Treat Mom on her special day with a delicious morning meal, use seasonal fresh vegetables to

create quiches and savory dishes, or pancakes and sweet treats. Hope you will find a recipe that

your mom will love!! Happy Mother’s Day to all!!

Strawberry Stuffed French Toast

For the Filling

1 cup fresh local strawberries

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the French Toast

3 eggs

2/3 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon brown sugar

12 slices sourdough bread, slightly stale

For the filling, slice strawberries, then add them to a bowl and sprinkle granulated sugar over

them. Stir, then let sit for 10-30 minutes.

In a separate mixing bowl, add cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Beat

until smooth, then set aside.

To build the French toast, spread one side of each slice of bread with cream cheese mixture. On

half the slices, layer macerated strawberries. Place the other halves on top to form a sandwich.

In a shallow dish, whisk milk, vanilla, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

Preheat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium heat, then melt butter on it.

Dip sandwiches into the egg mixture to coat each tide, then place on griddle or skillet and cook

each side 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Serve immediately, topped as you choose with strawberries, syrup and or whipped cream.

Serves 6.

Easy Monkey Bread Muffins

Nonstick cooking spray

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tubes, 16.3 ounce, tubes buttermilk biscuits

4 tablespoons salted butter

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray and place on a

foil-lined baking sheet.

In a 1-gallon zip lock plastic bag, combine the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Open the canned

biscuits and cut each biscuit into 6 pieces, there should be 96. Drop the pieces in the bag of the

cinnamon sugar, seal and give it a shake to separate the pieces and coast each in cinnamon sugar.

Divide the biscuits pieces into 8 pieces per cup. Press down lightly so the pieces stick together.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine.

Spoon the brown sugar mixture over the biscuit pieces, about 1 teaspoon per cup.

Bake the muffins until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pan.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1

tablespoon of milk. Add the milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it is a thick and pourable. Once

done, remove the muffins to a rack. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins and serve warm. Yields

12 servings.

Cheesy Grits and Fresh Vegetables

16 stalks fresh asparagus, ends trimmed,

1 cup snap peas, ends trimmed, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 cup English peas, fresh or frozen

2 cups whole milk

2 cups water

1 cup coarse ground grits

Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

3 ounces fresh mushrooms

1 small onion, diced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 teaspoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons fresh chives, minced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, minced

4 poached eggs, kept in warm water until serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Add asparagus to water and

cook until bright green and tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to ice bath until chilled. Drain

and transfer to a paper towel-lined tray. Repeat with snap peas, and English peas. Set all

vegetables aside.

Bring milk and water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Whisking constantly, pour in

the grits. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, whisking every 2 to 3

minutes, until creamy and tender, about 25 minutes.

Remove saucepan from heat. Whisk in 4 tablespoons butter, cheddar, and parmesan cheese.

Season to taste with plenty of black pepper and more salt as necessary. Add water or milk to thin

to desired consistency if grits are too thick. Grits should be loose enough to spread out on a plate

slowly. Cover pot and set aside.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat until smoking. Add mushrooms and cook,

stirring and tossing occasionally, until well-browned on a few sides. Add onion and cook, stirring

constantly, until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add blanched vegetables, remaining 2 tablespoons

butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, and half of chives and basil. Cook, tossing and stirring constantly,

until any liquid in the pan is reduced to a saucy glaze. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set

aside off-heat.

Stir remaining herbs into grits, reserving a bit for garnish, then divide grits between four serving

plates. Top with sautéed vegetables, then with a poached egg. Garnish with remaining herbs,

season egg with salt and pepper, and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Inspired by the famous Pampered Chef Ring recipes!

Breakfast Brunch Ring

5 slices bacon, turkey or pork

6 eggs

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup diced country ham

1/3 cup chopped bell pepper, red, orange or green

1/3 cup onion, chopped

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, 17.3 ounce package, thawed

Flour, for dusting

1 cup shredded Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese

Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook the bacon, until done but not too crispy,

about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined

plate. Remove all of the bacon grease from the skillet, except for 1 tablespoon.

In a medium bowl whisk together 5 eggs with salt and pepper. Return the skillet to medium heat

and add the ham, bell pepper and onion. Cook until the bell pepper is slightly softened, 4 to 5

minutes. Add the eggs to the pan and let cook for 1 minute. With a rubber spatula, push the

cooked egg from the middles of the skillet to the edges, leaving the cooked eggs in large pieces.

Continue to do this occasionally for the next 4 minutes until the eggs are soft scrambled. Remove

the skillet from the heat and transfer the eggs to a plate.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or use a

baking stone.

Place the puff pastry square on a lightly floured cutting board. Roll the square into a rectangle 15

inches wide by 10 inches tall. Cut into 5 smaller rectangles, about 3 inches wide, then cut each

triangles around the bowl in a circle, with the shortest sides towards the bowl and overlapping

each triangle by about 1 inch. Remove the bowl to leave an opening in the center. (It truly

sounds more complicated than it is, especially if you have ever attended a Pampered Chef party.)

Cut the bacon in half and place the halves, lengthwise, at the base of each triangle. Sprinkle half

the cheese over the bacon. Spoon the egg mixture over cheese, then top with the remaining

cheese.

Trim 2 inches from the points of the triangles. Fold the ends of the triangles over the top of the

egg mixture and tuck under the dough to form a ring.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush all over the top of

the puff pastry and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake until golden and puffed, 15 to 17 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes, cut for serving. Serves 6-8.