French Toast with Kids In The Kitchen

This is a simple meal my son, age 9, and I prepare at least once a month, that the whole family enjoys.



He loves to flip french toast, pancakes, and just about anything in the skillet.  He really does enjoy cooking.   He cooks with me at least two or three times a week. He is learning to read recipes, measure ingredients, technique on mixing ingredients, opperating kitchen equipment, being careful, cleaning up the mess afterwards, and being a servant in cooking for his family.  His favorite cooking activity is baking and he can make a batch of cookies almost independantly now.  Though most of the recipes we still make together.  He especially loves making cookies, cakes, cheese cake, and more. 

Food science is so important to learn.  How do you pare up/combine nutrients to make a complete diet? How long do you cook an egg or heat milk before killing the nutritional enzymes, depleting vitamins, or changing protiens. What makes food fluff up? What gasses do foods give off? How high can oil “A” heat before it burns, how high can oil “B” heat before it burns? Which oil is the best choice for which recipe, etc.?

We are both really proud of his kitchen skills he has developed.  Teaching this life skill is such an important part of growing up because it teaches many skills and cognitive awareness.  It also teaches safety, food science, as well as planning, and nutritional awareness.  Plus he can have confidence that he is able to cook for himself and for his family.



French Toast

Ingredients:
Any Sliced Bread.  (we use a variety of whatever we have on hand: Texas style, honey wheat, french, sourdough, cinnamon raisin, homemade, etc.)
Eggs (about two eggs for every 8 slices of bread you want to dip)
Milk (about 1/4 cup for every 8 slices of bread you want to dip)
Vanilla (about 1/8th tsp for every 8 slices you want to dip)
Cinnamon (about 1/8th tsp for every 8 slices you want to dip)

Directions:
Heat skillet on medium heat.  Make dip for bread.  In a bowl or pan with low sides, with a fork or whisk, mix together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Dip slices of bread in the bowl and gently place on a non stick or lightly greased pre-heated skillet.  Cook until lightly golden brown on one side.  Flip.  Cook until lightly golden brown on other side.  Remove from heat and serve.

Nutritional Data:
Per slice of cooked french toast: Calories 102 ; Fat .8 gm; Protein 5 gm; Fiber 1 gm; Calcium 24.1 mg; Iron 1.2 mg; Selenium 10.6 mcg; Folate 48.1 mcg; Niacin 1.5 mg;  Magnesium 10.7 mg;  and traces amounts of numerous vitamins and minerals.

Serving ideas to compliment the nutrional values:
Organic maple syrup, cooked fruit toppings like blueberries or apples, or raw fruit toppings like strawberries, powdered sugar, whip cream, chocolate syrup, etc.




My 4 year old daughter helped set the table.  She loves to have a job in the kitchen too.
 
Our French Toast Meal was served with organic maple syrup and whipped cream, turkey sausage links and turkey bacon, peeled oranges, blueberry pomegranate juice, and homemade hot chocolate with more whipped cream on top.

We use a variety of things to give us the best possible nutrition in this meal including: raw milk, free range eggs, coconut oil or grape seed oil to grease the pan, Applegate Farms sausage and bacon, organic maple syrup, organic cocoa powder, organic evaporated cane juice or succanat sugar, organic vanilla, etc.

Nutrtional Data for a complete meal:
1 slice of french toast with organic maple syrup
2 turkey sausage links
1/2 fresh naval orange
1 cup homemade hot chocolate with whipped cream

Calories 307; Fat 6 gm; Fiber 4 gm; Protein 7.9 gm; Vitamin A 315 IU; Vit C 48.9 mg; Niacin 2.8 mg; B6 .1 mg; Folate 78.1 mg; Calcium 94.1 mg; Iron 2.5 mg; Mageisium 52 mg; Potasium 362 mg; Zinc 1.8 mg; Selenium 11.5 mcg; and many more nutrients. 



This meal cooks up in a SNAP! 
We can cook all of this up and serve it in about 15 minutes for everything, start to finish, for our large family.

Kids love to eat it. 
It is nutritious. 
And It Is Delicious!


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