Pumpkin French Toast Casserole

Want to know a little secret about me?  I love Hobby Lobby.  It's my favorite place to go on my lunch break because I can just walk around, look at all the fun stuff, and disappear into creative-ville.  They already have all of their Fall and Christmas stuff out, which is awesome because my favorite time of year is approaching...Fall and then CHRISTMAS!!!!  :)  Seeing all of the Fall decorations got my wheels turning, and I decided to experiment with a Fall-ish recipe.  I've never made a baked french toast anything so I figured I'd give it a shot, and I was surprised at how good it turned out!  Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:

 

• 12 slices Nature's Own 50 calorie per slice sourdough bread

• 305g (about 1 cup) canned pumpkin

• 3 egg whites

• 3 whole eggs

• 10 stevia packets

• 1 tbsp. cinnamon

• 1/2 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice

• 1 tbsp. vanilla extract

• 50g slivered almonds

• 12 oz. reduced sugar vanilla almond milk

• 4 slices maple turkey bacon

 

 

 

Once I got all my ingredients together, I started with the bacon.  I preheated the oven to 400 degrees, and put 4 pieces onto a cookie sheet lined with foil.  I let them cook for about 20 minutes, and some of the corners burned but that's okay.  Once they were cooked, I laid them on a paper towel then chopped them up into squares.  I let them cool then put them in a ziplock bag and into the fridge.

 

 

Next, I chopped the bread into squares.  I let it sit out for a little while so it would get a little bit stale. 

 

 

 

Then, I put all the bread into a nonstick 9x13 baking dish.  I made sure the bottom was covered, then just spread the rest out evenly.

 

 

 

After that, I topped it with the slivered almonds.

 

 

 

Next, I dumped the pumpkin, egg whites, eggs, stevia, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, almond milk, and vanilla extract into a bowl.

 

 

 

Once I had it blended together, I poured it on top of the bread (check out that action shot)!

 

 

 

Then, I spread it out with a spatula and gently pressed it down into the bread.

 

 

 

Next, I covered it up with foil and let it sit in the fridge for about 8 hours.

 

 

I took it out of the fridge, unwrapped it, and topped it with the bacon that I had previously cooked.

 

 

 

I put it in a 350 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, and it came out like this (don't mind the messed up corner - I was making sure it was cooked).   :)

 

 

 

I cut it into 6 servings, grabbed a piece, topped it with some low calorie/low sugar maple syrup and chowed down.

 

 

 

The almonds add in a crunch, and the bacon (yes I burned it, oops) adds in some salty with the sweet...so yummy!  I loved it, my hubby loved it, and I will definitely be making this again!  This is one of those dishes you can throw together the night before and bake in the morning while you are getting ready...and who doesn't love a hot breakfast?  :)

 

 

Here's the nutritional breakdown per serving (makes 6 servings):

• Calories:  264

• Protein:  18

• Carbs:  35

• Fat:  9

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Decisions

Last week, my hubs and I got up and went to church.  I learned so much from the sermon that I want to share it.  That being said, if you don't want to read this post for that reason - I will take no offense and hope you have a great day!  :)
 
So, the preacher (Bryan) started the sermon by showing a video clip.  It had a few scenes in it, but what stuck out the most was when they showed a tombstone and said "Your life is just a dash between dates."  That totally stuck with me because it's true. 
 
The year 2013 was the most difficult year of my life.  I lost 3 loved ones within a matter of months, and it still hurts to think about it.  When I saw the videoclip of a tombstone on the screen, I couldn't help but think about all of my loved ones who have passed.  At the end of the day, what the video said was right...just a dash between dates.
 
Once the video was over, and the preacher was a good ways into the sermon - I realized that what he was saying can apply to lots of things, especially health and fitness.  So, that's why I'm sharing.  :)
 
The topic of the sermon was about making decisions...how they affect your life, the lives of those around you, and your future.  In order to make the best decision, there are 4 things you should always ask yourself:

1. Would I want everyone to know?
2. Will it make me a better person?
3. Could it become addictive?
4. Will it harm other people?

...Would you want your coach to know you skipped reps at the end of boot camp?  Will that piece of chocolate cake or can of frosting truly make you better?  Do you have to have that glass of wine at the end of work to de-stress? 
 
I know I've said this before, but yall...life is shorter than you think. It's so easy to get caught up in things that don't matter that you can lose sight of that. That's why it's important to live a life that you are proud of, make the most of every opportunity, and chase your dreams. I've been asked before, "How do you stay so determined? Where do you get your drive?" - and it all boils down to: life is short. Yes, I certainly have my "off" days and make mistakes, but I have a will to succeed in life. I want to be the best version of ME so that I can accomplish my dreams - be a Mom one day (no, not any day soon), run a successful business, be able to do fun things with my hubby when I'm gray-headed, and be confident.
 
Some of you may have already seen the pictures below, but I'm posting it on here for those of you who don't have Facebook (ahem...Kim!) and so you can see the difference between these two girls. 
 
On the left:  completely CLUELESS about how to eat and workout...fake smile...uncomfortable...not really happy on the inside...would have never dreamed of wearing spandex pants or eating green vegetables

On the right:  strong...knowledgeable about food and fitness...confident...happy...ambitious...a fighter

My road to getting healthy and fit has been everything but perfect...I've flat out quit, lost, gained, succeeded, failed...but ya know what?  We all start somewhere.  All those little decisions along the way that you think don't really matter...DO!  Am I where I want to be yet?  No, but I'm a heck of a lot closer than I've ever been, and I've gotten to this point one step at a time.

Are you happy with the person you see in the mirror every day, or do you wish you were different? Do you truly like who you are? Do you feel like you are getting the most out of life? If not...stop wasting your own time and do something about it!!   Right NOW!   Start making some decisions to improve your life instead of wishing it away.  You are the only person who can change yourself, so don't wait around on some magical moment or some person to come do it for you. Get up and go!  Start each day with a goal to improve, then finish strong. If you fall down, get back up. Never give up on what you truly want out of life. Make the best decisions you can, make your life count, and enjoy the ride! 

"What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." -James 4:14