SC - French Toast, Feasts -Long

[Christine A Seelye-King]

Well, here I sit, mostly recovered from what was a wonderful, hectic, and
rewarding weekend.  I have just finished a bowl of re-heated leftover
French Toast, with butter and real Canadian Maple Syrup.  Yum. :)
The event was the investiture of our 5th set of Baron and Baroness (in 27
years).  It was well attended (somewhere between 3 and 4 hundred) and
even though it was cold, rained, got foggy, then got hot and humid, the
day was wonderful, the food was wonderful, and a good time was had by
all.  
	My singing group and a group of new folks that have started a middle
eastern band got together and have worked up a few pieces from the 13th
Century Cantigas de Santa Maria by Alfonso X of Spain.  It is very cool
music, and we really rocked.  Lots of people got lots of cool stuff, and
my former protege suprised us all by taking not one of the three ladies
the rest of the household was betting on for her first protege, but all
three at once!  I was absolutely stunned to receive the Order of the
Bough of Meridies, a Kingdom level award for service, chivalry and
courtesy.  It was a level I skipped (I do have the same level award for
A&S), and it is not common to go back and "retro-fit" Peers, as it were. 
In my case, the service since my elevation has basically never stopped,
and so I suppose I earned it all over again. 
	fra niccolo, also of this List and my Barony, received the Scarlet Star,
our Kingdom Level award for Feastcratting and Autocratting.  The video
camera he was holding at the time will be interesting, as the lady who
came to get him was following her pointing finger around the hall, ending
up pointing straight at him!  He got a lovely, even dainty piece of the
order's regalia, but mine is bigger!
	Saturday night's feast was wonderful, a first-time attempt by a couple
who have been members for quite a long time.  She did a Hassidic feast,
and everything except the dreaded beet-pickled turnip-things was just
delicious.  When she was done, she looked at me and said "Now that I've
done it, I want to do it again, and I want to learn it from you, because
you're the best".  As I said, a very rewarding weekend.
	But, more germaine to the story, Sunday morning breakfast was a triumph!
 We did a large pot of oatmeal (actually 3 medium sized pots, I like to
keep it fresh) with lots of toppings, some of the more appropriate dishes
leftover from the feast, some veggie paella from the Royal Luncheon (from
another new feast cook, who did a spectacular job) and yes, French Toast!
 We had challah, which got cut in thick chunks.  It was dipped in egg,
milk, cinnamon, and orange flower water, and cooked on the griddle in
bacon grease.  We had syrup (fake maple and Hersey's, and even some
"fruit syrup" I made from the bottom 1/2 inch in two different jelly
jars), and powdered sugar, brown sugar, cream, butter, etc.
I made a period version by soaking the bread in port and rosewater first,
then dipping and frying, sprinkling with lots of powdered sugar.  It was
a hit, but not everyone would try it, even though it looked mostly the
same (a bit pinker, but still obviously F.T.) it was "period" so they
wouldn't try it.  We told those folks that the stuff they recognized was
just as period, and let them go.  I also made a cobbler from some canned
fruit I scored in the Barony's shed - peaches, apples and cherries, with
lots of saffron (we are a very well-off Barony;) and a crust of oats, oat
flour, butter, and cinnamon.  It had my "granddaughters" (the new protege
sisters) on their knees chanting "We're not worthy!".  Heh, heh, heh.  
	We also had re-set the hall, put the tables back up, tablecloths back
on, flowers out, music playing, and treated Sunday morning breakfast as a
continuing part of the event.  I don't like the Sunday morning shuffle as
mundanes are donned and the trek home is started. At least let us have
this last meal together, so that you are fortified for the trip ahead. 
Our group really worked hard to make the event successful, and I think
the 5 count 'em 5 sets of Royalty on hand had a blast.   
	Well, that was pretty much my weekend in a nutshell, I have a
refrigerator full of food (big ziploc full of F.T.), new regalia, new
household members, and a new Baron and Baroness!  
	Sigh.  This is why we work so hard to have so much fun.  
	Christianna
	proud member of the Barony of the South Downs
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