 In the midst of a long week there are a few certain things (of course all food related) that help keep us going until the weekend. One of those being a lazy, late morning, carb loaded breakfast; I mean hey we've earned it right? But on the topic of carbs we have to remind you that not all are created equal especially when it comes to bread. If it's not baked at home then you have to remember to check ingredients lists, you won't believe what can be hiding in there! So lets talk about an optimal bread to keep this delicious breakfast nutritionally on track because delicious doesn't have to mean guilty, but you already knew that.  So it seems like a pretty easy concept - whole wheat bread is healthier than white - but as you may be learning, food choices are not always that staright forward. That's because of efforts in the processed food industry to keep production prices low while still appealing to health concious consumers. Ideally a whole wheat or whole grain bread should contain, surprise, whole wheat, grains and maybe nuts and seeds. But what you'll find when looking at ingredient labels is a whole lot more, including high fructose corn syrup, refined oils (soybean and canola), a variety of difficult to pronounce chemicals, and even coloring agents to create that deep brown color associated with whole grains. Question though - if you're using real, whole grain ingredients then why would the bread need to be colored? Our point exactly. We invite you to start looking at those ingredient lists in the store or around your home and see what you find. You may be shocked but don't be scared because there are plenty of better options and we will help you find them. To start, a quality bread should be 100% organic and free of artificial ingredients. The main and first ingredients on the ingredient list should be unrefined grains, nuts and seeds and if possible these ingredients be sprouted for optimal nutrient absorption and digestion. Also remember that in general, the shorter the ingredient list the better. Per slice, look for a bread that contains at least 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber. Silver Hills Hemptation bread is the bread we featured in this recipe. As you already know we are obsessed with anything containing the miraculous hemp seed! Silver Hills Bakery is based out of Canada and their line of delicious bread can be purchased at Whole Foods and Target. You can also use their handy store locator to find other stores near you carrying their products. We love this bread because of the simple and wholesome ingredients we found on the ingredient list; including non- GMO and vegan certified whole sprouted wheat, hulled hemp seeds, water, cane sugar, vital wheat gluten, yeast, sea salt, cultured wheat, and citric acid. Per slice, hemptation contains 7 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber, making this a superior choice to most of the breads you'll find down the standard bread aisle. Okay, so now it's time to find your favorite bread using these tips and get to into the kitchen!  Egg-less French Toast PREP TIME: 15 mins TOTAL TIME: 30 mins Servings: 2 Ingredients Egg-less French Toast 4 slices of high quality, nutrient rich bread 1 cup almond milk 1 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup oatmeal flour 3 Tbsp ground flax seed 1 Tbsp coconut sugar 1-2 Tbsp organic grass fed butter 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 vanilla bean (scrap out the insides of the pod) OR 1 tsp pure vanilla extract A drizzle of pure maple syrup over the top Filling 3/4 cup full fat Greek style yogurt 1/4 cup full fat ricotta cheese 1/2 cup raspberries or berries of your choice In a medium wide bottomed bowl, combine the almond milk, oatmeal flour, ground flax seed, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Stir all ingredients until fully combined. Allowed the mixture to sit until the batter becomes thick, about five minutes. Place chopped walnut on to a large plate and set aside. Combine Greek yogurt and ricotta cheese in a bowl. Mix until fully combined then set aside. Turn a large skillet or large saute pan to medium heat, add 1 Tbsp butter and allow to melt coating the entire bottom of the skillet. Careful dip bread in wet mixture one slice at a time, working fast so the bread does not become too soggy and break. Coat each side of bread in chopped walnuts then place in the hot pan/skillet with melted butter. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side. TIP: watch the bread closely, if the temperature on your stove top is too high the bread will burn quickly! We have a smaller pan which only cooks 2 slices at a time. If this is the case for you as well, make sure to clean your pan in between batches to remove burnt butter and walnuts for best results with the next two slices. Once you have all four slices cooked cut the bread in half (triangle style) add 1/4 cup of yogurt & ricotta mixture to the top of one triangle. Arrange berries on top of filling and place the other triangle on top to make a sandwich. Continue to do this until you have made four, half sandwiches, 2 per plate. Lightly drizzle pure maple syrup over the top and dig in!  Okay so is there anything better than perfectly cooked french toast slathered with real maple syrup? Simply, no way! So next time you're in need of a decadent weekend breakfast please remember this recipe. And we hope you'll be thinking about your choices next time you find yourself in the bread aisle because nourishing your body with good ingredients is the right choice any day of the week. Wishing you a lazy Sunday, Jess and Cecelia 
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