Brittany's 13th Birthday

Brittany turned 13 yesterday and Steve celebrated his birthday today. Now, as Britt loves to remind me, we have two teenage girls in the house!

Yesterday to celebrate both birthday's we had a birthday brunch. My Mom, Grandmother, Grandfather and Brianne's boyfriend came to help us celebrate. Last year we had a BBQ out on our deck, but this year's weather suited an indoor brunch, it was cold and wet!

For brunch I served a hashbrown casserole( a family favourite), a frittata, bacon, sausage, back bacon, fruit, feta salad( another family favourite), chocolate chip muffins, cornmeal muffins, fantasy french toast(from Heather at Younique), peanut butter and jam mousse(also from Heather at Younique) and apple strudel(a favourite from Norris Bakery). For dessert we had cupcake bites, black forest cake and cheesecake.

Brianne made her favourites, the muffins and the hashbrown casserole and, as requested by Brittany, Mom made the Black Forest Cake . I, of course, tried some new recipes including the french toast, the mousse, the frittata, the cupcakes(from Bakerella) and the marbled chocolate cheesecake. I especially enjoyed the frittata and everyone liked the mousse,but then the black forest cake was yummy too! I also served some yummy Strawberry Sparklers from the Divine Domesticity blog, a mimosa with a strawberry twist! A couple of recipes will be posted below and do click the links to see the others!

I set the table with some Martha Stewart table accessories I found on sale at Michaels and also added some treat boxes created with a Making Memories kit(also found on sale). I used the birthday celebration as an excuse to get some fresh flowers from the market, who doesn't like gerbera's, roses and lilies!?

Brittany liked all of her presents, Alex Rider books, jewelry, a CD, some money, a SIMS 2 add on, a movie and roller blades. Steve liked his multitude of Golftown gift certificates and received one for the liquor store too!

After the very filling brunch and cake, we all relaxed and chatted, it was a good day to visit indoors.

The Recipes:

Fantasy French Toast
1 large baguette
2 Caramilk chocolate bar broken into squares
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tblsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¾ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
3 tblsp melted butter
Chocolate sauce (optional)
1 tblsp finely grated orange peel
Icing sugar (optional)

Slice baguette into 1 ½ inch thick rounds. Using a serrated knife, cut through the middle of bottom crusty side of each round to make a slit large enough to hold a square of chocolate. Widen slits and tuck a piece of chocolate into each. Place in a 9 x 13 dish bunching close together to fit.

In a bowl whisk eggs and milk, sugars, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Pour over bread. Turn bread over to soak up more egg mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Brush a large wide baking sheet generously with melted butter. Leaving space between each piece, place soaked bread slices on baking sheet. Bake in centre of over for 8 minutes. Remove from over. Brush tops of bread with remaining melted butter, then turn slices over. Continue to bake until crusty and deep golden. 8 to 10 more minutes. Place toasts on plates. Drizzle with chocolate sauce, sprinkle with peel and icing sugar.

Makes app 14 pieces.

Peanut Butter and Jelly “Moose”
1 x 8 oz package cream cheese
1 cup icing sugar
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup strawberry jam or jelly
8 strawberries, hulled and sliced

Using food processor whip together the cream cheese, icing sugar, peanut butter and ¼ cup of the half and half.
Slowly pour in the remaining ¼ cup of half and half and mix again.

In a separate bowl whip the whipping cream until it thickens to sof peaks.

Fold the whipping cream into the peanut butter mixture.

Stir the jam or jelly until it is spoonable.

Layer 1 spoon of the jelly and 2 spoons of the p.b. mixture in dish and add strawberries wherever you like.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight until cold and firm.