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May 10, 2017 By Joe Carei for The 5 min read

Over the years, we have proven that the best way to thank Mother for all she has done is through her stomach. Making breakfast in bed and/or going out to eat are main ways we convey our thanks on Mother’s Day.

Breakfast in bed may be a great idea. But a better idea is to see if Mom wants breakfast in bed. She may want to use the bed to sleep an extra 30 minutes. If it is a go (breakfast in bed), make sure that you clean as you cook. There is nothing worse than trying to enjoy breakfast in bed and worrying about how dirty your kitchen is.

If serving breakfast in bed, you probably want to serve something that is not too crumby or can spill easily. Also, avoid making something that takes a lot of work to eat, such as something that requires a knife. Keep it simple and think about the ease of eating. Scones, stuffed crepes and baked egg cups are a couple of ideas.

Brunch type items are a win if mom wants to sleep longer and would rather eat in a normal setting. Breakfast pannini or a strata are easy and tasty. Nothing is better than waking up and coming into a relaxed setting for breakfast. By relaxed, I mean the kitchen is cleaned up from the cooking. You get the point.

If you decide to go out to eat at your favorite restaurant, remember that Mother’s Day is the busiest day of the year at most restaurants. As a restaurant owner for nearly 25 Mother’s Days, here are some points to make your restaurant visit better:

n You will not get the service you usually get on normal days. So, don’t get upset if you are not as special as usual. The owner is probably washing dishes.

n The restaurant is not a place for a family reunion. Plan to continue your visit at home, a park or anywhere else. There are people like you that made reservations after you.

n Speaking of reservations, even if you have them, you may have to wait. See previous point.

n If you are a group of more than four, make sure everyone is on time. A table of 10 with two people 20 minutes late will wreck a restaurant’s system.

No matter what you choose to do for Mom, remember that you can treat Mom great on other days, too.

Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

cup butter

1 cup dried cranberries or any dried fruit

½ cup chopped nuts-your choice

2 teaspoons finely grated zest of favorite citrus fruit

1 cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon milk or evaporated milk

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to blend. With a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and fold in dried fruit, nuts and zest. Flatten into a disc and cut like a pizza. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Arrange wedges on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Stuffed crepes

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon salt

Butter

Beat egg, milk and rest of ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Heat 8 inch nonstick pan, brush with butter. Pour cup batter in to hot, tilted pan. Rotate tilt until batter covers pan. Heat until sides curl, flip and cook another minute. Set aside to cool. Repeat.

Cream cheese filling

½ cup cream cheese room temperature

¼ cup confectioners sugar plus extra for garnish.

½ teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoon milk

Beat all ingredients until fluffy.

2 cups ripe berries, diced peaches etc.

Put about 2 tablespoons of filling in each crepe. Top with ¼ cup fruit. Roll crepe. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar. Cut in fork size pieces.

Baked egg

6 eggs

½ cup shredded cheddar

½ pound sausage cooked and crumbled

½ pound fresh spinach steamed

1 green onion chopped

Salt and pepper

1 ½ tablespoon parmesan cheese

Butter

Brush 6 custard cups with butter. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Mix together sausage, onion, spinach and cup cheese. Divide into cups. Top with raw egg. Top egg with salt, pepper and remaining cheese. Bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes. You can also line cups with phyllo dough, puff pastry rolled thin or thin pie crust, prebake then top with fillings for a crusty cup.

Breakfast pannini

Ham/bacon

Egg cooked over hard.

Slice cheese

Any bread

Arrange ham, egg and cheese in between 2 pieces of bread. Place in panini pan and cook flat until cheese melts. Cut into finger sandwiches.

Strata — Make the morning easier and prep night before.

1 ½ cups cooked vegetable-spinach, broccoli, etc

1 cup chopped ham or cooked bacon

1 small finely chopped onion

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon favorite herb

4 cups cubed bread, french or italian

1 cup shredded cheese, preferrableswiss or gruyere. Plus ¼ cup

¼ cup grated parmesan

1 ½ cups cream or milk

5 large eggs

Whisk together eggs and milk. Mix all other ingredients together and arrange in a buttered 8×8 baking dish Pour egg and milk over all. Refrigerate overnight.

Top with remaining cheese and bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve.