Life is grand.
Yes, I know… I’m cheesy.
Really though. In the past few days there’s been so much good. I took Vegas for her first ever (?!) mani-pedi: 
We had some crazy-good French Toast. Not to brag… but I made it. #sorryimnotsorry Don’t take my word for it! Vegas declared it “fabulous.”
Local sourdough bread, vanilla, a little sugar, a little booze… it was grand with the Grand Marnier. It was a marvelously decadent breakfast. Reminiscent of creme brûlée. Recipe at the bottom of post. 
THEN Lucie arrived from Switzerland!
She landed Friday morning. I picked her up and brought her over to meet Vegas and we had a wonderful lunch. I made Meghan’s Artichoke, Cheese, & White Bean Dip. You should make it too. So friggin’ delicious. 
Of course, we had to practice our twerking go to the gym. Lucie kicked my ass with a cardio-intense workout. I was a sweaty hot mess by the end!
Not too sweaty to have a quick photo shoot though. You may remember last year’s twerk session in Switzerland. 
More to come… we’ll be hanging in San Diego for a few weeks! And we mayyyyy have a couple of special visitors.
Grand Vanilla French Toast
- 2 eggs
- 4 T egg whites
- 2 tsp honey
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 C half and half
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 T Grand Marnier
- 4 slices sourdough bread
In a shallow bowl, beat together first 7 ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
Soak bread for 30 seconds on each side, pressing down firmly to saturate. Cook on a greased hot pan until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 3-4 mins each side.
Serve with syrup and fresh berries.
Makes: 2 servings.
***
I’m looking forward to a marvelous few weeks with Lucie. Any suggestions for American things we should eat/buy?
How old were you when you got your first mani/pedi?
What’s your favorite way to make French Toast? The real-deal, not the HLB version. 😉
That French Toast looks amazing!!! Local sourdough sounds like the best idea… YUM!!!
Thanks! I love fresh bread. 🙂
So many awesome things going on in this post! What fun stuff are you planning on showing Lucie in town? I’m going to DM you on Twitter in a sec so that we can exchange numbers.. Maybe we can figure out a blogger meet up! 🙂
Oh man, that french toast puts the one I made this weekend to shame! I know if I was in Lucie’s lucky shoes I would want to go for proper ‘Murican style pancakes, and get a burrito. I don’t think we do mexican food big enough justice in Europe.
Do you even have Mexican in Europe?! I can’t remember seeing any…. oddly, there were a TON of KFC’s in Amsterdam. Maybe that not odd… friend chicken is total stoner food. Hahaha!
oh Im suck on the FIRST EVER MANI PEDI.
not so much the mani as I have the worst hands 🙂 but the pedi.
Here’s hoping shes as addicted as I am now 🙂
bahahaha. ‘Not the HLB version’.
I’m jealous you guys are reunited again! Keep twerking please. Any French toast is good as long as it has the cheap, nasty powdered sugar I used to eat spoonfuls of as a kid.
ALWAYYYYYS with powdered sugar!
Ha! You guys… Vegas said if I’d added powdered sugar it would have been perfect. Doh.
I had my first mani pedi for my wedding day! I wish I could do it more often actually – only had 3 manis in the past 6 years! :-S need to treat myself more I think!
I haven’t had French toast that often – we had it growing up but it was simply bread dunked in egg, called ‘eggy bread’ and you ate it as a savoury – normally with loads of ketchup!
I did make it for my hubby with some leftover banana bread though… That tasted good!
Fun times! Food is always a good way to show American love. Take her to Disneyland. Lol…have fun!
that french toast looks awesome!! i made some over the weekend when my niece and nephew slept over – just boring though – eggs & cinnamon topped with syrup 🙂
Glad you and Lucie got some QT this weekend. I tried a chocolate sauce with Grand Marnier this weekend at Randolph Street Market and it was amazing. Literally the stuff that fruit dreams of.
Ohhhh… that does sound good!
I’ve been craving French Toast! This neeeds to happen!
Gotta love blogger meetups. Have fun with Lucie. 🙂
With Grand Marnier and half and half you can’t go wrong! Yum. Who doesn’t love a great mani pedi??
HOLY YUM!!!! I love that you got Vegas there! I rarely do it & less rarely the pedi which is so nice!!!!
Love the love!
Same here… but when I do I wonder why I don’t go more!
I haven’t painted my nails since November,……there is still polish on my 2 big toes though…hahahaha! I should fix that 😛
That is my situation 90% of the time. Ha!
Oh. My. Goodness. I’m keeping this recipe in my “use in case of needing to impress somebody” file. This looks incredible! Thanks a ton for sharing!
hmm, I cannot recall my first mani pedi – very long ago 😉 I do believe it was one of my summers in Hawaii as a kid?
