Like many people this year I have been at home with my kids. I am blessed with a beautiful, head-strong 3 year old daughter and a, so far, mild tempered 2 month old son. While I have LOVED all the time that we have spent together – it has been a challenge filling the days with activities to minimize screen time. Admittedly, I am not very good at crafting or lesson planning. Instead, I have made an effort to stretch out our everyday activities as much as possible into learning opportunities. Cooking together has been the perfect solution for this.

 

My daughter loves to spend time in the kitchen with me and we couldn’t be happier. She is a Chef’s daughter after all! Little by little we have developed a repertoire of simple recipes that are fun for her to cook and to eat.

 

One of our absolute favorites is French Toast. Perfect for a decadent weekend brunch but also fun for a Tuesday when you are trying to stretch out meal time as long as possible. I love this recipe because it is high in protein and does not use sugar. As well, the measurements do not need to be precise for the end result to be tasty.  Kids tend to spill on the counter when mixing and that is ok here. It is nearly impossible to mess up this recipe!

 

I have learned to make homemade Baguettes this year (click here for my easy recipe for beginners) so I often have day old Baguettes which are perfect for French Toast. If you don’t have a Baguette available any crusty, preferably day old, bread will do.

Beat the eggs together in a large bowl with a whisk. Add the milk and the vanilla extract. Mix again (toddlers love mixing!). Set aside.

Four slices at a time (if you are using baguette slices), allow to soak in the batter. Flip after a minute to allow bread to fully soak up the mixture.

Heat a non-stick pan on medium low. Add a pat of butter to fully coat pan.

 

Add battered slices of bread several at a time. Allow to become golden brown (about a minute) then flip and brown on the reverse side.

Remove cooked slices of bread from pan and set aside on a cookie sheet. (I suggest placing the cookie sheet in the oven on the lowest possible heat to keep warm).

Continue this process until all the bread and batter are used up, adding a fresh pat of butter in the pan between each batch of battered bread. Careful to never let the pan get too hot – you don’t want the butter to burn.

Serve immediately with your choice of toppings. Butter and maple syrup are a classic, but I prefer to make my 5 minute, sugar free, fruit compote to serve on top to make a complete toddler-friendly meal.

 

Voilà! Delicious, wholesome French toast is as easy as that!

 

Bon Appetit,

 

Le Chef’s Wife

 

Anina Belle Giannini is Canadian/American hotelier and writer. She lives with her husband, Chef Sebastien Giannini, and their two children in McLean, Virginia. Follow @lechefswife on instagram or at www.lechefswife.com for easy to make French Recipes and tips for living a French Riviera inspired life in the USA.