Make-Do Monday - Stale, Dry Bread - Baked French Toast

At Make-Do Mondays we discuss how we’re simplifying, downsizing, repurposing, buying used, and using what we’ve got.

It’s a carnival celebrating creative problem-solving, contentment, patience and ingenuity. To participate, share your own make-do solution in the comments or write up a Make-Do Mondays post at your blog, then return here to link via MckLinky. Enjoy others’ ideas by clicking on their link in the MckLinky list.





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Make-Do Monday with Shari this week is about what we call gross bread.  The store bought bread we love is called Grandma Sycamore's Bread, but it is also very expensive in my book.  
     At the grocery store it is about, $3.00 a loaf, however......... we usually buy it at the Day Old Bread Store for $0.80 a loaf.  And it is still moist and yummy.  (We do have to watch it so it doesn't mold or go yucky on us.)  


     I was just checking in the grocery ad and bread is advertised for 3/$5.00 or 1.99 a loaf depending what brand you get.  Most of the time you can find the store's brand bread for near $1.00 give or take a few pennies.


    I sent Hubby to the store the other day for some Wal-Mart brand bread- Great Value.  He came home with the cheapest bread Old Timey, just under a dollar.  I was after the Great Value bread at $1.29 which is a moister bread than the Old Timey. 
    Wal-Mart is much closer than the bread store and we were not going anywhere near the bread store and so a few extra cents at Wal-Mart is cheaper than driving to the Bread store as a special trip.


    Boy is that a long story.  Anyway he came back with 4 loaves of the very dry gross bread.  Doable, but not what our home dwellers like to make their sandwiches on. 
     So after making all the sandwiches I could, by toasting the bread a little first for PB&J, Tuna or Chicken or making toasted cheese sandwiches it was time to come up with another use of this bread.  
    This bread is perfect for strata as it is already pretty dry.  And since my family loves strata, we have made several stratas this past week.  
    I rarely use a recipe any more,  I just put in it what I have- fresh ingredients like veggies, sausage and bacon or leftovers of meat and veggies.  I also grab things from my freezer and pantry and add them.

    The plain French Bread Strata I made for breakfast one morning smelled totally delish as it baked away in the oven.
    To make this strata I just took some eggs, milk, pinch of salt, some cinnamon, and whisked them altogether.  Then I broke up the dry bread into chunks and mixed them into the egg mixture.  Next I poured the mixture into a pan that I had greased with bacon grease.
    Next I drizzled the top with Maple syrup- ours was syrup with cinnamon.  I baked it at 375degrees for about 45 mins, I think, I was watching it until it was firm and browned.  Ohhhhh....... it smelled awesome!!

     I think I could have put some syrup in the original egg mixture, but it did turn out fine.  

   I did drizzle some syrup and a little butter on for serving and at that point, I felt that it was sweet enough.  
     Everyone said it was good and I agree.  It sure was nice to use up the bread, but I think I have a loaf  still lingering around!  So I guess we will have some kind of strata for dinner soon!

Have a wonderful week.  See you soon..................

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