Spoil Your Mom, Spoil Yourself – Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin

Written by Natalie -

Are you looking for a fantastic dessert to spoil mom this Mother’s Day? Look no further than this Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin. It’s incredibly easy to make with only four ingredients! The cute presentation makes them seem way more complicated than they are. There is not even any cooking involved! But it’s really the deliciously rich chocolate flavor combined with black cherry that makes this seem so very gourmet. Your mom will know how much you love her because she will think you slaved over this fancy dessert. Hopefully she’ll spoil you back by sharing her special treat with the rest of the family.

Chocolate Black Cherry Gelatin

Ingredients for 12 servings:

• 1 package (6 ounces) black cherry flavored gelatin
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1 can (12 fluid ounces) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 1/3 cup NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
• 12 foil baking cups
• Nonstick cooking spray

Directions:

COMBINE gelatin and water in a medium mixing bowl. Stir until gelatin is completely dissolved.

MICROWAVE evaporated milk and morsels in a small, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH (100% power for 3 minutes or until chocolate is melted; stir to combine. Pour milk mixture into gelatin; whisk until well blended.

SPRAY baking cups with nonstick cooking spray. Pour gelatin into prepared baking cups. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until gelatin is set.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Drizzle with NESTLÉ ABUELITA Chocolate Syrup or NESTLÉ NESQUIK Chocolate Flavor Syrup

Related Recipes:

Chewy Cherry Chocolate Cookies	Chocolaty Cherry Biscotti

A Toast to Moms Everywhere – French Toast that is

Written by Nick -

Mother’s Day is the day of the year that you go out of your way to show your appreciation to your mom. In my household that meant a day of pampering, a day of chores, and a day where Mom could finally relax and Dad and the kids would take care of everything.

Obviously, you should let your mom know how important she is every day, but Mother’s day is the day of year that you need to go above and beyond. It’s not enough to say you care, but you need a CARD to say you care, you need FLOWERS and you need to make BREAKFAST. (Highlighting for all the kids and dads out there… don’t forget the CARD, FLOWERS, and BREAKFAST).

So growing up, Mother’s Day always started with us kids and my dad cooking brunch. Often times, we’d serve French Toast, my dad’s specialty and one of my mom’s favorite. French toast is a decadent breakfast and the perfect way to show your mom your sweet side. I’m grown up now and my mom is on the other side of the country, but I wish I could make her some French toast this Sunday. Hopefully my dad can handle the duties and pamper her. And hopefully, this year, the flowers show up on time.

You can find an entire French Toast recipe collection on meals.com.

Here are some of my favorites and some I can’t wait to try.

Stuffed French Toast with Fresh Berry Topping

This Stuffed French Toast With Fresh Berry Topping recipe takes your favorite strawberry preserves mixed with creamy ricotta cheese to make a delectable filling. For this recipe, I would need to substitute another berry preserve, my mom is allergic to Strawberries (I know it’s horribly sad) but I’m sure it would work with whatever berry preserve your mother prefers.

Cinnamon Breakfast Toast with Orange-Rum Syrup

This Cinnamon Breakfast Toast will become a family favorite! It is a great choice for brunch too! Oranges and rum are produced in Venezuela, so it makes sense that this version of French toast is served with scrumptious syrup flavored with these local gems. Cinnamon also infuses both the egg mixture and syrup. Serve with fresh orange slices for a special touch. To save some time, the syrup can be made ahead and warmed.

Sweet Crème Stuffed French Toast

Sweet Crème Stuffed French Toast is an elegant twist on the classic recipe. This is a great recipe to make use of day old French bread you may have on hand. The orange marmalade and Sweet Crème Coffee-mate compliment each other perfectly.

Ovaltine French Toast

Ovaltine adds a rich chocolate flavor to this classic recipe. Top it with maple syrup and fresh berries for a truly decadent morning treat.

Golden Sunrise French Toast

Golden Sunrise French Toast will be a treat your family will love! The golden crisp goodness of this hearty morning favorite is made with thick-sliced French bread infused with a hint of vanilla and topped with fresh seasonal fruit – then drizzled with maple syrup for the perfect start to a special morning.

What’s your Mother’s day treat? Are you the pamperer or the pampered?

Tip: If your the pampered, feel free to forward this to the pamperers as a friendly reminder. You can use such strategic subject lines as:

• The coy – “Don’t these recipes look delicious”
• The sneaky – “Which of these is your favorite, I’m thinking of making something this weekend”
• The obvious – “Don’t forget about MOTHER’S DAY – love mom” 

Mother’s Day Brunch: Whole-Wheat Overnight French Toast with Praline Topping

Written by Chris -

Next to sleeping in and being showered with hugs and kisses, there’s no better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than by making Mom a delicious brunch! We’ve made the prep quick and easy – all you need to do is assemble this casserole the night before. On Mother’s Day morning, add the pecan topping and pop it into the oven.  So simple, and so delicious!

Overnight Whole-Wheat French Toast with Praline Topping

Ingredients needed for 6 to 8 servings:

FRENCH TOAST

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 loaf (1 pound) whole-wheat French bread, sliced into 1-inch pieces (10-12 slices total)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cans (12 fluid ounces each) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Lowfat 2% Milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

PRALINE TOPPING

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• Powdered sugar and maple syrup

Directions:

FOR FRENCH TOAST:
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE bread slices on large baking sheet. Bake, flipping bread slices halfway through, for 25 minutes or until dry and just golden. Turn off oven. Cut bread slices in half and layer them in the prepared baking dish.

