French Toast - Healthified. Take a Hike.

I don't wanna sound like I think I'm the greatest creator of strawberry mango banana bread french toast in the world...but...

I am.

There.  I said it.

 I wasn't even originally trying to make any kind of french toast.  I was just throwing crap together, tossing it on the skillet, and shoveling it in my mouth.

Until I made Wilberforce taste it.  "Ohmigod.  It's like.  Delicious french toast.  Bongo Room.  It makes me think of the Bongo Room."  Wilberforce found the ultimate breakfast joint in Chicago last fall: The Bongo Room.  You might remember seeing these babies from our food post about the trip.

For Wilberforce to compare my "french toast" to the Bongo Room...well, my friends, that's sayin' somethin'.

Strawberry Mango Banana Bread French Toast Sandwich


Ingredients:
1 slice strawberry mango banana bread
2 tbsp non fat plain greek yogurt
1/8 tsp Stevia
1/4 tsp caramel extract (or 1/2 tsp sugar free caramel syrup flavoring)
1/3 banana, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp sugar free maple syrup


Yield: one sandwich, 160 calories


Heat skillet to 375 degrees or use stovetop at medium high heat.  Slice bread into two pieces, horizontally (slices from my recipe are super-thick and easily sliced into two thinner bread slices).  Mix yogurt, Stevia, and caramel together in a small bowl or measuring cup.  Spread in a thick layer on one piece of bread; cover with remaining piece to create sandwich.  


Spray skillet or pan with good layer of cooking spray;  place sandwich on skillet.  Place slices of banana on skillet also; cook for 1-2 minutes until sandwich and bananas are browned.  Flip sandwich and bananas.  Cook an additional 1-2 minutes until browned.  


Place sandwich on a plate; arrange fried bananas on top of sandwich.  Drizzle with maple syrup.  Microwave 10 seconds to heat syrup, if desired.  

 And that is how you make deliciously wonderful "french toast"...without eggs.  Or sugar.  Or bad carbs.  Or fat.  Or hundreds of calories.

On a side note, you could easily use maple extract, chocolate extract, peanut butter extract, coconut extract, banana, strawberry...get my point?  I've also fried strawberries and pears for the toppings, rather than bananas.  Equally delicious.  But don't skip the maple syrup.  It's pretty much what gives this creation it's french toast status.

PS...I ate the last piece of strawberry mango banana bread tonight.  I'm distressed.  Now I have to make another loaf in the morning so I can have my french toast for my mid morning snack again!  Bah!  The stress of it all!

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We gardened all morning.  And cleaned out the garage.  It's about time I got a few things checked off that to-do list I've been avoiding for five days!

So we rewarded ourselves by hopping in the truck and making the short drive up to Estes Park for the afternoon.

 It's a rough life we live.

We found out once we were up there that the hike we had originally planned on making was a little tough to get to - road work.  Ninety minute delay, both ways?  No thanks.

So we asked the Park Ranger for other suggestions, took those into consideration, and made the big decision to hike up to Fern Lake.

This was our view two-thirds of the way up to the lake.

 Good decision!

The lake was beautiful!  The hike was awesome - the last 1.2 miles to the lake were all up, up, up a rocky trail, but we kicked butt and didn't even need a stretcher to carry us back down!

 Thanks P90X!

We hung out and took a breather and some pictures.  I laid on a rock, basking in the sun like a lizard until William found a tick crawling on his jeans and we both freaked out.

Pre-tick discovery.

 His shirt was soaked by the time we got to the lake.  Hiking at max speed for three miles will do that to a person.

 I, however, don't sweat.  I glisten.  Profusely.  To the point where it appears to be sweat.

It's not.

It's glistening by-product.

That sounds worse than sweat, now that I said it.

 (Don't make fun of my freakish arm.  That's a P90X muscle, fighting it's way to the surface, I swear!)

 I also like to load my pictures in non-chronological order sometimes, just to keep you on your toes.  This is William at the beginning of our hike.  He looks so fresh and so clean, clean.

 This is William on the way down the mountain, about 20 minutes from the end of our hike.  Not to shabby, eh?

 Practicing our backlighting - it's that time of year that we start brushing up on our photographical skills.

 Isn't this place beautiful?

Fun fact:  I brought Grandma and Grandpa here last September.  We saw three bears right off the side of this very road in this very spot.

 I don't think I can run faster than Wilberforce, so it wasn't a very smart move on my part to decide to hike this again.  Whatev.

I live dangerously.

I also like to park a mile from the trailhead, just to get the hike started out with that extra mile walk.  I'm clever like that.

Tomorrow is my last day of my stay-cation.  Bummer.