A Romantic Breakfast in Bed

What a wonderful way to express your love, not only in hard times when money is scarce, but on any day of the week, at any time of the year.

In these hard economic times, a special gift doesn't have to be a depressing thought because of a lack of funds. Sharing a romantic morning with the one you love, over a scrumptiously delicious breakfast is a frugal, yet very special gift idea.

The feelings of warmth and appreciation is sure to spread throughout your being and overflow to your loved one as you share this special, romantic meal together.

And don't forget Mother's Day, Father's Day or Parent's Day! You can pamper any family member with a lovely breakfast in bed! Remember to include the kids to help make it a special day and to show just how much your family member is loved and appreciated. Remember to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen too. That is part of the surprise you know.

They say that the "way to a man's heart is through his stomach". This is as true for women as it is for men.

Women love to be awaken to the aroma of a lovely tray full of goodies for a leisurely breakfast in bed, just as much as a man.

Fill a breakfast tray with a lovely breakfast; add a French champagne mimosa cocktail to accompany the hot steaming cappuccino for an eye opener.

Top it off with a long stemmed rose laying across the tray to set the romantic feel of the elegant bed-breakfast-tray.

A few white tulips, or a few blooms of any flower that may be available growing in the yard.

Set them in a mason jar of water, or in a pretty piece of crockery if a vase isn't available. Your loved one will be tickled to death and will love you for it just the same.

Adding pretty cloth napkins instead of paper napkins will help to set the scene, and candles are just as romantic for breakfast as they are for romantic dinners. Cover the breakfast with one of the cloth napkins like a miniature tablecloth.

Slip a romantic card or a handwritten poem under the breakfast plate or prop it up against the mason jar of flowers. Write it on a paper doily.

Don't know what to write? Do an Internet search for "romantic poems" or "romantic quotes".

This small gesture is sure to bring a smile. It is the attention to the simple little details that you'll find will be appreciated the most.

If you don't have a cappuccino maker, there is an alternative. Whip a bit of cocoa powder with a little cream in a cup of steaming coffee until frothy. The resulting mocha coffee is just as delightful. Create the Heart Art by dragging a toothpick in the coffee through the creamy foam.

For a Romantic Valentine Breakfast in Bed

Nothing says "special person or a special day" like serving a Mimosa. Your loved one will know just how special they are when served a mimosa on the beautiful breakfast - bed tray you have provided.

2 champagne flutes

1 bottle chilled champagne

1 quart of orange juice (fresh squeezed is best of course)

Grand Marnier

Crushed ice

In a martini shaker, add 2 oz. of orange juice and 1 oz. of Grand Marnier; shake until the orange juice is chilled. Strain the orange juice. and Grand Marnier equally into each champagne flute. Pour the chilled champagne slowly into the orange juice mixture, being careful not to let it bubble over the rim of the glass.

Note: If using wine glasses or goblets instead of champagne flutes, double the recipe and garnish with slices of orange and a maraschino cherry.

Variation: Drop a fresh strawberry, raspberry, or peach slice into the Mimosa instead of the maraschino cherry.

Having a romantic breakfast in bed can make any day a special occasion when served with a shabby chic breakfast tray. This country cottage tray is a fashionable shabby chic. Use a tray like this to serve the food in the bedroom.

Fill your serving tray in the kitchen and then set in on this bed side tray stand. This Elegant Tray Stand can be unfolded to set right next to the bed. Once the tray has been set on the stand it is then close enough to be within easy reach without actually setting in on the bed.

Prior preparation is the key! Plan your menu ahead of time. Making a romantic breakfast doesn't have to be a lot of work, but it does need to be planned.

If you share the same bed as the person you're cooking this romantic breakfast for, have an excuse prepared in case they wake up before you are ready for them to get up.

One possibility is to leave a note on the pillow saying something like, "Stay in bed, I'll be back soon." Or if they wake when you get up, you might say something like, "Go back to sleep. I'm just getting up to let the cat out."

If a luxury for your loved one is simply a hot croissant, coffee and the morning newspaper, plan to get up early to pick up the morning newspaper and fresh croissants from the bakery.

Set the automatic timer on the coffee pot to make the coffee while you're gone. Leave a love note on your pillow with a rose you bought the day before in case your loved one wakes while you are out.

If you are planning something more elaborate, plan your menu shopping and do as much of the prep work as you can the night before. Be sure to give yourself plenty of morning prep time, before your loved one would normally arise, so that you won't be rushing around.

Veggies for an omelet can be chopped and stored in the refrigerator overnight. Fresh fruit can be chopped or sliced the night before and store in a closed container.

