Yay beach weather!

Oh Lake Huron, how lovely it was to sink my feet into your sandy shores this afternoon! I dreamt of this moment all winter long, and while the water's edge is still lined with snow and ice, the boys and I wasted no time in this spring-like weather to head to the shore to:

skip stones,

run free,

and search for treasure washed up on the beach.

Sunday brunch

I woke this morning to a leftover baguette that was screaming to be turned into yummy French toast. But this couldn't be any French toast. First of all, the French toast we make in our house is made without the key ingredient of French toast the world over - eggs. We substitute this staple with apple sauce or bananas, which makes for a nice and sweet Sunday brunch treat:
3/4 C apple sauce or 1 mashed banana
1/2 C milk 
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dip the bread in the mixture. Now the trouble I have found with making French toast without egg is trying to fry it in the frying pan - I've never been able to fry it without it turning into a bready mess. To solve this problem, I simply bake them. 
But I was feeling a little more creative this Sunday morning than usual Sunday mornings - maybe it was the long-lost sun that was beaming in through the kitchen window - and thought I would try adding a little somethin' somethin' to the tops of the toast. A little oatmeal? A little brown sugar? Margarine? But of course! It was just what this little toasts needed!
2 tbsp margarine
1/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C oatmeal
2 tbsp walnuts (optional - I added these to the adult toasts)
Mix together and top on each toast before baking in a greased baking dish at 350F for about 10-15 minutes.
Voila! Apple Crisp French Toast! I heated up 1 C frozen blueberries with 1 tbsp honey to add to each plate. We're fuelled and ready to get out into this beautiful spring-like weather! 

This and That

What???? It's March already?? Boy, time sure flies when dealing with some technical difficulties, healing from illness, and feeling a touch of the winter blues! But February wasn't all coughs and sniffles, crashing internet and dreary days! Here's a taste of what we've been up to.

Watching Team Canada 'own the podium' at the Vancouver Olympics!

Playing lots of board games.

Trying out some new desserts! 

This one went so fast, poor G didn't even have a chance to try it! This is my dairy-free version of fruit pizza. I borrowed my friend Nelda's recipe for whipped green, which includes: 

½ ripened avocado 

1 banana
1 Tbs agave or maple syrup 

1tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup soymilk or rice milk
A little lemon juice

To these ingredients I added 1/2 cup melted dark chocolate and blended until smooth. I spread the mixture over a graham cracker crust and topped with fresh fruit! Such a great pick-me-up on a blustery day!