Going Slower

Time certainly seems to be flying by at its usual breakneck pace but the healing of the knee injury seems to be going slowly, so I'm going slower and doing less, too. Every now and then Sweetie and I go to our favorite cafe during the week for breakfast. They have a great breakfast special with reduced price and Sweetie really loves their French Toast. With the knee still somewhat painful if I use it much at all, this week we stayed home when we usually would have gone to the cafe. The good news is that I had made that yummy French bread, so we had some nice homemade bread for French Toast.

French toast is pretty easy as long as you adjust the heat under the pan or griddle so that you don't burn the toast before it is warmed all the way through, especially important so that you aren't eating raw eggs. It helps if you like eggs and dairy and cinnamon.

I started out by mixing the toast soaking batter and getting a couple of slices going. Then I made some cooked apples with cinnamon to go with the French Toast, something that the cafe doesn't do, but it really adds deliciousness and extra nutrition and fiber. Apparently we are still not getting enough fiber in our food and apples are a great and really enjoyable way to do that. Looking back I see that I usually make apples to go with the French toast I blog about...hope you don't mind...but at least this time the bread is also French! French toast with whatever bread you like is such an easy-to-make and well-loved dish that it bears repeating.

So even though it was a chilly gray day (by California standards...probably warm by Minnesota standards) when we had our French Toast, we started off with a sunny breakfast.

(If you were wondering about my cooking and baking with an injured knee, I can assure you that my kitchen is so small that I barely take any steps, I'm only on my feet a short time, and the worse problem I have with the knee is with change in elevations, especially going down. The doctor warned me about that and he is so right. That has kept me indoors a lot because there are a few steps down to the front walk and uneven ground is really a bad idea, so no weeding or pruning or even going to check for tulip bud hidden in the leaves, something I usually do every spring.)

I'm sending this recipe over to Yeastspotting, Susan of Wild Yeast's delightful weekly collection of breads, rolls, sweet rolls and other things made with yeast. Do check it out.

French Toast for Sweetie
Serves 2

4-6 slices bread, French bread if possible
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
1 cup milk - 2% or above is recommended, although non-fat condensed (not sweetened) is fine
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
oil, margarine, or butter if you skillet or griddle isn't non-stick

In a large pie plate or other flat dish scramble together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar over the mixture and whisk it in. Elle's note: I use a fork for all of this. Sprinkling the sugar on last helps bring that floating cinnamon down into the mixture.

Heat a large skillet or a griddle over medium-high heat until a drop of water flicked on the surface sizzles. While griddle is heating, soak 2-3 slices of bread in the milk mixture for 1 minute, then turn and let soak another minute.

Place soaked bread slices on the preheated skillet (which you oil while it is preheating if oiling is necessary) and cook until first sides are golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn and cook the second sides are dark golden brown and toast is heated through. Elle's note: While the first slices are cooking, soak the rest of the slices, turning them over in the batter when you turn the slices that are cooking.

Repeat cooking the remaining slices as you did the first ones. Serve while hot with sauteed apples, maple or cider syrup or other garnish of your choice. Elle's note: some people like a dusting of confectioners sugar and that's what they do at the cafe.