Last week at Up On Top, in honor of America’s birthday, we made flag toast.

Flag toast is a lot like French toast, with some artistic expression and colorful patriotism. It’s a good way to make use of bread that’s a little past it’s prime and to get a bit of extra protein in your sweet breakfast or snack.

Take 2 eggs, crack them in a large bowl, and whisk or fork them until they’re mixed. Add in about a quarter to a half cup of any kind of milk you have or like (I like 2% or almond milk). If you have cinnamon or vanilla extract, shake in a few dashes, otherwise skip it. Cut the bread into 4 slices (if not already) and then in half so that there are 8 rectangles. Lay them in a baking pan or on two plates, and cover with the egg mixture. Make sure that all the pieces are coated and soaking; it’s good to flip each piece over at least once to make sure that there are no dry spots. The longer it soaks, the better (you can even do it overnight! But just 10 minutes is ok too.)

Heat up a pan or electric griddle on medium. Once it’s hot, add a little oil or butter, just enough to cover the cooking area. Lay in each of the pieces and cook for a couple of minutes on each side, flipping once, as soon as the first side shows golden and the eggy part looks cooked. Remove all the toasts onto a paper towel or plate.

To decorate, spoon plain yogurt over the toast, and then use blueberries and strawberry jam to add the “stars” and stripes.

You can also make the strawberry jam using fresh chopped strawberries, sugar and a little lemon, heated over low and stirred until thickened.