Crepe batter, pancake batter, French toast batter and waffle batter can all be stored overnight as long as they are sealed tight.

Cutting bread into heart shapes with cookie cutters or scissors can also be prepped the night before. Wrap the cut bread in plastic wrap to keep it from drying out into an uneatible piece of hardtack.

Leaving eggs out overnight will save you time by having them at room temperature when you get up in the morning. Don't crack them and leave out, however, as they will become bacteria magnets.

This waffle recipe makes about six, 6-in heart shaped waffles.

This can vary depending on the size of the heart-shaped waffle iron. Mine is rather small.

Any left over waffles may be frozen between waxed paper and sealed in a zip-lock plastic bag. To reheat, just pop them in the toaster.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. plump, moist raisins or cranraisins

4 Tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1 c. unbleached white all purpose flour

2/3 c. whole-wheat flour

1 Tablespoon double-acting baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 Tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons honey

1-1/2 c. buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Real maple syrup

Preparation:

1. If your raisins are dried out and not plump, you can soak them in a bowl of boiling water for a minute to plump them back up. Drain them and pat dry with a paper towel.

2. Preheat your waffle iron. If you want to keep the waffles warm while you are cooking the rest, preheat your oven to 200 degrees F.

3. Melt the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.

4. Next, whisk in the sugar. In a smaller bowl, beat together the buttermilk, vanilla, eggs, and honey until well blended. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Fold in the raisins and the melted butter until evenly distributed.

5. Lightly butter or spray the grids of hot waffle iron. This should be enough to do it once as long as your iron is a well-seasoned iron or a non-stick iron. If you find after the first waffle that the batter is sticking. Then spray it again.

6. Spoon about a 1/2 cup of batter onto the center of the hot iron grids. An ice cream scoop works perfect for this. Close the lid and let the waffle bake until the waffle light turns off or there is no longer any steam coming from the iron. If you take a peek, the waffle should be lightly browned. Place the baked waffle directly on the rack in a single layer in the oven to keep warm while you finish the rest.

7. Before serving, heat the maple syrup in a glass cruet in the microwave for one minute to warm it.

Option: Mix a little vanilla, honey and cinnamon into some thickened yogurt and add a dollop to the top of the waffle.

If you want to buy a romantic heart-shaped waffle iron this is the one that I have now. It came with excellent ratings and I have found it to live up to my expectations .

It is an non-stick waffle iron which makes cleanup easier. i just wipe it with a paper towel. I like the way it is designed to make spillage and drips easy to clean up.

Since buying this one 5 years ago, I have been very happy with my purchase for heart-shaped waffles.

Indulge in Chocolate Waffles for a Special Romantic Breakfast

This waffle recipe came with my made in America Vitantonio Waffle Iron that I've owned for almost 30 years and it still works as if it's brand new.

I made a few minor changes to the recipe. The original recipe called for 2 eggs. If you don't like it that eggy, cut the eggs back to 2 and increase the milk to 3/4 c. so the batter isn't too thick

Yield: 5-6 waffles

Ingredients:

3 eggs - lightly beaten

6 Tablespoons Sugar

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon real natural vanilla (Do NOT substitute imitation vanilla)

1/2 cup chocolate fudge syrup

4 Tablespoons butter, melted (Do NOT substitute margarine)

1-1/2 cups Cake Flour, sifted

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Combine eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla; whisk together thoroughly.

2. In a separate bowl, blend chocolate syrup with melted butter.

3. Let butter mixture cool; stir into egg mixture.

4. Combine all dry ingredients. Add egg and chocolate batter to dry ingredients and stir until smooth.

5. Bake as directed by your waffle iron. If waffles stick to iron, spray lightly with cooking spray, or brush the grids with cooking oil.

Variations:

1. Top with fruit, sweeten yogurt or whipped cream and nuts.

2. Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the dry ingredients.

Dessert Variations:

1. Top with vanilla ice cream, or chocolate chip ice cream, and chocolate fudge sauce.

2. Layer waffles with slices of ice cream and top with fruit or sundae sauce, whipped cream and nuts.

3. Add 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips to waffle batter.

If you can't go to Bali for a romantic breakfast in bed, do the next best thing and turn your bedroom into a romantic tropical oasis.

Serve your loved one breakfast in bed on a rattan serving tray. Go one step further and use gorgeous red floral plates to serve breakfast.

Preparation begins by cutting a heart-shaped hole in the center of a slice of bread with a heart-shaped cookie cutter.

