Hello French Toast

Being in class for the last three weeks has been a wonderful and incredibly worthwhile experience, but it has kept me from Yankee Belle, specifically my summer food series. Tonight my attempt at cooking returned.

Last night Chad and a couple buddies traveled to his parent's house in the Blue Ridge mountains to wake up to a very early, yet peaceful, morning of fishing. Not my kind of fun, but the boys seemed to have a great time! When Chad returned home he was pretty tired. As he caught up on some sleep I decided to make breakfast for dinner-an easy fix, but for some reason I got caught up on the French toast. French toast! Who gets caught up on French toast? Well, the French toast is certainly not blog worthy, but it did ignite a curiosity in me for creative and savory French toast recipes. Here are a few scrumptious looking ones I dug up.

French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote sounds so, so delicious.

The Best French Toast You'll Ever Have by James from Bluebird Vintage

Texas Toast Style

A different spin on a classic: French Toast Muffins

Cannoli French Toast  takes notes from an Italian pastry staple

An indulgent Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast recipe

Emma and Elsie from A Beautiful Mess weigh in with Baked French Toast Sticks

White Knuckles

This evening, Chad and I (mainly Chad) put together baby girl's crib. Chad doesn't know it, but at one point I fought back tears caused by the sheer joy of our girl's anticipated arrival. It all seems more real today than yesterday. And tomorrow even more, I'm sure. The most amazing part of it all is that no one has met her, yet she is already very loved.

Over the past few months I have spent much leisure time reading any seemingly worthwhile pregnancy and parenting book. With some pages I laughed, some I'm certain I forgot, while others I vowed to disregard in lieu of the ones filled with theories I'm clinging to and, already, have proclaimed to practice as religiously as my own faith. Here's the catch. As valuable as any good sleep training theory worthy of a white knuckle grasp is, the relationships with the vast amount of Godly women-wives and mothers-that the Lord has placed in my life are worth ten thousand times more.

In addition to a regular young mothers' group I attend, last night I took up a friend's invitation to join some Journey Church women as they listened to a (grand)mother share her stories of marriage and parenting at the best French bakery in town. It was in that moment, the moment shared with a chocolate raspberry tart and chai tea latte, soaking up her instruction that I realized the pages I cling to pale in comparison to God's wisdom. I will become the fully equipped mother I am meant to be when I hold on tightly-white knuckle tight-to the wisdom that is revealed when I am on my knees in prayer, surrendering in worship, and humbling myself in the company of mothers who have gone before me and whose children call her blessed.

This is the love that I was talking about. Sure, the women in my life love me, but their willingness to help equip me with the nuances of raising Godly children is the very essence of loving on my baby girl. So, thank you, ladies. Your love is so very gratefully accepted.