I *do* remember JASON’S first pedicure! I took him to the little place by our old house, one of those where the owner is working there, gets to know you, that kind of thing. he LOVED it (I scheduled him with the owner), and for a while he’d come with me regularly!
French toast. mmm…
That’s awesome Jason goes! I didn’t know if Vegas would go back, but the other day she said “next time we get our nails done…” ad I dies laughing.
YASSSSS u posted the French toast recipe hahah!! I thank you lol!! I’ll be attempting lol. Hope u ladies have loads of fun…. As u know I’m always down for twerking lol! So many fun American things to do lol! Why does everything I think of involve food??!! Oh well hahaha
Let me know if you do try it!!! It’s a perfect weekend treat! And you’re not alone… everything I think of involves food too. 😉
If you had just waited two weeks , I would have made the dip for you. 🙂
I would like that exact French Toast please. Is it too early to put in a special request?
Not at all! We should make savory french toast with your dip.
My girls who are 6 and 7 have had more mani pedi’s than I’ve had in my life. I’m not into them because I bite my nails and hate getting yelled at, plus, as a runner my feet are disgusting and again I hate getting yelled at! They really love it though 🙂
i’m having one big envy melt down. Can i? I want to be there and eat this and well, be in cali with all ya’ll!
I would love it if you were here!!! Meghan is coming late this week too. You should hop a plane! 😉
OMG I’m ‘recovering’ from my marathon and eating every 2 hours or so…that french toast is a MUST! I also love the brown nail polish.
This is just how I like my french toast …drunk! 🙂 Also, so jealous of how the weather looks there!
Ha! That’s how I like most things… 😉
I LOVE french toast, yummy!
I bet that french toast didn’t suck, I think Vegas’s taste buds are pretty calibrated! Man warm weather, delicious french toast, mani/pedi… need I go on heck if anything sucks it is the fact that I am sitting here freezing!
Hahaha what, you mean French toast with fat free egg whites, sugar free syrup, and chia seeds sprinkled on top isn’t the real thing?? 😉 Yours looks SO good. Usually I just go simple with eggs, vanilla & cinnamon!
I first got my nails did in high school for prom, but I don’t think I got a pedi until I was at least 18. I have jacked up feet so I’ve always been embarrassed for anyone to see/touch them!
HAHAHA! You know I’m guilty of that version too, but sometimes you just need the full monty. #twss
San Diego local here! If you find your self in north country coastal, i’d say stop by Pipes in Cardiff for the best breakfast burritos ad pancakes, Tony Jacal’s for the best mexican food, and VG’s donuts for some amazing donuts/baked goods!
HI Jamie! Thanks so much for the suggestions. I’ve added them to the list. I love Cardiff. We ate the the Potato Shack there a few weeks ago.
Can you believe I just had French Toast for the first time in 20ish years last year? I got super sick on it when I was younger and never wanted to lay eyes on it. Now I want it all the time. I can’t believe I denied myself all the deliciousness for so long!
Really?! I get the sick thing though. To this day I refuse to eat meatloaf. 😛
Haha! Vegas is even worse than me! When I arrived in Australia, my best friend dragged me off for a mani pedi as I hadn’t had one since my wedding… five years ago! haha!
5 years?! I really just like going because I dislike touching my own feet. Feet are nasty.
Oh my. That french toast looks amazing!!! I haven’t had french toast in ages and I loved it as a kid. It was always such a special treat.
It’s going to be a BLAST.
YUUMM! I love love french toast and so macro friendly! Thank you for sharing! Tell Luci HI!! xo C
Thanks! Will do – wish we could all be in the same place at once!
French toast is the best, now I need it asap after looking at your photos!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
I don’t get mani/pedis all that often, but they’re always such a treat! (especially with fabulous French toast!)
Holy crap, get in my belly!!! That looks phenomenal!
As soon as I saw the french toast, my tummy started grumbling lol. I know I’m hungry now. And your twerking session, hilarious lol. You guys look amazing and so toned in those photos. Loving it. I hope to see you at my new blog next week.
Kay of Pure & Complex
http://www.purecomplex.com
Thanks K! Can’t wait to see the new site. Monday, right?
SPECIAL VISITORS HUH??? 😉 😉 😉
Yes. “Special.”
How old were you when you got your first mani/pedi? I have no idea ?!?! haha probably high school … maybe middle 😉 I have a horrible memory.
I do love a good french toast!
The food looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing dear, Great post and have a nice day! 🙂
Thank you! Have a great weekend!