By Jamal had been training with his team through a voluntary summer workout program and came home for a weekend late in July looking different — not taller exactly, but denser, more solid, like someone who had been rebuilt with sturdier material. He moved with a kind of physical confidence that was new, and I told him he looked like a linebacker advertisement, which he took as a compliment.
We spent most of Saturday together, which doesn't happen as often as it used to now that we're different ages doing different things. We drove to Portage's snowball stand on Thomas Road and ate snowballs in the parking lot in the afternoon heat — mine cream of coconut and strawberry, his some extreme blue raspberry situation that turned his mouth completely blue. I took a picture that he immediately demanded I delete. I did not delete it.
He was opening up about the scholarship possibilities in a way he hadn't before. A few programs had reached out through his coach. He didn't want to name them yet in case nothing came through, but there was a seriousness to how he spoke about it that I understood was protective — he was keeping the hope small and close so it couldn't be taken away from him. I understood that completely. Hope that lives in your chest instead of out loud in the air is safer. Sometimes.
We talked about what it would mean for our family if he got a full scholarship somewhere. For Mama and Daddy, who had worked hard for everything and spent money on football camps and gear and fees for years. For Jamal himself, getting to play at a level he'd been aiming at since he was nine years old. For me, watching my big brother become who he was always trying to be.
I made us a late-night snack before bed: fried plantains with honey and cinnamon, a recipe I had gotten from my friend Destiny's mother who is from Honduras. Sweet and warm and slightly caramelized at the edges. Jamal ate half the pan and said they were the best thing he'd eaten in weeks. I told him that was the saddest thing I'd heard all summer. He agreed.
Those plantains I made that night were good — Jamal ate half the pan and that’s the highest compliment he knows how to give — but the spirit of that recipe, warm and sweet and golden and made for sharing late at night when everything feels a little more honest, translates beautifully into this Cinnamon French Toast. It’s the same kind of food: simple, fast, soft in the middle and caramelized at the edges, the kind of thing you make not because you planned it but because someone you love is sitting at your kitchen table. When hope is living quietly in someone’s chest and you can’t say the big things out loud, you make something warm and slide it across the counter instead.
Cinnamon French Toast
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices brioche or Texas toast bread
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Honey, for drizzling
- Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Make the custard. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt until fully combined and slightly frothy.
- Heat the skillet. Place a large non-stick skillet or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and let it melt, swirling to coat the pan. When the butter begins to foam, it’s ready.
- Soak the bread. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, letting it soak for about 20–30 seconds per side so the custard fully saturates the bread without making it soggy.
- Cook the toast. Place 2 soaked slices into the skillet. Cook for 2—3 minutes per side until each slice is deep golden brown and the edges are slightly caramelized. Repeat with remaining butter and bread slices.
- Finish and serve. Transfer to plates immediately. Drizzle generously with honey, dust with powdered sugar if desired, and serve warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 280 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 210mg