ALT-1 Mothers Day Traditions Memorable Ways to Celebrate
The menu is pretty simple. You'll be serving Heart Fried Eggs with herb butter, Corned Beef Hash and Potatoes, Strawberry Shortcake, spiced hot tea or gourmet flavored coffee and ice cold bottled spring water. Present this feast on a pretty breakfast setting such as a large cutting board covered with an eye catching spring motif napkin, along with some fresh cut flowers and she will simply love it. But first you have to make preparations before the magic day.
Several days before Mother's Day you will need to take a trip to the supermarket. For this menu you'll need eggs, unsalted butter, dried herbs (such as parsley, oregano, thyme or marjoram), and a loaf of hearty sliced bread like whole wheat and honey, or all-grain. Rounding out the menu, pick up a 12 oz. can of corned beef, a medium russet potato, an onion, a package of prepared baked strawberry shortcakes, a container of sliced strawberries with added sugar, a container of Cool Whip or Reddie Whip, and a pint of fresh strawberries if available. For the drinks, surprise her with spiced hot tea and honey or instant gourmet flavored coffee such as International Delight. Of course pick up a small container of half and half t o serve with the tea or coffee. A bottle of pure spring water completes the meal. At the last minute, find some colorful cut flowers for the place setting. Your shopping is now complete!
When you get home with your items, you will first need to take care of the cut flowers. Follow the directions on the package that they came with and put them in water so they'll be pretty and fresh for the big day. (Most cut flowers stay fresh and perky for a week if they are taken care of properly). Put your other items in the pantry and refrigerator. If your container of sliced strawberries is frozen, leave it on the counter to thaw.
To save time in the morning, you can prepare the corned beef hash and herb butter the night before. You can then just microwave the hash and set the butter out to soften when you are ready to cook the meal. For the hash, first peel and dice your russet potato. Add the pieces to a pot of salted boiling water and cook until they are tender, about 10 minutes or so. Strain the potatoes. Dice up half of the onion. In a skillet, pour in a small amount of vegetable oil and heat until hot. Add the diced onions and stir them until they're soft, careful that you don't burn them. Open up your can of corned beef and crumble it and add it to the onions. Stir to incorporate the onion into the corned beef and also to get the right consistency of hash. Next, add the potatoes and stir for a minute or so. After everything is mixed nicely, take the skillet off of the heat to cool. After cooked and cooled, transfer the hash to a plastic microwave proof container and refrigerate it until the next morning.
The herb butter is really easy to make. Have one stick of butter at room temperature. Put the stick in a bowl. Add whichever herb or combination of herbs that you like to the softened butter. Mash the butter with a fork to mix it in with the herbs. When finished, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Most of the hard work is now done!
The morning of the big day, first check to see if the sliced strawberries are thawed. If not, microwave the container with the plastic cover partially pulled back and the lid askew for about 4-5 minutes on the defrost cycle, stirring every so often. Next, bring out the herb butter to soften, and two or three eggs (depending on how many you're going to serve Mom) to temper to room temperature. Also, take out the strawberry shortcakes and bread. Fill the kettle with cold water to put on the boil for spiced tea or instant gourmet coffee.
Next, set your place setting before you start cooking. Use a nice wooden cutting board (or whatever type of cutting board you have) with a pretty napkin over it, your best silverware, a lovely coffee mug or tea cup and a beautiful water goblet or glass. Since you're going to set the food onto the napkin and board, don't forget to have another matching napkin folded underneath the silverware. Add the finishing touch, the cut flowers in a vase and you're ready to cook!
To start cooking the breakfast, first take two or three slices of bread and with a sharp paring knife, cut a heart-shaped piece out of the center of each slice. Then spread each slice of the cut bread generously and carefully with the herb butter. Do the same to the heart pieces. Then in a large skillet, spray cooking spray and heat the pan.
Place the buttered slices of bread carefully into the pan. Let the slices brown to a golden color. It will take about two to three minutes. The slowly and gently flip the toast and heart pieces. Break an egg into each heart shaped hole. Cover the skillet and cook for about five minutes until the whites of the eggs turn opaque. While the eggs are cooking, put your container of corned beef hash into the microwave and set on high for about two to five minutes. Then turn the fire on the kettle.
Now, assemble the strawberry shortcake. Take a shortcake and place it on a pretty dessert plate. Spoon the sliced strawberries generously over the cake. Top with the whipped cream. Wash and slice a couple of fresh strawberries and place them on top of the whipped cream and on to the sides of the plate for a garnish. Set the dessert in the refrigerator until serving time.
When the Heart Fried Eggs are done, using a spatula, carefully transfer them onto a warmed platter. Add the heart-shaped pieces to the plate for yolk dipping. Then spoon several tablespoons of the hot hash onto the plate. Make the tea or coffee, and pour the spring water into the water goblet. Add the strawberry shortcake to the place setting and serve! Your Mom, Grandmother, Mother-in-Law or wife will appreciate your thoughtfulness and enjoy your beautiful and scrumptious Mother's Day Brunch!
