pnw blogger meet up: the morning after

i am not ready to wrap up an epic weekend with my girlfriends, but i have been dying to post a little bit about our trip and the blogger meet up. i am still waiting on some photos from our wonderful photographer and from friends to really tell the story but first you must hear about our breakfast at mother's bistro in portland!

anytime i go to portland i am on the hunt for a new restaurant or food truck to try, even though for at least one meal we always end up at deschutes brewery, breakfast is one of our favorite meals to discover new places. it was emily to who found this gem and i was so glad when i had called our first pick place and their reservations were out till 11am, much to late for all of these early rising preggos to eat.

we had a little bit of a wait when we got there, but it was so worth it! chelsea and i ordered their crunchy french toast - which is basically classic french toast dipped in corn flakes before it is pan fried. i paired that with a virgin bloody mary, my craving this week and it was a perfect meal!

to continue the theme of awesomeness, the great conversation and photo capturing flowed, it was the perfect end to this wonderful weekend away. i can't wait to share the rest of the meet-up with you, so stay tuned!

and because i couldn't possibly leave you without hunting down the recipe (which happened to just come out in a new cook book called mother's best) for this magnificent take on my favorite pregnant craving, here it is:

Mother's Crunchy French Toast

Ingredients
4 large eggs
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups cornflakes
1 loaf challah, sliced into six one-inch thick pieces
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, clarified
Confectioner's sugar, optional
Softened butter, for serving
Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions
1. If your pan isn't big enough to cook all the French toast at the same time, heat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, half-and-half, cinnamon, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla.
2. Place the cornflakes in another large bowl and crush with your hands until the pieces are small, but not like breadcrumbs and somewhat uniform in size. Place on a rimmed baking sheet nearby to hold the prepared bread.
3. Dip a slice of bread into the cream mixture, immersing both sides (saturate it, but do not let it fall apart).
4. Dip the slice into the cornflakes on both sides, pressing to adhere the flakes; set aside on the baking sheet. Repeat with remaining slices.
5. Place a griddle or wide saute pan over medium heat for several minutes. If using an electric griddle, set the heat to 350 degrees.
6. When griddle is heated, add 1 tablespoon clarified butter for each piece of French toast and tilt to coat the pan.
7. Add the prepared bread in an even layer. Cook until golden on one side, about 4 minutes. Lift each piece with a spatula and put 1/2 tablespoon butter in its spot. Flip the toast onto the butter to cook the other side, about 4 minutes more. Repeat with remaining slices. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until all the French toast is cooked.
Serves 4.

i haven't tried it yet, but would love to hear if you do!