French Toast Fridays...

Good morning! Since it's been about a month from my first French Toast Friday post, I thought it was time to for another french toast experience. And, for any fathers and children out there looking for a fairly simple breakfast to make for "mom" on Mother's Day....this is for you! The name of this delectable dish is "Stenberg French Toast." A little story....

My mother and father were married in Japan, far away from any family members. As a young married wife, my mother made American style french toast for my father one morning. As he ate it, he said, "This is different than my mother's french toast." Well...no young wife wants to hear that! She asked, "What was her french toast like?" Dad replied something like, "Well, it was crispier...not so eggy...I believe she fried it in oil." Mom, a good cook, got to work and began experimenting...tweaking the standard french toast recipes until one day, Dad said, "This is it! You nailed it!" So, Mom made french toast his way...the "Stenberg" way...from then on. That's the only french toast we kids ever knew growing up.

Upon their return from Japan, mom and dad lived in Minnesota for a year or so, then moved to Los Angeles for a couple years, then on to Brasil for five years. Returning to the USA, they settled in Edmonds, WA, to be near my Grandma Stenberg, who was not in good health. Almost all of my dad's 8 brothers and sisters lived in the Puget Sound area too. We spent a lot of time with our aunts, uncles, and cousins..36 of us in all! My mother helped watch the three daughters of dad's sister, Lydia, since she was a nurse at Stevens Hospital. One day, mom happened to fix french toast when Aunt Lydia was around, and mentioned the story of having to figure out the recipe for their mother's french toast while she and dad lived in Japan. As Lydia ate it, she said, "I don't recall my mother making french toast like this!" Mom was surprised...surely Lydia would have helped her mother in the kitchen cooking and made something very similar to this recipe. Lydia was adamant....nope, she had never tasted anything like it! So...we never figured out where dad's idea of what french toast should taste like came from....but the recipe stuck. We all love "Stenberg" french toast....it's the best! Not the healthiest...but really, what french toast is healthy?!! Are you curious yet?....Here it is!

I halved the recipe here...

Bread dipped in batter and placed in hot oil..

French toast flipped once...see that lovely caramel color?

Bon Appetit!

Stenberg French Toast

2 eggs

2 cups of flour

2 cups of milk

dense white loaf bread, slices cut in half

vegetable oil...enough to have about an inch or so in the pan. An electric skillet with a temperature control works best...set to "fry" at around 400 to 425 degrees.

Heat the oil to fry stage. Mix the batter and dip the half slices of bread in the batter and place in hot oil. When the bottom side begins to look lightly browned, turn over and fry the other side. The french toast will puff up and get these yummy little "crunchies" on it!. When browned on both sides, remove with a fork and place on a paper towel on a plate. Serve immediately...with butter and maple syrup...or butter and jam....with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on the top. Yep, my son says it's like eating "hot breakfast donuts". Delish!

Thank you, Mom, for your persistence, and Dad, for the idea...a dream...delusional thinking... whatever :)!

You moms out there...if this looks good to you...maybe you could drop a little hint to your honey, like, "Hey, look at this blog post I saw today...doesn't this look easy and delicious?" Who knows what might come of it! Happy Mother's Day, dear friends!