Green French Toast Sticks

February's featured veggie for Veggie Buds Club is spinach! Enjoy this delicious kid-friendly way to "sneak" in some spinach (just in time for Valentine's day!) from heather_kidskitchen. Little chefs will know that greens are in this fun breakfast, but they sure won't be able to taste them. Maybe this is the dish to turn your spinach skeptic into a green lover?

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Heather is a mom of two boys, ages 5 and 3, and cooking instructor specializing in bringing cooking into preschool classrooms. After college, Heather knew she wanted to be a teacher, but first followed her lifelong dream of going to culinary school. Teaching cooking combines both of her passions, and she truly enjoys introducing young children to the joys of cooking with fresh ingredients. Find Heather on Instagram (@heather_kidskitchen), where she shares inventive kid-friendly recipes and ideas for cooking with kids at home.

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Green French Toast Sticks

Ingredients
-4 to 5 slices whole grain bread (or any bread you like)
-Coconut oil or non-stick spray
-2 eggs
-½ cup milk
-1 packed cup baby spinach 
-1 teaspoon maple syrup
-¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
-½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and grease with coconut oil or spray with non-stick spray.
2. Cut each slice of bread into three sticks and set aside.
3. Add eggs, milk, spinach, maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla to a blender. Blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and no bits of spinach remain. Pour the spinach-egg mixture into a shallow baking dish or large bowl.
4. Working with two or three pieces at a time, dip the bread into the egg mixture, allowing the bread to soak up the liquid for at least 10-15 seconds per side (have a towel nearby to wipe off little hands!). Once both sides of the bread have been dipped, allow excess to drip off then place bread on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining bread pieces.
5. Bake until bread is lightly browned and crunchy on the outside, about 14-16 minutes. Serve with maple syrup for dipping, if desired. Freeze any leftovers in a single layer until solid then place in a container or freezer bag for up to a month. Reheat in a toaster or oven at 375 degrees until warmed through, about 10 minutes.