Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays

Hope  you are having a wonderful day and that you are spending it with loved ones.  Christmas to me is all about being with the people you care about, whether they are related to you or not, and remembering what truly matters in life.  Not presents, not religion, not trees and not decorations.  What truly matters to me is being with the people I love and who love me in return.  I have a wonderful family and I love them each to bits and pieces.  My life would be empty and meaningless without them.  They are what makes this day so special.

We had a first timer in our house this morning.  Our baby girl got to experience her first Christmas.  She's at a great age for it, too.  Seven months and getting into everything.  She loves to grab and tear paper so you know she had a ball.

This was the year for handmade gifts.  I didn't plan it that way, it just worked out like that.  I made our oldest daughter a blanket to match her newly painted bedroom and I made a shawl for my kids' great grandma.  I also made a blanket for my Dad in Kansas.  How I found time to do all that is still a mystery to me.  Must have had something to do with all those late nights of Netflix and crocheting.

For breakfast today I wanted something really easy but still homemade.  I found this recipe using the Allrecipes Dinner Spinner app on my tablet.  That is one of my all-time favorite apps and I'll play with it even when I'm bored or need to entertain the baby.

Charleston Breakfast Casserole

12 slices bacon
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 cups or 1 (10 oz.bag) croutons (any cheese variety will work, I used Caesar)
6 eggs
1 3/4 cup milk
1 sweet bell pepper, diced (optional)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
S & P, to taste
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese

Cook bacon until done but still chewy.  It will continue to crisp in the oven later.  Drain of excess fat and dice.  Set aside.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Add croutons and pour melted butter evenly over top.  Sprinkle with half the cheese.

In a bowl beat together eggs, milk, mustard, salt and black pepper.  Stir in peppers and onions.  Pour mixture over top of the croutons.

Cover the baking dish and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle with remaining cheese and the bacon.

Place in oven and bake for 40-50 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool about 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Click HERE for a printable version of this recipe.

This recipe worked out great.  I was able to mix it up the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight.  When we all got up in the morning I put it in the oven while we opened gifts.  It was hot and ready by the time we were done.  So easy and so delicious.

Hope you had a wonderful day full of love and the warmth of family.