainly didn’t know how to pronounce it (ben-yay). But once I met the beignet, I was pretty happy we got to know each other.

They’re kind of like donuts with powdered sugar. But this place also has what they call ‘savory’ beignets, too, with several varieties of goodness on the inside of them depending on which kind you choose. I just happened to try ‘The Bronx’ beignet and I thought it was pretty good for a savory surprise.

Cornbread Pancakes & Bread Pudding

7-Cheese Macaroni

7-Cheese Grits with chicken & Savory Beignet with Italian sausage, ground beef, pepperoni & mozzarella; served with kettle chips & dipping aoili

I have to say, I did fall in love with the 7-cheese macaroni. How do you NOT love something that has 7 different cheeses inside of it?! I immersed my entire face into it. It was as if we became one.

But I wasn’t too fond of the bread pudding tho (probably because I’ve grown accustomed to the awesome bread pudding at my local diner).

Continue reading “Loving Those Beignets” →

A World Cup Watch Party

Posted on June 29, 2014 by LFFL

Bread Pudding topped with caramel sauce; served with vanilla ice cream.

Another World Cup gathering and, naturally, I couldn’t resist having some good food. I started with a chicken quesadilla which was crunchy amazing. I just love a crispy tortilla. Then I had to move on to dessert—bread pudding.

This bread pudding was so huge in comparison to the bread pudding I normally get from my hometown diner. It was wonderfully delicious and helped with my nerves while watching a close game.

USA vs. Germany game outdoors.

Marinated & grilled chicken, onions, pico de gallo, and pepper jack cheese in a crispy tortilla; served with salsa & sour cream.

USA vs. Germany game indoors.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, enjoy a good game with good food along with other rambunctious people.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Loads of good food can always help when your nerves are shot.

I Think I've Made Enough Trips To Cheddar's

Posted on December 21, 2013 by LFFL

I’ve made enough trips to Cheddar’s that I’m on a first-name basis with some of the crew. That’s how you know you’ve shown your face one too many times.

Enjoy the plethora of my visits.

Honey Butter Croissants

Chips with Spinach Dip & Queso

Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

Honey Butter Croissants, Chips with Queso & Spinach Dip, Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

I can never get enough of the honey butter croissants, that’s for sure. No matter what I order from the menu, I guarantee the honey butter croissants are making an appearance in my mouth at each visit.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Cornmeal Catfish with Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Monte Cristo with French Fries

Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger

Philly Cheesesteak with Honey Butter Croissant & Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cornmeal Catfish, Monte Cristo, Mushroom Swiss Cheeseburger, Philly Cheesesteak

Chicken & Waffles

Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken Fajita Quesadilla with Chicken Tortilla Soup

Grilled Chicken Alfredo with garlic bread

Chicken Tender Platter with Onion Rings & French Fries

Chicken & Waffles, Chicken Pot Pie, Chicken Fajita Quesadilla, Grilled Chicken Alfredo, Chicken Tender Platter

Shepherd’s Pie

Baked Spasagna with garlic bread

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Shepherd’s Pie, Baked Spasagna, Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

So, if you have nothing else to do today, take yourself to the nearest Cheddar’s and enjoy a feast of food along with the honey butter croissants.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Look at all the fun you can have when you work your way down the menu.

Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding

Posted on August 2, 2013 by LFFL

I’m prepping the ingredients here to add to the baking dish for this delightful Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding. Look at that mound of fresh cheese! I always throw in more cheese than what any recipe would call for. Who are we kidding?

Made with multi-grain bread, shallots, chopped garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, parmesan cheese, eggs, milk, salt & pepper.

This turned out to be a pretty good dish.

Recipe for—Tomato-Basil Bread Pudding

So, if you have nothing else to do today, try making this dish just because it’s so easy to do.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Always throw in extra cheese than what any recipe says to do. You can never go wrong.

Out Of Turkey They Say

Posted on June 25, 2013 by LFFL

Turkey Melt sandwich with sliced turkey, Swiss cheese, bacon, and sourdough bread.

Around 4:00pm yesterday, I phone-in a to-go/take-away order from my local hometown diner—“a turkey melt sandwich,” I say. Well, no such luck. They’ve been outta turkey all day! I guess the lunch rush earlier sucked for them since they couldn’t make most of their sandwiches or salads because their turkey was missing.

