Apple of His Eye



Caramel Apple French Toast



‘He brushes us off…’ Is the thought that popped into my head while driving to work yesterday morning.  I got to thinking about my little boys and how when they fall I say to them “It’s ok, get up, brush yourself off.  No need to cry, Momma saw you fall and you are fine.”  Most of the time they get up and come over to me wanting a hug or a kiss; which of course I lovingly oblige.  I adore my children, but they are toddlers and toddlers fall…a lot.  When Kael was a baby every little bump or bruise was met with much fuss, “oh, poor baby, are you ok?”  Now it’s like, “come one, really! You should be a bit more careful little one.”  So it was with this little notion running through my brain ‘He brushes us off’ that my mind leapt for joy in my head.  You didn’t know that brains could do that did you?  Well, they can and mine did.

When the little boys fall outside they get dirt all over them and they cry, holding up their little hands with rocks and dirt ground into them.  This is like us when we fall in this world, spiritually speaking.  The grime and sin gets under our skin and it hurts.  Sometimes it just brushes off, but other times the dirt and rocks have to be gently scrubbed out.  That definitely doesn’t feel good, but is necessary to the healing process.  I saw this all and laughed as I thought of myself as a big baby falling down and God coming over and swatting at my bottom to brush the dust off.  I thought of him telling me “It’s ok, get up, brush yourself off.  No need to cry, Daddy saw you fall and you are fine.”  We are his children and he loves us.  He doesn’t like to see us fall, but he is always ready to brush us off.

I love being the apple of His eye, don’t you?  Sweetest thing to be!

This morning Sam has training so it will be my responsibility to fly solo and get the little boys ready for school and daycare.  So I can’t write much more because this is serious work getting two little boys fed, dressed, packed, and ready to go.  Not to mention I have to get ready for work too.  J But all things through Christ who gives me strength!

This morning I made Caramel Apple French Toast.  I am sure there are hundreds of recipes out there on the web for CAFT (Caramel Apple French Toast), but this one is my own.  I thought about the Natures Made Cinnamon Raisin bagels I had in my freezer and said to myself, “I will make French toast with that.”  Sam was the one who said we should call it Caramel Apple French Toast.  And guess what?!  Sam is going to write once a week here. It will be either: Manly Monday, or Sunday with Sam…hehe, I am excited!

Sam said this was VERY good, and it was VERY easy, so you should definitely try it soon.  Kael couldn’t keep his paws off it and I could barely snap a picture!  I made two bagels, Sam ate one with the caramel apple sauce and for Kael’s I drizzled a little bit of my brother and his wife’s honey: D & D’s Wildflower Honey (Thank you Dave and Dawn!).



Caramel Apple French Toast

2 cinnamon raisin bagels sliced in half

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup milk (I used Almond Milk)

Caramel Apple Sauce

1 apple (I use only organic apples as they are on the top 10 dirtiest foods when not purchased organic)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First I took my bagels that were already sliced and I took a serrated knife and took off the tops and bottoms so that they could absorb the French toast mixture.

In a bowl I wisked the eggs, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together until well incorporated.  I poured this mixture into a 9x13 baking dish so that I could place all my bagels in at one time.  I let them soak up the eggy mixture, and then flipped them and let them continue to soak.  Preheat your frying pan or griddle to medium high.  While my frying pan was preheating and my bagels were soaking I started preparing my caramel sauce.

In a frying pan melt butter.  Add sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.  Peel, core and slice apple.  When the caramel begins to bubble toss in the apple slices. 

While the apples sauté take two slices of bagel and place them in preheated frying pan. Flip after about two minutes.  Repeat until they get a nice grilled French toasty look…you know what I am talking about.   Your apples will only need about 3-4 minutes in the caramel sauce, which is about how long it will take for your bagels to cook.  So when your bagels are done, your apples should be too.

Move them to your plate and pour caramel apples over the top. Serve warm and enjoy!  Here is Kael saying "All done!" He ate a whole bagel himself!  Big eater.

Xoxo

Ronda