sunday food. serious food.

around here we take our food very seriously.
as you probably can tell.
but nothing rivals sunday.
sunday is our day for food.

when planning out our week we have theme days - which i am sure everyone does...what?? you don't?
c'est pas possible!
it's sad that it is a little predictable around here but it sure helps to plan the week!
monday - wild card night.
tuesday is always pasta.
wednesday you will most likely be greeted with a stirfry.
thursday is usually some kind of egg dish.
friday - pizza.
saturday is mostly something fun...burgers, ribs, steak, wiener roast or recipe testing {remember the onion ring fiesta??}.
but sunday. ahh sunday.
that's when the big guns come out - all day long.
that's when we have the all-out-sit-down traditional sunday night dinner.
with all the trimmings.
roast beef, roast chicken, beautiful fillet of fish. 
3 - 4 vegetable sides. a starchy side. a salad. a magnificent dessert. a whole day of planning for this one meal. so worth it and completely enjoyed.

Where I come from the meal is the result of reflection and study. Menus are prepared in advance, timed to perfection. It is said that without the culinary arts, the crudeness of reality would be unbearable.~leopold, movie: kate & leopold.

best of all - we have sunday breakfast.
i love sunday breakfast.
we try new things.
we perfect old favorites.
we go all out.
it always involves eggs, some kind of breakfast meat, fruit and something long the lines of my secret pancake recipe, pumpkin or regular waffles {pumpkin recipe soon} or french toast.
yum...french toast.

last sunday was no exception - the only change was i made a proper french toast. not french toast using up what is left in the bread box. i got the bread specially. i used real butter. a splash of cream. and of course, pure maple syrup.
i will, hopefully, never have any other french toast again.
ever.

best french toast ever.

{yep that's what i am calling it - straight to the point.}

i have always heard of using challah bread for this {a twisty egg bread} but never went that far in my commitment for this dish. i will now ALWAYS go this far in my commitment. this bread made it awesome - if you can find it get it. IF YOU FIND IT BY ACCIDENT, get it. i left it on the counter for a couple of days before throwing it in the freezer till needed - i had bought it the previous sunday. you always want your bread to have that day old feel but if frozen take it out the nigh before - you want it thawed. also in this house we have only skim milk and heavy cream on hand. therefore that's what's used here...you could always swap in half and half for ALL the dairy if you want. this recipe is a guideline - add more milk if you want, swap out the cinnamon in favour of traditional nutmeg. have fun with it!
also i tend to make the whole loaf as i have found popping them in the toaster a couple days later is a wonderful and unexpected week day treat.

1 large loaf challah bread. sliced.
6 eggs
1/2 cup skim milk {these are just guidelines - if you want it milkier please add more in..you won't wreck it!}
1/4 cup heavy cream {add more or less if you want!}
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
2 pads of butter
pure maple syrup {optional}
homemade raspberry preserves {optional}

heat a griddle or fry pan to medium. throw in butter and let melt.
whip together in a shallow bowl, or casserole dish, the eggs, dairy, vanilla and cinnamon. dunk your slices one at a time in the custard mix to coat completely then throw on your hot pan. repeat till pan is full. i always find the first dunked side of the bread has more cinnamon than the other so here i give the second side a dusting of cinnamon while the first sizzles away. check after one to two minutes then flip. cook on the other side then toss on a plate complete with bacon and strawberries. drizzle freely with maple syrup or spread with preserves.
**i always seem to run out of the mix three quarters of the way through the bread and feel i have to make a mix on the fly. do it. 4 eggs, splosh in some milk, a drip or so of cream, a tad of vanilla and a sprinkle of cinnamon. whisk quickly, as to make sure to not ignore what is currently going on on the stove, and start dunking your bread again. voila!