Cinnamon Apple French Toast
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My three-year-old son, Christian is an early riser (not a gene he inherited from me), and loves waking up with the sun or more accurately, before his daddy leaves for work at about six. I honestly believe that his goal every morning is to wake up in enough time to see Josh off to work.
Sometimes he wakes up early enough and sometimes he doesn’t. His love for his daddy is so precious. He looks up to him, tries to imitate him, wants to help him with everything and go everywhere with him.
Once the little man’s earthly father has left for work, I try to work some time with his Heavenly Father into our morning routine. It’s he and I hanging out while his girls (that’s what he calls his two older sisters) sleep. I’ve moved our little date mornings downstairs to the sitting room where I can get in my quiet time, drink some coffee, read a bit of Scripture, and write in my prayer journal.
Christian has gotten quite used to my routine. He sits next to me on the couch and plays (mostly quietly) while I read and journal, eagerly awaiting his Bible time. I read one or two pages a day out of his picture Bible, ask him questions about what we read, answer any questions he has (sooo many – three-year old, remember?), and then I read a section out of his prayer book. Right now, we’re reading about Moses – it’s so funny at dinner when he tries really hard to remember what we talked about and describe it to Josh!
Reading Stories
Children love stories. They love the closeness of a parent or sibling next to them while they listen to The Cat in the Hat and it comes alive in their minds. They remember the tone of the voice as someone reads to them, that feeling of excitement or worry as the story twists and turns – those feelings are what make up many a favorite memory.
Is reading the Bible to our children, with its numerous stories of how God continually did miraculous acts for His people while teaching them, as habitual as reading a Dr. Seuss book? Do they get as excited when they see us pull the Bible off the shelf as when we grab a Narnia book or Charlotte’s Web?
Their love for Jesus starts with the Bible (as ours does!), and as we dig deeper into His Word, we deepen our children’s faith, too – it all begins with that foundation of truth!
“Sanctify them by the truth; Your Word is truth.” John 17:17
Morning Ritual
Since we’re talking about mornings, I thought I would share some French toast with you. Josh is usually the weekend breakfast maker in our house and one of his favorite things to cook up is different variations of French toast!
Get the kids involved! Let them smell the seasonings, whisk the eggs, dunk the bread in the batter! And to make your/their weekend breakfast/brunch really special, top it with whipped cream (warning: old post, but great, simple recipe)!
It’s always their favorite part of any treat!
This weekend, gather the family around the table for a simple fall-flavored breakfast, and as you dig into your French toast, dig into His Word while you’re at it. Let the kids pick out one of their favorite Bible stories or read them one they’ve never heard before. If you’ve got little girls, Esther’s great!
For boys…so many! David and Goliath is a classic, of course, but they might be equally fascinated by Samson or Paul’s shipwreck! My daughter Eden randomly came up to me the other day because she heard Christian and I talking about Noah’s Ark over dinner. She asked me if Noah brought two of every fish onto his boat, too. Stories spark questions and I love getting a peek into her funny little mind.
Happy eating and reading!
Cinnamon Apple Spice French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf freshly baked French bread , sliced into pieces at least one inch thick
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp apple pie spice
- butter
Instructions
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Add eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple pie spice to a large bowl and beat together.
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Heat oven to 170 degrees and place a large cookie sheet inside.
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt butter in skillet (about a tablespoon) and spread to coat evenly.
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Dip one slice of bread at a time in the egg mixture, allowing it to submerge and soak up the mixture for a few seconds. The texture and density of the bread will dictate how long it takes to sufficiently soak through.
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Move bread directly from the bowl to the skillet. Cook on one side for several minutes, until egg mixture begins to brown, then flip with a spatula and cook the other side for a similar amount of time. Move the bread directly from the skillet to the waiting cookie sheet and keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.
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Serve hot directly from the oven, with toppings of your choice. Suggestions include real maple syrup, butter, and whipped cream sprinkled with apple pie spice.
100 Words of Affirmation Your Son/Daughter Needs to Hear
Matt and Lisa Jacobson want you to discover the powerful ways you can build your children up in love with the beautiful words you choose to say every day–words that every son and daughter needs to hear.
These affirmation books offer you one hundred phrases to say to your son or daughter – along with short, personal stories and examples – that deeply encourage, affirm, and inspire.
So start speaking a kind and beautiful word into their lives daily and watch your children–and your relationship with them–transform before your eyes.
