Golden Bread Pudding

Ingredients
4 beaten eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
4 cups dry French bread cubes*
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted walnuts*
1 recipe Caramel Sauce or Bourbon Sauce (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl beat together eggs, milk, half-and-half, brown sugar, vanilla, lemon peel and cardamom. In an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish toss together bread cubes, walnuts and dried fruit; pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture. Press lightly with back of large spoon to moisten all bread.

Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes or until puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. If desired, serve warm with Caramel Sauce or Bourbon Sauce. Makes 8 servings

*To dry bread, start with fresh bread cubes; place in a large shallow baking pan and bake in a 350°F oven about 10 minutes, stirring twice. Walnuts may be toasted at the same temperature for 8-10 minutes.

Book Club Menu*

Entree: Grilled soy shark skewers with mango salsa and jasmine rice. Spinach, strawberry and blue cheese salad.
Dessert: Maple walnut sundaes with vanilla bean ice cream and shortbread cookies.
Drinks: White wine sangria, mint iced tea, cranberry-lime seltzer.

Book read/movie watched: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

*Ask me for recipes if desired.

Fire Ants on a Log

1 stalk celery, cut into 3-4" sections
3 tbsp peanut butter or Nutella
15 dried cranberries

You know what to do.

Apple-Blackberry Brown Betty

1 baking apple, peeled, cored and sliced
1 pint (2 cups) blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cardamom
2 tbsp butter
3 cups stale French, Italian, what-have-you bread, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 375°. Stir sugar, flour, cardamom and then add apple slices and 1 cup of bread cubes. Gently fold in blackberries till all are coated. Pour filling into 1.5 quart baking dish. Melt butter and pour over remaining two cups of bread cubes, tossing to coat. Bake for 30 minutes until fruit is soft. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves four.