Slicin' and a Dicin'

After a trip to a straight-from-the-farm fruit and vegetable stand and the grocery store (now remember, we just got to town yesterday and I haven't a clue where these things are, so it's another game of concentration), I begin to assimilate breakfast for the 10-year wedding anniversary couple.  I'm kind of excited to be a small part of that!

Leave the Philadelphia cream cheese out to warm. Wash the grapes, the blueberries and blackberries, slice the strawberries, melon-ball the cantaloupe ... hmmm, where's the melon-baller.  Lookin', lookin', lookin' - not here, not there, doesn't seem to be one anywhere.  I text Pam, the owner.  Nope, probably no melon-baller on the premises.  No worries, I'll just add it to my next shopping list.

I have emailed Lori, one of our daughters-in-law, for her best recipe for stuffed French toast, and I'm savvy enough to know I should practice on myself before serving it to the happy couple.  I'm starved after shopping for all those yummy fruits and vegetables, so it's strawberry and banana stuffed French toast for me for lunch. Lori says the "secret" ingredient will be a drop of vanilla extract.  Bananas are sliced, batter is whisked and I'm ready to go!

Spread the cream cheese on a slice of bread, add a thin layer of strawberries and thin slices of banana, top with a second slice of bread, apply a bit of pressure so the "sandwich" doesn't come apart in the pan.  Skillet is hot, butter has melted. Place "sandwich" in batter for two seconds, turn over (my gracious this is a delicate task!), and put in skillet.  A minute or two on one side, turn over.  A minute or two on the other.  Remove from pan, slice diagonally, arrange nicely on plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar - and ta-ta! My first ever stuffed French toast!

Now, to serve the guests I will add a garnish of sliced strawberries that are heart-shaped and the enormous fresh blackberries and a couple of slices of fresh-from-the-warming-oven bacon.  But this is just a test cook for me - so I get to immediately dig in!  Oh, my.  It is so light and warm and the flavor is wonderfully delicious! Why! I'm a good cook!  (Of course I am - that's why Granpa married me!)

Test #2 comes after supper when I serve this delicious concoction to Granpa for desert. Mind you, it's not the relatively heavy apple pie or German chocolate cake one traditionally serves, but truthfully it's a much healthier desert than those are.  And... and... he likes it!  (I can hear the crowds roar their approval, and I mentally take my bows!)  Now to do the dishes.