Mom will surely appreciate anything you make for her, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner on Mother’s Day, but a few styling tricks will make the presentation something special and she’ll always remember the extra effort. She doesn’t have to know how easy it really is!
Breakfast:
This tip is from the February 2005 Sunset Magazine: Lightly oil a heart-shaped cookie cutter and put it in the middle of a shallow bowl. Fill it with yogurt or jam. Now surround the cookie cutter with regular oatmeal or cream of wheat. Remove the cookie cutter and you have a little love in the middle of the oatmeal!
If Mom is more an eggs and toast girl, make a variation of toad-in-the-hole by using the heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a hole in the middle of a piece of bread. Butter the bread and place it in a frying pan. Break and egg and carefully pour it into the cut-out heart. Fry the bread and egg until the egg is cooked through. Add a little salt and pepper and serve.
You can also use a cookie cutter to cut a few shapes out of cantaloupe or watermelon to add to any breakfast plate for an easy garnish.
Make a fruit smoothie (recipes here) and pour it in a tall, clear glass. Cut a pineapple wedge, orange slice, or heart cut-out of watermelon or cantaloupe. Slice it halfway through so it will fit over the edge of the glass. Now stick in a fancy straw and you’ve got a treat.
Lunch or Dinner:
Freeze pats of butter ahead and then use a mini cookie cutter to cut the butter into shapes. Arrange on a small plate to serve with rolls or bread. Or use a tiny scoop to make curls of butter from a frozen stick of butter.
Make fancy tea sandwiches by spreading a thin layer of cream cheese on firm bread. Add lox and thinly sliced onion or thinly sliced cucumbers and top with another slice of bread. Cut off the crusts and cut into triangles or squares. Spear each sandwich with a frilly toothpick.
Thaw frozen bread dough and shape into hearts, or even spell out MOM with dough letters. Follow the baking instructions on the package and serve with her meal.
For a great-looking dessert, pour sundae sauce into a squeeze bottle. Swirl the sauce on a large plate in a spiral. Set Mom’s piece of cake or scoop of ice cream or other dessert in the middle of the plate. Or, dust the plate with cocoa powder first for a chocolate twist.