Freedom and Blueberries

Happy July 4th!  I hope that everyone has had a great day!  I came home from call and took a nap and then just relaxed at home.  I have a recipe for blueberry bread pudding to share,

 but first Eat. Live. Be.  Today for Eat. Live. Be. we are supposed to talk about what we can't live without.  There are a lot of things I could think of to say but, in reality, I could live without them.  Today we celebrate the freedom that we enjoy in our country, and I am SO thankful and blessed to be living here, for the freedom we have, and for those who serve to protect that freedom.  But there is a greater freedom that I am more thankful for...that I could not live without, that is the freedom from sin that we are given through Jesus Christ if we but believe that He is our only hope.  Yes, this is a great country and we are given many freedoms, but all of us sin. The cost of that, in the end, is death.  However, through the sacrifice Jesus offerred to ALL of us on the cross with His death, we can experience freedom from the cost of sin and have LIFE!  It doesn't come from anything I can do or you can do; that's not enough!  Freedom come through believing that Jesus lives and gave Himself so that we can live. 

A week ago, we had a going away party for one of my dear friends who is going to spend the next two years in Africa sharing that gift of life and freedom.  I will miss her SO much! 

As odd as it sounds...we had a fiesta for her (before going to Africa); but, she teaches Spanish, so it was appropriate!  I took a bean and avacado salad that was pretty good, but ended up getting a little grainy overnight.  I guess the dressing didn't work well with the beans; I think they burst open leading to the graininess.  BUT, in honor of our country's birthday I share with you the dessert that I took.  I had a lot of blueberries leftover from a visit to Sam's Club and decided to use them in a yummy blueberry bread pudding by Emeril. 

I have never made bread pudding in dessert form and decided that this was the perfect opportunity.  It turned out great!  I left with an empty dish...which is how I like it.  I was surprised how quickly it came together.  I only let it soak for an hour.  Most recipes I've seen have called for an overnight soak. 

The only thing that I noticed was that I could not tell there were white chocolate chips in the pudding.  They just melted into the dessert.  I feel like a white chocoalte sauce might have been better. All in all, though, it was great!  This is my entry for Lisa's Sweets for a Saturday.

Blueberry Bread Pudding adapted from Emeril Lagasse from Food Network
4 large eggs
1 cups half and half
3 cups milk
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes day-old bread
6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries

Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the cream, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Add the bread, chocolate, blueberries, and dried blueberries and stir well, then mix in the melted butter. Let sit for 30 minutes (I did it for an hours) so the bread will absorb the egg mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter or spray a 10X14 baking dish.  Pour into the prepared dish. Bake until firm when pressed in the center, about 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack until just warm, about 20 minutes.  Enjoy!

Sarah Caron - http://www.sarahscucinabella.com/
•Cate O’Malley - http://www.sweetnicks.com/
•Chris Arpante - http://www.melecotte.com/
•Patsy - http://familyfriendsandfood.blogspot.com/
Joanne - http://www.joanne-eatswellwithothers.com/
Tri-Fit Mom - http://trifitmom.blogspot.com/
•Allison - http://sweetflours.blogspot.com/
Jen - http://njepicurean.blogspot.com/
•Leslie - http://www.thehungryhousewife.com/
•Rivki Locker - http://www.healthyeatingforordinarypeople.com/
•Jennifer Schulz - http://lick-a-plate.blogspot.com/
•Sarah Rogers - http://sarahssweetcreations.blogspot.com/
Denise and Lenny - http://www.chezus.com/