Is anyone still out there? I’m terribly embarrassed at how long it’s been. I promise that my family has still been well fed. We finished out the CSA season, and even bought (and used) our farm’s two winter “storage boxes” in November and December, despite not having been here to host any holidays this winter. As I enter the third trimester of pregnancy, I still have plenty of days where I feel sick, but there aren’t nearly as many of those as there were in the first trimester.
I bought the newest Barefoot Contessa cookbook, of course: How Easy Is That? (The answer may or may not turn out to be: Not all that easy, Ina.)
The first recipe I made from it was French Toast Bread Pudding.
It did not disappoint. It would be especially good for a holiday morning or brunch party because it can be assembled ahead of time, and it doesn’t leave the host in the kitchen, flipping individual french toast slices. Of course, it’s been a great winter for french toast, which I’ve come to understand is the traditional food for snow days. I suppose that’s because people stock up on bread and milk when a big snow storm is coming, and then they need a way to use it up. We had the snowiest December in recorded history here in Minnesota, so I suppose it’s only appropriate that we started the winter with this tasty treat.
Like so many other things, I’ve never used a recipe for French Toast. My mom made it on Saturday mornings when we had surplus milk, eggs, and bread to use up. When making it for a crowd, I’ve made 
