A Valentine Breakfast

When you think of Valentine's Day, what do you think of? The common answer would be, hearts, anything chocolate, Valentine cards, sweethearts, candy, etc. You get the picture! But, does Valentine's Day only have to be about those things, although they are nice, I think it should also be about doing little things to keep the ones you love healthy.

I won't see my granddaughter right on Valentine's Day, so I treated her to her favorite breakfast this morning. Because I love her so much, I try to feed her foods that are on the healthy side. You will notice there is no candy in this picture, no chocolate. That's not to say she doesn't eat those foods, but not in the breakfasts I give her. I keep them healthy but also with the foods she loves. You will see the word "sugar" here and there, but it is used to the minimum.

Her favorite breakfast is French Toast Sticks. I will tell you how I made them below. Also, she doesn't like syrup so just a little sprinkling of powdered sugar, and I do mean a little. Also I got her used to drinking skim milk and a little 4 oz. container of applesauce. There you have it, all four food groups; bread, egg for protein, milk and fruit. You can see by the smile on her face that she is happy.

So, Happy Valentine's Day to my little granddaughter, Olivia and hope the rest of you enjoy a happy and somewhat healthy Valentine's Day also. Remember if you truly love someone you will do all you can to please them and also keep them healthy.

PS,, A little bit of chocolate won't hurt, just don't make it your main focus.

Probably French Toast is something every one knows how to make, so I dispensed with the typical formal recipe formation. Everyone also does a little something different, so this is how I make mine.

Along with the eggs, I add about 2 tablespoons of 2% milk (skim milk here makes it too watery), a dash of salt, a little vanilla extract, and a couple of sprinkles of cinnamon sugar. Beat it all together with a fork, at the same time heating your pan, on medium heat, with your favorite non-stick spray or a little butter. When the pan is hot, dip the bread slices in the egg mixture and then put them in the pan and pour the left over egg on top.

Cook until browned on one side then flip and continue to cook until browned on the other side. Turn off the burner and let sit for about a minute to ensure the inside is cooked also.

My granddaughter likes the crust cut off so when I stack them together on the dish, I cut off the crust and then cut them into sticks. A little sprinkling of confectioner's sugar is added, but if you or your little ones like syrup, you can use that. Enjoy!

Another cute idea would be to use heart shaped cookie cutters on your French Toast to make them a little more special for the holiday.