When I made this for Kenya for the first time, the smell of cinnamon and the toasted bread cooking brought me right back to my childhood. Admittedly, my own mother did not whip up a lot of homemade breakfasts for us as kids, but when she did they were incredible.
I love french toast that’s rich and soaked first in cinnamon, vanilla, egg batter and then lightly sauteed with a tiny pat of butter. I’m all about health, but in my opinion, a little butter now and then is fine, especially when you’re making french toast.
But wait, you say. You can’t have french toast without a topping! Now, I love maple syrup as much as the next person and yes, it is a natural sweetener, but it also has 50 grams of sugar per serving which would send Kenya flying into orbit. Not only is the fruit topping for this recipe naturally sweet, it’s also super healthy, packed with vitamin C, bright and colorful. If berries are out of season, you could also use frozen ones. Since I only used a tablespoon of agave (low on the glycemic index) for the fruit sauce, your little one will get all the satisfaction of the sweet flavor without the sugar high.

Cinnamon French Toast with Berry Sauce (Makes 2-4 Pieces depending on the type of bread you use)

1 Large Egg
3 Tbsp Whole Milk
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Slices Whole Wheat Bread (4 slices if you use a more dense bread, 2 slices for a fluffy bread)
1-2 Tsp Butter

1. Whisk the egg, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in shallow dish.
2. Place 2 slices of bread in the dish to absorb the egg mixture for 1 minute. Flip and let the other side soak up the egg mixture.
3. Heat a saute pan over medium heat.
4. Melt butter in the pan and place the bread in the saute pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden.
5. Flip and cook on the other side for 2-3 minutes.
6. Cool and serve.

Berry Sauce (makes 1/3 Cup)

1/2 Cup Mixed Berries (any mix of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries will work)
1 Tbsp Agave Nectar

Years ago I had the great fortune to take several trips to Morocco for modeling jobs. It was so 
incredible being able to travel to cities all over the country and to experience 
the culture first hand. We would go to what are called souks, where the local merchants sell hand woven rugs, tagines (covered clay pots used to cook stews), food, jewelry and much more. It was always fun getting to take a break from work or shopping 
(when time allowed) to eat delicious creations, many of which were made with couscous.
When I’ve asked people what they think couscous is, they usually say, 
”a grain”. Actually, couscous is pasta made by rolling and shaping moistened 
semolina wheat and then coating the tiny pieces with finely ground 
wheat flour. The quick-cook variety, which you can buy in stores, takes only 
minutes to steam.
Although I love a savory dish with couscous, I’m always trying to 
think of healthy sweet treats for Kenya that he will enjoy without giving him sugar. With 
that in mind, I came up with this vanilla bean couscous recipe. It couldn’t be easier and you can make as much or as little as you 
want just by increasing the amount of milk and couscous. If you want to make it 
even sweeter, you could add some agave nectar, but when Kenya, his 
grandmother and I tried it today we thought it was heavenly just like it is.

Vanilla Bean Couscous (Makes 6 Toddler Servings)

1/2 Cup plus 3 Tbsp Whole Milk
1/4 Cup Water
1/3 of a Vanilla Bean, about 1 inch long
1/2 Cup Couscous

1. Place the water and 1/2 cup of the whole milk to a small saucepan.
2. With a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half. Starting at one end of the bean, using the flat side of the knife, scrape the seeds out of the pod. Add the seeds (it won’t seem like a lot, but it is) to the saucepan with the milk and the remaining vanilla bean.
3. Bring the liquid and vanilla to a boil.
4. Add the couscous, stir, reduce to a simmer and cover.
5. Cook for 5 minutes.
6. Stir the couscous, breaking up any clumps, add the remaining 3 Tbsp of milk.
7. Remove the whole vanilla bean.
8. Cool and serve.

I always take pictures of the food I make for the site, but this was a picture I couldn’t resist. This was the first time Kenya tried THE Teething Cookie and devoured it. He had so much fun holding it, eating it, sucking on it and rubbing it on his gums. The best part is that there’s no sugar in them and they’re packed with healthy nutrients. I’ve been giving him one every night after dinner and it’s a great treat before bedtime.

*I wouldn’t start giving these to a baby under the age of 8 months. You always need to be around when baby is eating something they could choke on.

THE Teething Cookie (makes 12 cookies)

1 Egg Yolk, beaten
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Blackstrap Molassess
1 Tsp Vanilla
1 Tbsp Rice/Soy Milk
3/4 Whole Wheat Flour plus 1 Tbsp for rolling
1 Tbsp Soy Flour
1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a Food Processor or bowl put all liquid ingredients. Blend.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a seperate bowl and then add to wet ingredients. Blend until mixture forms a ball of dough.
4. Sprinkle whole wheat flour on a clean surface and roll into a square.
5. With a knife, cut into 1 1/2 inch logs.
6. Place the logs on a parchment or silpat lined cookie sheet.
7. Bake for 10 minutes.
8. Cool on the sheet or tranfer to a wire rack.
9. Serve.