By Sherrie Norris
As I sat down at my desk, hearing the sounds of a soft April shower outside my window, I had a moment of writer’s block until I saw a reminder on my computer that April is National Brunch Month. What a perfect combination, I decided. We can usually make sense of anything if we try hard enough, right?
Rarely at most homes these days do we take time to have an organized morning meal together, as everyone is in a hurry to race out the door for school, work or the next big thing. But, once in a while, a rainy day, especially on the weekends, tends to slow us down a bit and just might give us a chance to sit down together, or at least in the same space, to enjoy a late breakfast, brunch or whatever we choose to call it.
So, let’s take advantage of these April showers in our lives, whether literally or figuratively. Let’s slow the pace just a bit and breathe. We know that the showers will bring the flowers — and hopefully, our “storms” of life don’t last too long.
Enjoy National Brunch Month with a few of these ideas.
Delightful Fruit Bowl
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 ½ cup blueberries
3 cups grapes
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges
2 Tbsp. instant vanilla pudding powder (not prepared)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a large bowl, whisk pudding mix and vanilla until smooth.
Add in fruit and gently stir to coat with pudding/glaze.
Refrigerate at least two hours or overnight. The juices from the fruit will combine with the pudding mix to create more of a glaze.
No-Crust Ham and Veggie Quiche
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2/3 cup finely chopped fully cooked ham
5 large eggs
3 cups shredded Muenster or Monterey Jack cheese
1/8 tsp. pepper
In a large skillet, saute onion and mushrooms in oil until tender. Add spinach and ham; cook and stir until excess moisture is evaporated. Cool slightly. Beat eggs; add cheese, mixing well. Stir in spinach mixture and pepper until combined. Spread into a greased 9-in. pie plate. Bake at 350° for about 40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Sausage Cornbread Bake
½ roll breakfast sausage, browned
1 small onion, chopped
½ bell pepper, chopped
½ stick butter
2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
3 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 (15 oz.) can creamed corn
1 cup grated or shredded cheese of choice
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a skillet, brown sausage, onions and bell pepper. Stir in butter until it is melted.
In large bowl, mix cornbread, eggs and milk. Stir in corn and cooked sausage mixture. Mix well. Stir in cheese. Pour mixture into a baking dish, sprayed with a little PAM, or divide into individual muffin tins, filling each about half fi;;/
Bake at 350°F until lightly brown, about 30 minutes. May take muffins less time.
Easy Hashbrown Casserole
1 (32 oz.) frozen hashbrowns, thawed
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (16 oz.) carton regular sour cream
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Pour into prepared baking dish; bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes.
Note: Can be assembled in baking dish a day or two ahead of time; cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to bake.
Blueberry Brunch Cake
1 cup sugar
½ cup shortening
2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 cups blueberries
In one bowl, mix/cut in sugar and shortening. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Combine eggs and milk. Stir together all ingredients and fold in blueberries. Pour batter into a greased and floured 9×13- inch pan. Sprinkle with topping before baking at 375 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Topping
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
6 tsp. butter
1 c. flaked coconut (optional)
Mix all ingredients to a crumbly texture. Sprinkle on top of raw cake batter. Bake as directed above.
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