WHISK together eggs in large bowl; whisk in evaporated milk, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pour over bread, pressing bread to submerge. Spoon some of the mixture between the slices if needed. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. The illustration above shows what it should look like at each stage (layered bread, egg mixture just added, chilled overnight, topping added).

FOR PRALINE TOPPING:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

COMBINE butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl; stir until smooth. Stir in pecans until coated. Uncover casserole; sprinkle evenly with pecan topping.

BAKE for 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup. Serve to Mom with a big hug and kiss!

Happy Mother’s Day, friends! And Happy Mother’s Day to my sweet Mom!  XO

Links:

• Overnight Whole-Wheat French Toast with Praline Topping
• Get a Coupon

Related recipes:

Make-Ahead Breakfast Sausage Casserole

Egg, Ham & Cheese Brunch Nests

Pesto Possibilities for Mother’s Day: 5 Delicious Ways to Use Pesto

Mother’s Day is just days away. Going out to eat has become an American tradition, with restaurant industry stats showing it as one of the busiest days of the year. Well, on this day, I actually prefer to stay in (and yes, this is coming from a mom of three eight-year-olds). I prefer simple, delicious food prepared and eaten at home.

Since my mother and mother-in-law are local, effortless entertaining is essential. After all, it’s my day, too. So in the spirit of keeping things simple and homemade, I wanted to share five delicious ways to use Buitoni All Natural Pesto.

Buitoni Pesto is made with fragrant basil, pungent garlic, pine nuts, aged Parmesan and Romano cheeses and extra-virgin olive oil. Friends, this is as close to homemade as you are going to get! Plus, you don’t need to clean your food processor (that’s huge in my book).

Make a quick crostini appetizer

Add a touch of elegance to Mother’s Day without spending much time in the kitchen with this tasty appetizer, Crostini Aperitivo, shown above. Toasted bread slices are topped with a delicious goat cheese and pesto spread, and then topped with thinly sliced prosciutto. Roasted asparagus or peppers, chopped dates, sliced apples and shaved cantaloupe also pair well with the spread.

Watch the video below to see just how easy it is.

 

Make Pesto Kale Chips

Kale Chips have been quite the rage lately. I did a Google search and found a number of creative recipes. I decided to try a version with pesto, shown above, and landed on something truly unique and absolutely delicious! Finished with a sprinkling of fine sea salt, it’s really difficult to stop with just one handful.

Drizzle over soups

Vine-ripened tomatoes, marjoram and garlic are combined with a fragrant broth to make this beautiful vine-ripened tomato soup. And to heighten it even more, Buitoni Riserva All Natural Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti (pasta filled with a blend of creamy whipped ricotta cheese, fontina, Parmesan and authentic Italian Grana Padano) is added. It’s then topped with homemade croutons, a handful of arugula and a spoonful of Buitoni Pesto. This would make a perfect Mother’s Day lunchtime meal.

Spread on sandwiches

Looking for something a little more casual? Try this recipe for Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo. Perfect for simple entertaining, these sandwiches offer a classy, yet casual approach to mealtime.

Use as marinade for meats and fish

Grill up some wholesome fun with this flavorful recipe for Pesto Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs. Marinated in a pesto sauce, these skewers of chicken pieces and seasoned vegetables make a colorful and appetizing entrée.

Of course, you can also just toss pesto with pasta, add to pizza, dips and dressings. Pesto possibilities are really endless.

However you decide to celebrate this day, please take time out for you. I am constantly reminding myself of this. With simple recipes like these, it’s that much easier to find time.

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

Links:

• Crostini Aperitivo
• Pesto Kale Chips
• Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti with Vine-Ripened Tomato Tuscan Soup
• Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo
• Pesto Chicken & Vegetable Kebabs

Related pesto recipes:

Insalata Caprese with Pesto Vinaigrette

Olive, Pesto and Bruschetta Cheese Torta

Honey Vanilla Crème Stuffed French Toast

On May 7, 1914, President Wilson signed a resolution designating the second Sunday in May as “Mother’s Day,” the official day for honoring Moms. So, to all the mothers out there, Happy Mother’s day and thanks for all you do!

For all you dads and kids, here’s a delicious breakfast that every mother would love to have brought to her in bed this Sunday morning: Stuffed French Toast. The best part, it’s easy enough for dad and kids to prepare. Get playful with the ingredients. Parisian Almond Crème or French Vanilla Coffee-mate makes a great substitute for Honey Vanilla Crème. And strawberry preserves can easily be used in place of the orange marmalade. Mix it up and have fun! And remember to let mom relax on this very special day.

Find tips to make Mother’s Day special:

• Decorating a Tray for Mom’s breakfast in bed
• Planning a Mother’s day brunch
• Planning a Mother’s day dinner

Links:

• Honey Vanilla Crème Stuffed French Toast
• Golden Sunrise French Toast
• Get a Coffee-Mate coupon

Related French toast recipes:

Stuffed French Toast With Fresh Berry Topping

Golden Sunrise French Toast