Lemon Blueberry French Toast

We had a chance of snow in Atlanta this weekend!!!  The govenor of Georgia declared a State of Emergency so we all raced to the grocery store to load up on supplies and prepare ourselves to be homebound for weeks.  Businesses and schools were closed - even the local outdoor snow area where they make manufacture "snow" was closed:
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"Snow Mountain will be closed tomorrow, Jan 7, due to snow. Yes, we are aware of the irony."

As you can see, we didn't get much snow.  Better to be overprepared than underprepared I guess.  AND now, I've got plenty of groceries for the weekend.    

I've never been able to figure out why people in the South buy up all of the milk and bread on the shelves when there's a possiblity of snow in the forecast.  Stock piling eggs and bread just never made any sense to me.  On the contrary, I was at the store this weekend loading up on beans and tomatoes for gigantic batches of chili to help us stay warm during "winter" weather.???

I've actually come up with a theory on this Southern bread and egg mystery though - I think it all comes down to French Toast.  I have a sneaky suspicion that Southern families stay home eating huge portions of delicious, piping hot French Toast during bad weather.  And why wouldn't they?  French toast is delicous and it tastes even better when you've got a long time to linger over breakfast while looking outside at the "snow". 

This weekend, we became true Southerners.  I bought chili ingredients AND a hearty supply of eggs and milk to bake plenty of Lemon Blueberry French Toast.  These Southerners are onto something.  It was sooo good.  Warm French Toast and a cup of coffee = cold weather breakfast perfection.

Lemon Blueberry French Toast
5 cups French Bread 
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
zest from 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup butter
3 Tablespoons brown sugar

Cube bread and place in greased baking dish. 

Combine eggs, sugar and cinnamon in mixer and whisk until light and frothy.  (About 10 minutes)

​Stir in milk, vanilla and lemon zest.  

Pour over bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Stir in fresh blueberries.

Stir together butter and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil and cook and stir until thickened.

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​Pour syrup over casserole.  

Bake 1 hour at 325. 

Best "snow" day breakfast ever!!  It may not have snowed very much here but I'm still putting my bread and eggs to good use.  Stay warm out there this weekend.  

Ciao!

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