Serve Mom kid-made waffle, pancake breakfast

Moms are generally ecstatic when their off spring proudly present a meal exclaiming, “I made you breakfast all by myself!”

It doesn’t really matter who helped, and to what extent, it’s the loving intention that matters.

Pancakes or waffles are such fun to make and can be done by most kids with a varying amount of over-the-shoulder coaching. Older kids and teenagers can just about be left on their own with an occasional parental cruise through the kitchen.

I especially like the Overnight Yeast Waffles; the batter is made the night before, and is baked in the morning. Check out, too, Overnight Pain Perdu (French toast) that’s prepared beforehand and refrigerated until ready to be sautéed on Mothers’ Day morning.

The Oven Pancake is easy, too. Make up the batter, pour it in a well-greased oven-proof skillet and pop it into the oven. Serve the wedges right from the pan.

Choose from these recipes and make Mom a breakfast to give her a truly memorable day.

But don’t forget to add the bacon! How about a fool-proof, non hazardous, non-spatter method for cooking bacon?

It’s quick, easy, and requires no clean up. Add coffee and juice, and a vase with a flower or two for a perfect start to Mothers’ Day.

Overnight Yeast Waffles

Make the batter the night before, and the next morning, cook on a hot waffle iron.

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/4 cups warm water

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup lukewarm milk

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 beaten eggs

The night before serving, dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix in flour and let stand overnight in a warm, draft-free place. Mix together the milk, honey, melted butter, salt, and eggs. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, heat the waffle iron. If it has a non-stick coating, there is no need to grease. Otherwise, spray with pan spray BEFORE heating. Mix together the flour mixture and the milk mixture. Spoon the batter onto each plate being careful not to over fill; allow room for the waffles to rise. Cook until the steam stops, for about 5 minutes. Makes 6 servings.

Favorite Waffles

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 egg yolks

1 cup milk

1/4 cup cooking oil

3 egg whites

Stir dry ingredients together. Beat in egg yolks, milk, and oil. Stir until just smooth. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites to a thick foam and add them gently to the mixture.

The next morning, heat the waffle iron. If it has a non-stick coating, there is no need to grease. Otherwise, spray with pan spray BEFORE heating. Spoon the batter onto each plate being careful not to over fill; allow room for the waffles to rise. Cook until the steam stops, for about 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Pain Perdu

8 slices French bread, 3/4 inch thick

4 eggs

1 cup milk

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

Confectioners’ sugar

In an 8 x 12 x 2-inch baking pan arrange bread in a single layer. Beat together the eggs, milk, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread. Turn slices to coat evenly.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, heat the butter or margarine in a skillet. Sauté the bread slices until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Makes 4 servings.

Oven Pancake

6 eggs

1 cup flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 jar favorite fruit preserves for topping

1 small container sour cream for topping

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Beat eggs until foamy. Stir together the flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with flour. Beat until smooth.

Pour butter in the bottom of a 10-inch skillet or casserole, tilting it to distribute the butter on the bottom and up the sides. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. Remove from oven. Top with fruit preserves. Stir together sour cream, 1 teaspoon sugar, and vanilla. Cut pancake into wedges and serve right from the pan. Pass the sour cream for topping. Makes 4 servings.

Basic Pancakes

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar (optional)

3 eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup melted butter or margarine

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add to the flour mixture. Add milk and butter. Stir until just moistened.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup pour batter onto a hot greased griddle. Fry until bubbles on the surface start to burst. Turn and fry for 30 seconds more. Makes 20 pancakes, 4 to 5 inches in diameter.

Apple Pancakes

1 recipe Basic Pancakes (above)

4 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced

Cinnamon sugar

Prepare batter as above. Prepare the apples, slicing thin to get 5 slices, not counting the small end slices, from each apple. You can prepare them the night before; dip the slices in orange juice and store in a plastic baggie. When ready to use, pat dry with paper towels.

Fry pancakes as directed above. As pancakes’ bubbles start to break, place an apple slice on each. Turn and fry for 1 additional minute. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Makes 20 pancakes, 4 to 5 inches in diameter.

Jiffy Microwave Bacon

Simply fold a section of the St. Tammany News (after reading it, of course) to fit the turn table of the microwave. Make sure it is small enough to turn when the turntable does. In a large microwave, you can fold the newspaper section in half. Fit a double layer of paper toweling on the newspaper. Lay slightly overlapping bacon strips on the paper towels. Cover with a single layer of paper towels.

For 6 to 8 strips, microwave for 2 minutes. Check the bacon, rearranging strips, if necessary, with a fork or tongs. Continue to microwave in 30 second intervals until done the way you like it.

Remove the strips with tongs and drain on fresh paper toweling. Afterwards, roll up the greasy newspaper and toss it in the trash.

Repeat as necessary to cook more strips.