Start the day off right for the mom in your life with a delicious brunch followed by a day of pampering! Follow these easy recipes to start her day off right.


Mother's Day Meal Planner

Menu:
Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls
Orange-Pineapple Juice
Ham and Cheese Casserole

Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup margarine, melted
4 1/2 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast

1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, softened

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

3. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F

4. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.


Orange-Pineapple Juice


Ingredients

2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup pineapple juice
3 scoops orange sherbet
2 pineapple ring

Directions

1. Place orange juice, pineapple juice, and orange sherbet into a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into two glasses, and garnish each with a pineapple ring.


Ham and Cheese Casserole


Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon mustard powder
3 cups cubed fully cooked ham
8 ounces Cheddar cheese, cubed
3 cups cubed day old French bread
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1 dash hot pepper sauce
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Generously grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with softened butter. Stir together flour and mustard powder. Place ham and Cheddar cubes in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with flour mixture, and toss until evenly coated. Add bread cubes and toss to mix. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and hot pepper sauce.

2. Pour 1/3 of the bread mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth out to form a layer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of butter, and sprinkle with 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Repeat twice more to form three layers. Pour egg mixture over the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 hours to overnight.

3. The next morning, remove casserole from refrigerator, remove plastic wrap, and allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4. Bake uncovered in preheated oven until the eggs have set, and the top is golden brown and crispy, about 1 hour.


Serving Mom:

-Breakfast in bed: Place food on decorative plates and serve on a folding tray adorned with a small bouquet of flowers.
-Family Tree: Set dining table with formal dinnerware and place cut branches from a flowering tree in a large vase in the center of the table. Hang old favorite photos from branches with ribbon.