Well, the no-turkey-thing threw me for a loop. I didn’t have a backup plan and was freaking out—umm, umm, umm. I mean, how hard is it to just order something else? After about 10 ‘umms,’ I hurriedly tell them to just get me a tuna croissant instead. Yeah, they had tuna. Phew.

The guy taking my order asks if I want my ‘usual Monday bread pudding.’ (Man, they know me all too well.) But I clearly tell him ‘NO, not this time—just the sandwich.’ (I’ve no clue why I said NO, but I did.)

When I get to the diner right after 4:00—LOW AND BEHOLD—they get lashings of turkey coming through the back door. Yay! The guy that took my order rushes to the front line to halt the tuna order and they make my turkey melt instead.

I pay, he packs my to-go sack—and WHY does he give me a FREE BREAD PUDDING anyway?!! ROCK ON, DUDE! It was already made and sitting there when I walked in the door, but I thought it was for someone else. They just LOOOVVVE me there!! I go there way too much. Such are the perks of being a ‘regular’ customer—(and I’m really nice to them, too).

When I get to the car, I set everything up dining-table-style before pulling off. I open the box with my turkey melt inside and I’m sooooo disappointed. I hate when it doesn’t look like anything special. I mean, just LOOK AT IT! It wasn’t pimped out even a little like I thought it’d be.

I really could have made that puny sandwich much cheaper at home myself within 30 seconds. BUT—the free bread pudding made up for it. Clearly, I should have stuck with my 2nd option of the tuna croissant—which I happened to order today! See how much better it looks?

Tuna Croissant—tuna salad on a croissant.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, find a favorite diner you love, order up some good food, show your face on a regular, and get to know the workers. Call the servers by name, tell them yours, and tip well. They’re usually more than happy to bend over backwards for you. Always ‘get in good’ with them. You never know what kind of perks will come out of it.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Apparently, some sandwiches you should just make at home yourself.

Is It Strawberry Pie Season?!

Posted on June 17, 2013 by LFFL

Strawberry Pie with whipped cream lovin’.

So, what else is new? My car made its usual ‘pit-stop’ to the local diner where all my favorite eatins are—and look what I discovered! We’re in the midst of Strawberry Pie season at the diner.

I’ve never had the strawberry pie at my local diner before so I decided to try one on the advice of a friend. And weeeeellllll, doggie!! is all I can say. That pie and those strawberries were luschiously good!

Bread Pudding with caramel-flavored whipped cream, caramel, and cinnamon & sugar toppings.

As you can tell, it’s also Bread Pudding Monday. What else is new in that department? You know how I do this. I go in with the intent on getting one……..and I end up getting two. I couldn’t help myself. One for now, one for later is the plan—but the later never happens. So it’s, basically, two for now. Who are we kidding?

Warm it in the microwave, toss the caramel-flavored whipped cream on top of the bread pudding, drizzle the caramel on top of the whipped cream, and get-down with sprinkling that cinnamon-sugar goodness all over everything!

So, if you have nothing else to do today, find yourself a freshly made strawberry pie and enjoy it like nothing else.

Take-Away Life Lesson: There’s nothing wrong with having a strawberry pie/bread pudding combo day. You gotta do what you gotta do.

Your Car Is Not A Dining Table

Posted on March 25, 2013 by LFFL

For some reason, my car keeps making a pit stop at that wonderful hometown diner after I leave work each day. And by ‘pit stop’ I mean literally 10 miles out of my way in the opposite direction from the way I go home each day. But that’s neither here nor there.

This is Bread Pudding Monday and I’ve been craving a piece all day. So I plan to take one home with me to eat while I relax. Then I run inside and grab two for the road. How does that happen?

But I always need an extra one on hand because it’s a WHOLE 7 days before Monday hits again for that bread pudding. So I settle in the car, bread pudding in the bag next to me, and head home. I could smell it wafting through the car. I could practically taste it. So I had no other choice.

But just because you can’t wait to get home to eat your bread pudding to-go doesn’t mean you should set up a dining area in your car while driving like I did, people! Still searching for the one bite that fell off my fork and rolled God knows where.

Don’t try this anywhere, guys. I’m clearly a bad example.

So, if you have nothing else to do today, you’re more than welcome to help me look for that bite in my car—OR better yet, find a local hometown diner you can make a ‘pit stop’ at after work each day that’s 10 miles plus out of your way.

Take-Away Life Lesson: Eat the bread pudding AT the restaurant OR pull the car over, set up shop, and go to town on the bread pudding in a NON-moving vehicle as the other cars stare at you in disbelief (or jealousy, is what I think).