Mother's Day Homemade Brunch and Drink Recipes with Serving Ideas

Mother's Day is the day we make our Moms feel special. One creative way of doing that is to make a homemade brunch for your Mother. What better gift to give than you serving your Mom a specially cooked Mother's Day brunch just for her? Here are some recipes for a Happy Mother's Day homemade brunch along with some ideas for decorating her meal, to add that special from the heart Mother's Day Touch!

Broccoli And Cheese Egg Omelette Turnover

Ingredients

2 eggs
dash of milk
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup cooked broccoli
1/2 teaspoon of butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
one teaspoon of water

Mix all of these ingredients together with a fork

Pour mixture into a preheated frying pan

Let cook on medium heat until mixture is almost solid

Take a spatula or large spoon, go around edges, on one side and gently flip one side of mixture onto the other.

This resembles an egg turnover and after cooking a minute, flip entire omelette over, cook another minute and place on a plate.

If your Mother does not care for broccoli, substitute 1/2 cup chopped cooked ham in place of broccoli.

Fabulous French Toast

Ingredients

2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar
2 slices of white bread
Syrup
1 cup of sliced fresh fruit: you can use bananas, strawberries, peaches or pineapple

Mix beaten eggs, vanilla and cinnamon in a bowl.

Dip each slice of white bread in egg mixture, completely coat each slice, on both sides.

Place slices of coated white bread in a preheated frying pan, cooking on medium heat a few minutes on each side. Flip until lightly browned and egg mixture is done on each side.

Place french toast on a plate, cover with syrup and pour sliced fresh fruit over the top.

Mom's Mother's Day Coffee

1 cup of prepared instant or perked black coffee.
Add sugar, milk and a dash of vanilla flavoring to the coffee. Add these or your Mom's favorite coffee creamer, such as french vanilla. With this coffee, the key is to put your Mother's favorite flavor in it. It can be flavored with a bit of melted chocolate or plain cream. She will enjoy the special coffee creation made just for her!

For The Mom that likes Mexican food, the next Mother's Day homemade brunch menu idea is a winner!

Mexican Eggs

Ingredients

2 beaten eggs
1/2 cup of salsa
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
dash of salt
dash of black pepper

Mix all ingredients, pour into a preheated skillet and scramble with a tablespoon, until done. Put on plate.

Mexican Brunch Burgers

1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup of salsa
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup of white bread pieces
dash of salt
dash of black pepper

Mix all ingredients together well and form into thin, small patties. Fry in frying pan, turning until both sides are browned.

These are great served with the Mexican Eggs. They both make a hearty Mother's Day homemade brunch that is delicious. Serve with orange juice, cokes or tea.

Any of these Mother's Day homemade brunch menus can served in a special way. You can serve them on a tray complete with a Mother's Day card, a lovely rose or other type flower and a special magazine that your Mother enjoys reading. You can also place these items around a table and set up a wonderful Mother's Day homemade brunch. If you decide to serve your Mother's Day homemade brunch on a table, Place a lovely rose or flowers in a vase. Put this vase in the center of the table. Then place your Mother's Day card and gift in front of the vase. Arrange your Mother's Day homemade brunch on the table. This will make a beautiful setting for your Mother to enjoy her homemade Mother's Day brunch!

For a great and relaxing Mother's Day homemade drink for your Mother, I will share with you one more recipe.

The Momtini

1 glass of seven-up or sprite
1 shot of vodka
1 twist of lime or splash of lime juice
3 ice cubes

Mix, serve and let your Mother enjoy!

Have a wonderful Mother's Day!


By Bridgitte Williams

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Cooking with Cactus Nopales Cactus Recipes

While strolling down the ethnic food isle at your local grocery store, you may have noticed a can or jar labeled nopales cactus. Unless you've dined in Mexico, you may have been a little confused and probably passed it up. If your local grocer carries nopales in jars, youve seen that they basically look like slices of green pepper. If youre lucky enough to live in an area where you can buy whole cactus pads, youve probably seen that they basically look like well, cactus. Though many Americans have never tried it, nopales cactus has become a major cash crop in Mexico thanks to its growing popularity in Asia and across the Americas.

If youre ready to try something new, cooking with cactus is a great way to add a new twist to many of your favorite dishes. It's healthy too! Cactus isnt just great in typical tex-mex dishes (chili, tacos, fajitas, etc.); it can also be used on pizzas, in spaghetti, in hot and cold salads, and countless other dishes.

A quick note before you start putting nopales cactus in your meals: I strongly recommend rinsing the cactus pieces in cool water and patting them dry before you use them. This is not just to get rid of the brine taste on jarred or canned cactus; it's also because nopales can take on an unpleasant slimy quality that most people will want to get rid of. And if youre in a location where you can get whole, fresh cactus, be sure to peel all the spines off!

