mother's day feast

For Mother's Day, my sweet husband got up early and made me a beautiful breakfast in bed. I thought Just in case any of you wanted to learn how to make some of these things, I would show you so you can treat someone to breakfast in bed, too!

Eggs en Cocotte
makes 4
4 eggs
2 t minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 t freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

4 small ramekins
1 9x13 inch baking pan

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Fill a kettle or small pot with about 2~3 C water and bring to a boil.
2. Meanwhile, crack one egg in each ramekin. Sprinkle each with a little salt and pepper, and divide the parsley and cheese (if using) evenly between each egg.
3. Place the filled ramekins into the 9x13 inch baking pan, leaving plenty of space in between each ramekin and the sides of the baking pan. Once the water has come to a boil and the oven is preheated, place the pan in the oven, and pour the boiling water into the pan, about 1/2 up the sides of the ramekins.
4. Bake for 15~18 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Remember, the eggs keep cooking once you take them out of the oven, so don't leave them in any longer, even if they look a little underdone after 18 minutes.

Greek Yogurt
Either you could buy one of these, for $5Or make it yourself with one of these for $2You'll need a fine mesh strainer, a deep bowl, and coffee filters. Place three coffee filters in the fine mesh strainer, suspended over the bowl like this:Then pour in your yogurt.Let that sit in the fridge for a few hours, and you'll be amazed at how thick and creamy it is! And it's FAT FREE! (IF you use fat free yogurt, of course) Of course, discard the water that collects in the bottom of the bowl, then you can transfer your new Greek yogurt into a container and keep it in the fridge.

Serve it with fresh fruit and honey, and you'll be so glad you did!

My recipe for Shrimp Scampi can be found here.

Garlic bread
4 T butter, softened
3~5 cloves garlic (to your liking), minced
fresh parsley, minced (optional)
1 loaf of good quality chewy dense bread such as Ciabatta

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Slice the bread to a desired thickness.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic and butter. Butter each slice on both sides with a little of the garlic butter. Sprinkle with parsley, if using. Cover the loaf generously with foil, and place in the oven until completely warmed through. Serve warm.