A Year in the Making, day 290

Technically day 289, since I finished this last night, but don't want to mess up my numbering system. I'd previously taken a pink parasol and embellished it with black trim and lace. That one sold last month, and I miss it. But instead of doing another pink and black one, I decided I'd try my hand at doing a black one with pink embellishments!

Black and Pink Gothic EGL Lolita Parasol



This is the first parasol I've made that I could actually reproduce, as the materials are all very straightforward.

Also last night, I prepped today's dinner, a savory bread pudding, the husband's request for father's day dinner. He'd bought a loaf of good french bread for sandwiches last week, but my food poisoning completely threw meal planning out the window, so the loaf had gotten rather crunchy. No problem, though, that made it just perfect for baking.

Savory bread pudding:

1 loaf french bread, cut into ~1" medallions
8 eggs
3 cups milk (or 1 cup cream or half and half plus 2 cups milk)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped ham (optional)

Beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper together. Pour over bread in mixing bowl, cover, and refrigerate overnight, turning at least once.

In the morning, mix in cheese and ham, reserving about 1/8 cup cheese. Preheat oven to 400.

Butter an 8x8 casserole dish. Press bread mixture into dish and cover with foil.

Bake for 30 minutes, uncover and sprinkle with reserved cheese. Cook an additional ~10 minutes, till cheese bubbles and starts to brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 2" squares and serve.