Pour some sugar on me...cinnamon sugar to be exact

Ahhhh, the smell of cinnamon & sugar toast. It's one of those smells that'll take you back a few years. My mom wasn't into buying anything processed in our house, so when it came to sweets and treats - you made it yourself...and trust me, it was worth it. So, today for a snack, we made this heavenly toast and both kids ate it up! I wonder why they don't get that excited for meatloaf? But this is a really easy and quick treat that the kids can help with and they look forward to.

Here's what you'll need: Bread; I use whole wheat, but any sandwich sized sliced bread will work. A baking sheet; I covered mine in aluminum foil just because it's easier to clean up. Butter or margarine; as you can see I've purchased the Omega enriched margarine spread. I only bought this because I have a coupon for it, and those of you who know me know that coupons are my second best friend. You'll also need a knife to spread your butter with. Yes, you can use your fingers if you want to make clean up easier, but do you really want to...I didn't think so. Also in the picture is a pink kids knife from IKEA. I know I've bragged about their plates before, but the cutlery is the shizzle to my nizzle for the kids. And here's the best part...you see that little plastic jar next to the bread? That's the magic that'll make your life that much easier. It's by the Domino Sugar company and it's a perfect mixed blend of cinnamon and sugar in a little shaker bottle (I bought it for $0.99). Of course, you can mix the cinnamon and sugar yourself from scratch, but I NEVER get the right consistency. I either get too much cinnamon or too much sugar. My mother always got it right, she still does - and since I'm not able to - this little clever invention is right up my alley. It's perfectly sized for little hands as you'll see in the following picture.
So, first preheat the broiler in your oven or your toaster oven. Then spread a light coat of butter on your bread. I stress the words "light coat"; you really don't want a lot of butter here - it's just to help the cinnamon and sugar stick nicely. Then have your little guys sprinkle on as much or as little of the mixture that you'll let them have. I wouldn't lay it on thick or anything, but if that's what you want, I won't be a dog in that fight - I say enjoy! Anyways, after you've got your mixture on, pop it in the oven and turn on your oven light to watch the magic happen. The kids LOVE this part. It doesn't take long, about 30 seconds to a minute, depending on how charred you like your cinnamon and sugar. I do want to stress the fact that you really need to watch it closely because burnt sugar smells like...well, really nasty and all the Glade candles in the world can't cover it up. Not that I know that for a fact, I'm just assuming that that's what would happen...I mean, I've never burnt anything, I always make my toast perfect and those of you who do burn things, well shame on you (insert sarcasm here).

Here it is! The most perfect, quick, sugary snack for the day. Oh, btw, my 4 year old wanted me to tell you that the best way to wash this down is with a big glass of milk. Yeah...I taught him that (insert proud mom patting herself on the back here). Enjoy and let me know of any variations that you have!

D