Since Sunday is Mother's Day, over the next couple of days we'll be looking at a bunch of different recipes and ideas on what to do for her special day, but for now we'd like to hear from you.

For those of you who are Mothers - what is your ideal way to celebrate? Do you prefer breakfast in bed? A nice dinner out? Or are you like Paula Deen and cook a meal with your family? For those of you who will be treating your mom to something on Sunday, are you planning on taking her out, or are you preparing something special at home? We'll take some of the best ideas and round them up in a subsequent post - so those of you who haven't planned anything yet (like me - shhh!) may get some great ideas.

For those of us you who can't seem to step away from the computer for longer than a half hour at a time, you may appreciate the keyboard-shaped waffles this design by Chris Dimino produces. His challenge was to apparently breathe new life into an otherwise outdated product (in this case, a typewriter) and created this functioning waffle iron. I think that qualifies as a whole new level of playing with your food.

(via TasteSpotting)

There may be things that are more romantic than breakfast in bed, but making one for your Valentine is a gesture that is sure to be repaid many times over. If you add in the heart-shaped fried eggs that Cut out and Keep to your Valentine's Day breakfast, it's going to be one that will make the record books. These eggs are made by simply placing a lightly greased metal cookie cutter in the center of your frying pan and cracking an egg right into it. A bit of the yolk might leak out around the edges, but that can be cleaned up when the white is firm by gently pressing the cookie cutter down. The rest of the egg should come right out of the greased cutter. Serve with toast or make heart-shaped toads -in-the-hole by using the same cookie cutter to remove heart-shaped pieces from toast slices, then just slide the egg into place.

There is nothing better on a weekend morning than having breakfast in bed. If you end up having to be the one that prepares it, pour some coffee, grab the newspaper, and hop back into bed for an hour once your breakfast is made. It's the weekend, no one will care, and besides - you worked hard all week so treat yourself!

We love breakfast food around here, and are certainly no strangers to some French Toast variations. One of my favorite recipes for the morning is Raspberry Chocolate French Toast, a little twist on the original.

For the French Toast:
2 eggs
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 slices white (or enriched) bread
Whip the first three ingredients together and dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture. Pan fry in a pat of butter over medium heat, ensuring that the egg is fully cooked on all sides of the bread.

Eating breakfast in bed isn't a piece of cake. Unless you are lucky enough to have someone to bring it to you, you have to get up and prepare the meal before snuggling back under the covers - and getting back into bed isn't even the biggest problem. The real obstacle is that crumbs get under the covers and make the bed scratchy (not to mention the possibility of attracting bugs) the next time you climb in. This Buon Appetito bedding is part napkin, part duvet, with a built-in tie that neatly prevents crumbs from falling anywhere they shouldn't. The bedding is from a couple of German designers and doesn't appear to be available retail yet, but if you're crafty, this shouldn't be a difficult modification to make to a standard bedspread.

Of course, you could also avoid the whole issue of crumbs in the blankets by having eggs instead of toast in bed - but what would be the fun in that?

[via popgadget]

http://www.missgeschickladylapsus.de/products/buonappetito/

Tomorrow is Mother's Day here in the US and other places, so this week lots of food bloggers have been preparing breakfast in bed, brunch menus, and even food gifts for their favorite Moms. Slashfood did a few "breakfast in bed" posts on Thursday, but here are eight more things from around the blogosphere to inspire you for Mother's Day:

1. If you're starting brunch with coffee, you have to have Chocolate Peppermint Polka Dot Biscotti from Brownie Points
2. Cook Anything at Least Once, including Haalo's Cheesy Spiral Scones
3. Cream Puffs in Venice has a decadent granola that sounds like it would be absolutely sensational with a dollop of fresh yogurt
4. A Fava Bean and Tomato Salad from Food Musings will help Mom watch her waistline
5. If you're in a warmer area, then a Chilled Avocado Soup with Lime and Jalapeno from Two Guys in the Desert would be perfect brunch fare
6. Fanny of Food Beam has a beautiful Tarte fine aux Asperges et aux Meilleur Chèvre Frais du Monde
7. It's Spring, and Pasta Primavera, a la Cook, Sister! is perfectly appropriate
8. It can't be a proper brunch without eggs or toast, so it's perfect that Lindy's Toast has a Fritatta of Fingerlings, Spinach and Arugula

[photo: Frittata of Fingerlings, Spinach, and Arugula from Lindy's Toast]

Breakfast and brunch are the two most popular meals on Mother's Day. It's fun and relaxing to have a leisurely morning meal and easier to schedule than a Sunday dinner out, since school and work the next day can create timing pressures. For some reason, people go out more than they eat in on Mother's Day. Maybe mom doesn't want to get stuck with the dishes, or perhaps no one else in the family can cook? I know that when Mother's Day rolled around, I always wanted to make my mom breakfast in bed. It seemed so luxurious, not to mention that breakfast foods can be easier for a kid to cobble together than other meals.

Breakfast in bed for no reason at all - I surprised my girlfriend one Sunday morning with a breakfast of griddle cakes with clotted cream and homemade Meyer lemon marmalade (above), sausages and orange juice. I'm not sure what made me get up early and decide to do it. I think, partly, it was because a large serving tray was left out on our counter from the night before and it just begged to have breakfast in bed served from it. (OK, so the marmalade was homemade, it just wasn't my home.)

[Photo: Nick Vagnoni]

It may seem a bit early right now, but Valentine's Day is just around the corner and there is scarcely a moment to waste. If you are planning to cook for your sweetheart this year, you should really make sure your kitchen is properly outfitted for the task. What could be more romantic than heart-shaped cookware?

• A heart shaped tea kettle is a charming addition to the breakfast table or to serve tea with an afternoon snack.
• A heart-shaped Le Creuset casserole makes a beautiful cooking and serving dish.
• Heart-shaped pot holders will keep your hands safe and cool while you are cooking.
• Heart-shaped mini Belgian waffles are easy with this specially-shaped waffle iron, and just the thing for a romantic breakfast in bed.
• My favorite, however, is easily the heart-shaped fondue pot. Chocolate is a Valentine's Day necessity and few things are as romantic or fun to eat as fondue.