Issue 3, Volume 3, 2006

Mother’s Day Ideas

I love a good brunch and if I had my druthers I would spend Mother's Day at the fanciest brunch in town, repeatedly filling my plate with small tastes, sipping champagne mimosa's, pondering an afternoon nap and debating whether to save room for dessert or go back for another waffle.

I have never had a Mother's Day like that. Since being a daughter trumps being a mother, I usually end up cooking for my mother and mother-in-law and family. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing it. Eggs Benedict is my favorite but a little time intensive for a day that is supposed to be relaxing. Here are some other ideas that go together a little quicker and easier for a lovely Mother’s Day brunch, without too much work.

Baked Eggs in Ham Crisps

Pick up some good Black Forest Ham. Butter or grease 2 holes in a muffin pan - per person. Tuck the ham in each cup, like a little bowl, kind of creasing a little if necessary to make enough room for an egg. For a little “oomph”, you could brush the ham with some maple syrup before adding the egg. Preheat the oven to 400. Crack an egg into each ham cup. Bake these for 15-18 minutes, depending on how done you like your eggs. Voila! Use a tablespoon to remove the ham cup intact. Buy some cantaloupe halves from the grocery store and use them as fruit bowls. Cut off a little flat slice on the bottom, if needed, to stand up and then fill with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. Add a store bought croissant (Bread Co. is worth the stop.) Then make a “fancy” butter by mixing your favorite jam with softened butter along side. A bouquet of flowers always dresses up the table!

For a fancier version, sauté mushrooms and shallots until tender, add a little fresh thyme or tarragon and then stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream and divide among ham cups.

Blueberry Oven French Toast

I haven’t made this but I found it looking for recipes and it sounds really good! Most of the work is done the night before. Layers of Italian bread soaked in an eggy mixture overnight then covered with fresh blueberries and a brown sugar topping and then baked. http://www.bbonline.com/recipe/libertyhill_ma_recipe3.html Serve it with real maple syrup. Add some butter and pecans to the syrup and warm in the microwave or on the stove. Serve in a gravy boat. Or serve with warm blueberry syrup with more berries tossed in.

If that doesn’t float your boat – try one of these French toast recipes.

I still wish I was going out to brunch but at least I won’t be a slave to the stove! And I do get to skip the dishes.

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Lisa Waldschmidt is a Personal Chef and Caterer. To learn more about Lisa and her services, check out HaveWhiskWillTravel.com. For questions, ideas for the newsletter or comments, click here.