Napa Valley grape vines in November.

This was a great time of year to visit Napa Valley. The leaves on the vines were a beautiful yellow color that glowed brilliantly at the base of the hills which were still green. While it looked like fall, it was 80°F and sunny for the five days we were there.

During the day, we visited lots of wineries and enjoyed some very informative tours.  At night, we dined in some wonderful restaurants. At the end of each night we returned to our rooms at the Foothill House B&B where we were staying. If you click on the words in red, you will hear running water - a common sound at the B&B because of the water falls and fountains in the gardens on the property.

Darla Anderson, the B&B owner (see photo of her above), made sure that we enjoyed our stay at the Foothill House. She set up a wine tasting with appetizers every night from 5:00-6:00pm. There was a small bottle of sherry on our night stand waiting for us when we returned from the restaurants at night and best of all, there was a crock filled with freshly baked Foothill House Sweet Dream Cookies on our bed. (I’ll share the recipe for these in a future blog.)

Here is Darla’s recipe for one of my favorite breakfasts that she served to us. It's the perfect thing to serve for your out-of-town guests during the hoilidays because you can make them the night and refrigerate them overnight. Then, bake them in the morning. I love the rattan baskets that hold the soufflé dishes. Does anyone know where I can find them?

Decadent French Toast Soufflé

4 to 5 medium croissants
6 oz. cram cheese, softened
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup maple syrup
10 eggs
3 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon cinnamon sugar
Powdered Sugar
Chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray with cooking spray 8 (10-oz) soufflé dishes or custard cups.
 
In food processor, process croissants to crumbs. Spoon crumbs into soufflé dishes.

In food processor, combine cream cheese, butter and ¼ cup of the maple syrup; beat until well combined and creamy. Add a heaping dollop into middle of croissant crumbs.

In large bowl, beat eggs, ½ cup of the maple syrup and half-and-half. Pour over mixture in soufflé dishes to cover completely.

Bake   soufflés 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown on top. Sprinkle with pecans, and powdered sugar. Swirl more warm syrup over the top. Garnish each with a mint leaf and fresh raspberry.

8 servings