French Toast

Remember when they served breakfast for lunch at school and all the kids would get super excited? Well, now that I'm a grown up, I can eat breakfast for dinner.

Don't fear for my cardiovascular health; the urge for anything involving maple syrup at any time of the day only strikes once or twice a year. But of all the sweet breakfast breads out there, French toast might just be my favorite. For two slices of thick toast (preferably a bit stale; fresh bread yields a chewier French toast), mix:

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 Tbs. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Optional add-ins:

• 1 Tbs. dark rum
• 1 tsp. orange flower water
• 1 Tbs. Grand Marnier
• 1 Tbs. orange juice

Let the bread soak in the mixture for three minutes on each side, or until you can feel that the mixture has penetrated into the center. Melt some butter on a skillet over medium heat. When the butter starts to bubble, place the slices of bread on the skillet and cook until brown and crispy on both sides. Place on a plate, pour on some maple syrup, spoon some fruit over it, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My better half had a bacon and egg English muffin sandwich with extra bacon and fluffy scrambled eggs on the side, but started chomping on it before a photo could be taken. French toast and bacon--there's nothing like it!