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An ALL DAY Menu for Mother's Day
By Brenda Hyde
Mom deserves a day without cooking! Try these
recipes for three great meals and an evening snack
that will have her relaxing all day long, and she'll
treasure the memory all YEAR long!
Click Here for a printable version that you can take
with you to the store and the kitchen!
BREAKFAST MENU
You can usually buy a large container of Vanilla
Yogurt to use in both recipes. It's usually near
the containers of sour cream in the grocery store.
If there are no really ripe bananas at home, look
for the bargain rack in the produce section and
there might be some there-or buy the ripest ones
you can find in the fruit section.
Fruity Oatmeal
Ingredients:
3/4 cups quick-cooking oats
2/3 cup warm milk
1-1/3 cups vanilla yogurt
1/2 Granny Smith (or other firm) apple
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
Additional fresh fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, or peaches
Soak 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats in 2/3 cup warm milk until
swollen, about 5 minutes (or overnight in the refrigerator). When
ready, add about 1/4 cup additional oats (for texture). Stir in
yogurt, and apple, which has been peeled, cored, and grated.
Add 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds, honey and lemon juice.
Mix in fresh fruit-as much as you'd like, and garnish with extra
slices of apple or fruit.
Lowfat Banana Bread
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup margarine
3 egg whites
1 1/4 cups mashed bananas
3/4 cup Low fat vanilla yogurt
2 3/4 all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Place oven rack on lowest position. Preheat to
350 degrees. Cream together sugar and margarine.
Mix in egg whites until blended. Add the banana,
yogurt and vanilla and beat until smooth. Stir in
other ingredients until just moistened. Bake in two
8" loaf pans for about an hour until toothpick comes
out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Notes: The fat content
listed was 2 grams per serving, but it wasn't clear if
that was for one slice or two. I left out the nuts, and
LOVED it. It was very moist and everyone in our family
liked it. I would never have guessed it was low fat.
LUNCHEON MENU
These are very easy recipes! You already are buying
apples and pecans for the breakfast menu, so just buy
enough for both. The meat in the salad can be leftover
from home, or pick up a tiny bag of frozen salad shrimp.
You can double these recipes for Dad to have some too.
If they don't seem like something the kids would like,
pick up some deli meat and sandwich bread, plus extra
vegetables to cut into sticks.
Quick Luncheon Soup
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cucumber, scrubbed and sliced thin
4 raw mushrooms, sliced
2 cups spinach or cabbage
1/2 cup salad shrimp or leftover pork or chicken
Heat broth in a medium pan on the stove. Add cucumber,
mushrooms, greens,
and meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer
for 5 minutes. Serve immediately. Makes 1 1/2
quarts. Notes: You can halve this for smaller
amounts. Swanson's has seasoned broth such
as garlic and Italian which works great!
Fruit and Nut Salad
1 1/2 cups torn salad greens
1/4 cup cubed cooked chicken, turkey or shrimp
1 small apple, cored and sliced thin
1/4 cup seedless red grapes, cut in half
1/8 cup blue cheese or ranch dressing (regular or low fat)
Chopped walnuts or pecans for garnish
On a salad plate arrange greens, meat, apple slices
and grapes. Drizzle with dressing, garnish with nuts.
Makes one salad.
DINNER MENU
It doesn't get any easier than a crockpot meal and a
no-bake dessert! It's very easy and everyone will love
it. Pick up a loaf or two of French Bread, plus extra
salad ingredients for a plain green salad with the
dressing you bought for the luncheon salad.
Chicken Cacciatore
Ingredients:
1 large sweet onion, sliced thin
3 pounds chicken pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 ounces tomato sauce
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano; crushed
1/2 tsp. dried basil; crushed
1/4 cup water
16 ounces spaghetti
Break up the crushed tomatoes with a wooden spoon.
Place onions in slow cooker. On top of onions place the
chicken pieces, garlic, tomatoes, tomato sauce, salt,
pepper, herbs and water. Cover pot. Cook on high for 3
to 4 hours. During the last half hour, cook the pasta
according to the directions on the box. Serve chicken
with the sauce on spaghetti which you have prepared.
This is good served with garlic bread and a fresh salad.
Makes enough for 4-6 people with kids and adults.
Place the vanilla wafers in a large resealable bag and
crush them with a rolling pin. Combine the crushed
wafers and melted margarine. Pat into the bottom of
a 9x13 inch pan. Beat cream cheese and confectioners'
sugar together until light and fluffy. Spread over the top
of the vanilla wafer crust. Spoon crushed pineapple over
the cream cheese layer. Then layer sliced bananas over
the pineapple. Cover with the whipped topping. Sprinkle
with crushed or chopped nuts and place a cherry on each
serving if you would like. Try to make this ahead of time,
cover the pan and chill in the refrigerator for a few hours.
About the Author:
Brenda Hyde is a wife and mom to three kids. She's
going to be printing this out for her husband and
kids the week before Mother's Day to give them plenty
of time to shop and cook!
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
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