The bread and the cut out are each buttered on both sides and then sauted in a pan with butter. When the bread has browned to your liking, the bread is then flipped to brown on the other side.

An egg is then cracked open into a small dish and then slipped into the heart or "basket" that was cut into the bread. The toast and egg are then allowed to cook to your preference.

Salt and pepper the egg to taste and if you like, splash on a bit of hot sauce.

The pan can be covered for a minute to aide in cooking the egg white. Alternatively, the pan can be put under a broiler for a few minutes.

If your loved one doesn't like eggs "sunny side up", the toast and egg can be flipped over again to cook the top of the egg.

When eaten, the egg yolk and the toast blend together, giving it is a special flavor quality that comes from the way the buttered bread is cooked along with the egg. It is much more flavorful than just a fried egg with buttered toast.

Variation: Using a brioche or a heavy egg bread, the bread slices and the heart cut outs can be soaked in a French toast batter and then grilled. The cut out pieces can be served on the side with fresh berries and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

A large cookie cutter can also be used to hold the shape of a "sunny-side up" egg or a poached egg. Cut the toast with a cookie cutter too.

The cucumber garnish can be cut with a cookie cutter by slicing the cucumber the long way instead of across the length. Take one of your smaller sized heart shaped cookie cutters to the market with you and look for a fat cucumber, using your cookie cutter as a guide.

Top the heart shaped cucumber garnish with grape tomato halves.

When this impressive breakfast dish first comes out of the oven, it will be poofed up high and then settles down leaving a beautiful eggy shell, so don't be alarmed.

The shell can be served plain with a dusting of nutmeg and powdered sugar or it can be filled with your favorite fruit and a whipped cream or sweeten yogurt topping.

Makes 3 to 6 servings.

Some people use a paella pan, but I use a big well seasoned cast iron skillet. Whatever pan you have to use it must not be more than 3 inches deep.

Once you decide on a pan, measure its total volume by pouring in quarts of water. When you determine the pan's volume, select the recipe portions you need from the chart below.

Eggs and milk should bee at room temperature.

Pan Size -- Butter -- Eggs -- Milk & Flour

2-3 qt. ----- 1/4 cup---- 3 -----3/4 cup each

3-4 qt. ----- 1/3 cup---- 4 ----- 1 cup each

4-4½-qt.--- 1/2 cup --- 5 -----1-1/4 cup each

4½-5 qt --- 1/2 cup --- 6 ----- 1-½ cup each

You will also need a nutmeg and a nutmeg grater for a fresh grating (so much better than buying already ground and so much more economical) and powdered sugar.

Directions:

1. Place butter in pan and set in a 425 degree oven. While the heat is building in the oven and melting the butter, mix batter quickly.

2. Put eggs in a blender or food processor and whirl on high speed for 1 minute. With motor running, gradually pour in milk, then slowly add flour; continue whirling for 30 seconds. Alternatively, in a bowl, beat eggs until blended; gradually beat in milk, then flour.

3. Remove the hot pan with the melted butter from the oven and pour in batter.

4. Return pan into the oven and bake 20-25 minutes, depending on pan size, until pancake is puffy and well browned,

5. Dust the pancake with a fresh grating of nutmeg.

6. Cut into wedges and serve at once with any of the following options.

Options:

Powdered Sugar Classic:

Have a shaker or bowl of powdered sugar and thick wedges of lemon at the table.

Sprinkle on hot pancake, then squeeze on lemon juice.

Fresh Fruit:

Use sliced strawberries or peaches, sweetened to taste; or any fruits in season, cut and sweetened.

Hot Fruit:

Sauté apples, pears, or bananas with a little brown sugar, maple syrup or honey to make a delicious fruit topping.

Offer a dollop of plain yogurt sweetened with vanilla and honey; or sweetened sour cream. with any of the fruit toppings.

Syrups:

Pour warm or cold honey, maple syrup, fruit syrup or liqueur syrups over hot pancake.

Keep It Simple Sweetheart

If you and your loved one just are not morning people and a full breakfast in bed is just way too daunting, then by all means ..... Keep it Simple Sweetheart!

You can still be just as romantic by whipping up a boxed muffin batter; pouring the batter into a heart-shaped muffin tray and pop them in the oven before your lover arises. A boxed mix can go into the microwave and you can have a beautiful tray fixed in no time at all.

Serve on beautiful red floral plates lie the ones featured here on the right.

Mix some frozen concentrate for the Mimosas the night before, set the coffee the night before and you will be good to go in the morning (or at noon if you're sleeping in) with just the few minutes it takes to mixed the boxed muffin mix.