Mother’s Day Breakfast Menu by Guest Blogger Jennifer Mitchell

My favorite Mother’s Day memory is the year my brother, sister and I (all in elementary school) pooled our money together and bought as much chocolate fudge as we could afford from our mother’s coveted chocolate emporium. As Mom is a chocoholic, she was thrilled. And so were we, since, for some reason, we bought way too much chocolate for just one person.

The memory inspired me to create a Mother’s Day menu designed with children in mind. Adult supervision is required, but the kids can do most of the work.

Breakfast in Bed for Mom

Breakfast is the easiest meal to prepare. And after all the tedious work that Moms do, they deserve a day to sleep in and enjoy a day off. Start the day off right with the most important meal of the day. And if there’s chocolate involved, prepared by loving hands, it’s sure to be an extra good day.

Breakfast Menu

• French Toast au Chocolat
• Sage seasoned sausage patties
• Fresh strawberries
• Coffee or tea
• Freshly squeezed orange juice

Recipes by Jennifer Mitchell

French Toast au Chocolat Recipe
This is easy for children to help prepare, as it bakes in the oven instead of cooking on the stove.

• 1 baguette – a day old
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4  cup sugar
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4  teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• Chocolate sauce

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Lightly butter a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, slice the baguette into 1-inch slices, and place the slices into the pan.
3. In a bowl beat the eggs, then whisk in the milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over the bread, and let it soak for 15 minutes.
4. Bake the French toast for 30 to 40 minutes, until the egg mixture is set. Remove from the oven.
5. Place the French toast on plates, dust with confectioner’s sugar. Finish by drizzling the chocolate syrup over the top.

Sage Sausage Patties Recipe
You can always buy the ready-made variety. But if you’re in the mood for a special treat, why not make your own?

• 1 pound ground fresh pork, chilled
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon canola oil

1. In a bowl combine the ingredients, except for the oil, in a bowl and chill for an hour.
2. Divide the mixture into 8 balls and flatten into patties.
3. In a skillet heat the oil over moderate heat until it is hot but not smoking. Fry the patties for 3 minutes on each side and drain them on paper towels.

Presentation
Moms love a nice place setting. Start with a breakfast tray lined with a personalized placemat. This can be made from any kind of paper you have around the house. Have the kids make a special drawing or decorate it with stickers, glitter or whatever art supplies you have in the house.

A flower, cut from the garden, adds a nice touch. For extra fun, garnish Mom’s plate with photo cutouts of the kids taped or glued onto toothpicks.

>>> Sourcing:
Buy online: Mother’s Day Card by scarycarriecreates [etsy.com] – price: $3.75 USD
Buy online: Cooking Owl – Limited Edition Print by barkingbirdart [etsy.com] – price: $9 USD
Buy online: Joy Bed in a Bag [Target] – price: $71.99 – $109.99 USD
Photo credit: French Toasts covered with oatmeal, picture by Kim Vallee – rights reserved
Guest Blogger: Jennifer Mitchell [Design Hole]