When it comes to homemade cinnamon toast,
there are two basic approaches: put the cinnamon and sugar on
after you toast the bread.... or put in on before. Both
are tasty. But toasting after putting on the
cinnamon and sugar causes the sugar to melt into the toast a bit.
Very nice.
Method #1 -- pop your sliced bread into
the toaster and toast until golden brown. Then
butter and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Now sprinkle on a
little sugar (you can also use Splenda or Nutrasweet).
Done!
Method #2 -- Start by lightly
buttering the bread. Use a soft margarine for best
results. Then sprinkle on the sugar and the cinnamon.
Now toast in the toaster oven until golden brown. Be sure to
use a tray or aluminum foil to prevent butter/margarine from
dripping down into the toaster over. Done!
Preschoolers can help make the cinnamon
toast! Just make sure a grown-up does the toasting.
To help them get the right proportion of sugar to cinnamon, pre-mix
the sugar and cinnamon yourself and place the combo in a shaker.
If the shaker pours out too quickly, try covering some of the holes
with tape -- this will keep little ones from overdoing it.
This is a great project for preschoolers.
It teaches color mixing (science), is creative (art), and makes a great
cooking project that kids love to eat up at snack time -- 4 uses in one!
You will need: white bread, food coloring, and
milk. Also: small pastry brushes or tiny paintbrushes
dedicated to food prep (don't use brushes that are used for paint or
etc.), and some tiny bowls. This is a great way to re-use baby
food jars; they make perfect "bowls" for this project.
Place a few tablespoons of milk in each tiny
bowl. Add a few drops of blue food coloring to the first
bowl, some red food coloring to the second bowl, and some
yellow food coloring to the third tiny bowl.
Now let kids dip their brush in the colored milk
and paint it lightly onto the bread. Discourage them from slopping
on too much at once, or the toast will get soggy. Keep the
project open-ended -- they can use all the colors, try mixing the colors
on their bread, paint a monster face, create a kooky design, whatever.
The idea is to encourage experimentation.
When the bread is decorated, pop it into the
toaster oven and toast until golden brown. When finished,
allow to cool and then let kids spread on soft butter or margarine.
Time to eat! Don't forget, monster toast makes great table
discussion! Everyone likes to show off their creation before they
eat.
Remember to have a grown-up help you with
this project.
There may be fancier recipes for French toast,
but ours is simple enough for kids to help make. Use extra
thick bread, specially made for French toast, or slice up a loaf of
French bread into thick slices. Lay them in a non-stick
baking tray.
Next mix together:
8 eggs (or 2 cups Egg Beater)
3 cups of milk
2 teaspoons of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
Pour the mix over the bread. Allow to
sit overnight in the refrigerator. Bake the next day in
a (pre-heated) 350F degree oven for 40 minutes. Serve
with butter. Be sure to have a grown-up help you with
putting the pan into the hot oven -- and with removing it later.
CAUTION:We do not recommend allowing children under
12 years old to use a conventional oven. Toaster
ovens may be a safe alternative for children 9 years old and up.
Close supervision required.
In a mixing bowl combine 4 eggs with 1
teaspoon of vanilla, 1 tablespoon of milk, and 1 tablespoon of
sugar. If you like, you may also add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Mix well with a wire whisk. You'll need 8 thick slices
of bread (you can also use regular bread).
To cook, dip a slice of bread into the egg
mixture, then place it in a non-stick frying pan. Cook
at low to medium heat. Repeat for each slice.
You may be able to cook 2 or 3 slices at a time, depending on the
size of your frying pan.
Sprinkle cook French toast with powdered sugar
or serve with jam or maple syrup.
This is the classic hot cheesy sandwich.
You can use either cheddar or American cheese -- or jazz it up
by using jack or provolone, even mozzarella. You can
also add slices of bacon (we prefer low fat veggie bacon, with
no cholesterol)
What you'll need:
2 slices bread, any type
sliced cheese
margarine or softened butter
Butter each slice of bread on one side
only. (Don't add extra butter to the pan.)
Lay one slice of bread, with buttered
side down, in the frying pan (be careful not to touch the
hot pan!).
Layer the cheese on top of the bread.
Then add the other slice of bread,
buttered side up.
Cook until the bottom side of the
bread is golden brown (check with a pancake turner or
spatula), then flip. Repeat on other side.
Cooking time is approximately 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Remove the sandwich to a plate and
allow to cool. When cheese has thickened up and
sandwich is comfortable to the touch, it's ready!
TIP: Cheese is a high fat
food. To make this meal healthier, try using 2% cheese. It
has most of the flavor, but much less fat. (Don't use
nonfat cheese however, as it doesn't melt properly.)
vSuper fast and easy toaster variation:
toast 2 slices of bread, butter, lay a slice of American cheese
on each buttered side, slap buttered/cheesy sides together and
eat!