Note that no matter how much rinsing you do, nopales cactus pads are still going to have a silky, slippery texture somewhat similar to okra. If you cant stand slimy food, you may want to steer clear of cooking with cactus altogether.

But if you think a little slime has never hurt anyone, and youre ready to try cooking with cactus, here are two quick and easy recipes to get you startedone for breakfast and one for dinner.

NOPALES SCRAMBLED EGGS
I first had a version of this dish at a hostel in Mexico. With its texture and taste, cactus really adds a whole new dimension to this old-school breakfast favorite.

Ingredients:
Butter or oil
? cup sliced or diced nopales cactus
? cup diced onion
4 eggs
Milk (optional)
8 oz. shredded Colby-jack cheese
Red and black pepper to taste

Begin by saut?ing the cactus and onion in butter or oil for about 5 minutes. Remove them from the pan. Beat the eggs in a bowlsplash in some milk if you likeand then add the cactus, onion, cheese, red and black pepper, and any other seasonings youd like. Scramble this mixture in a hot skillet and serve.

This should make a good breakfast for 2 people and it tastes great topped with salsa or hot sauce.

CHICKEN-CACTUS CHILI
This is a Frankenstein concoction that I pieced together from a few other recipes and some of my own ideas. It doesnt taste like a normal beef-and-beans chili, but I think its pretty darn delicious in its own right.

Ingredients:
? onion, diced
? cup sliced or diced nopales cactus
1.5 pounds chicken, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chili beans
1 (small) can tomato sauce

In a pan, saut? the onions until theyre soft. Add the cactus and chicken and continue saut?ing until the chicken is fully cooked. While the chicken is cooking, you may want to add black pepper, red pepper, or any other seasonings that you feel are appropriate.

Once the chicken is ready, dump in the tomatoes (dont drain their juices), tomato sauce, and chili beans. Add the chili powder and stir it all together. Put a cover on it; let it simmer for 20 minutes and youll be ready to treat yourself to a unique and delicious chili.

And remember, cactus is like any other ingredient: you'll get the most enjoyment out of it when you experiment. To invent your own cactus recipes, try using nopales in place of okra or green peppers, or see if you can find a place for cactus in your favorite Italian, Cajun, and Asian dishes.



By Trent Sandusky

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Yummy and Quick Dip Recipes for the 4th of July

Quick and easy 4th of July recipes can be hard to find. It is my pleasure to share a few recipes that I have found. Most 4th of July recipes center around grilling outside or the BBQ. So, let me pass along a few quick and easy recipes that can accompany that kind of meal. All of the recipes are for larger crowds. The first recipe will fool anyone into thinking you have spent a lot of time preparing this great salsa. The recipe an also be amended to your own taste without great effort.

Ron's Salsa

1 Jar pre-made salsa, about 12 oz.

2 standard cans of Mexican style stewed tomatoes

1 bunch fresh cilantro (can find in grocery by the fresh parsely)

? diced onion

1 clove minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder

1 bunch diced green onions

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. sugar ( to cut acid)

Choose whatever heat you want in your pre-made salsa. Put stewed tomatoes in a large bowl and use a hand blender to chop up tomatoes to the size you prefer. Add all other ingredients. We prefer a lot of cilantro, but you can adjust it to your preference. Cut off the roots of the cilantro and use everything else. Chop the cilantro, along with leaves and stems into tiny pieces and mix in. Try to let set in the refrigerator overnight, for the flavors to mingle. Great with corn chips, vegetables, taco salads, grilled meats, etc.

Another quick and easy recipe for the 4th is a great dip that our family has amended over the years. We are asked to bring it to most gatherings and there is never anything left.

Creamy Dip

1 sm. bottle ranch dressing

1 smallest jar of real mayonnaise

1 8 oz. sour cream

2 tsp. dill

1 tsp. garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic

1 tsp. celery seed

2 stalks celery, minced fine

1 sm. onion, minced fine

? tsp. celery seed

? tsp black pepper

? red pepper flakes

? tsp cumin

? tsp oregano

salt to taste

Mix all of the above together and let set in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the flavors to mix well. We use this dip for a vegetable tray. Our friends have expanded its use to buffalo wings and even gyros. Enjoy!

Our last contribution to the 4th of July festivities is a great dip for fruits. It is really quite surprising the first time you try it. This recipe tastes just like caramel but is much better for you.

Cream Cheese Caramel Dip

2 blocks of cream cheese-must be room temperature

? cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 tsp vanilla

Mix well and leave in refrigerator until serving. Then, put out about 15 minutes before serving. Although, best with apples, it is great with most fruit. I have used this recipe over a warm coffee cake as a drizzle. YUM!

I hope that everyone enjoys the quick and easy recipes that we use for the 4th of

July.

By Brenda Gibson

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