Mother’s Day is this Sunday. It’s time to remember your wife and/or mother for all the love she gives you and all she does and has done for you. So, besides the frilly card, flowers and little gift you give her, why not do a Mother’s Day Brunch with the whole family gathered around the table to celebrate Mom on her day?

Start with a bouquet and beautifully set table. Have orange juice and coffee or tea; fresh fruit is good, too. Here are some easy and delicious brunch recipes to make her day extra special, and they can be assembled the night before and baked quickly in the morning.

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Fruit Baked French Toast Casserole

10 thick slices French bread
5 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup nonfat milk
1/3 cup light silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
24 ounces frozen blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or mixed berries
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Place bread slices in a 9x13-inch pan. In a blender, combine eggs, milk, tofu, vanilla and baking powder. Pour over bread. Turn bread several times to ensure it is evenly covered with egg mixture. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray another 9x13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Toss together blueberries, sugar, nutmeg and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour into prepared pan and spread out evenly. Top with prepared bread slices. Bake 30-35 minutes. Serves 10.

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Almond Coffee Cake
From Breakfast at Nine, Tea at Four by Sue Carroll
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

Filling
31/2 ounces almond paste, cut up
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Cake
3/4 cup softened margarine or butter
11/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
11/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
11/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
11/2 cups sour cream

Glaze
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 2 teaspoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch tube pan.
First, prepare the filling. Heat the almond paste, sugar and margarine over medium heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Stir in the almonds.
Next, make the cake. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat the margarine, sugar, eggs and vanilla for two minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer set on low speed, beat the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream into the margarine mixture. Turn one third of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with one third of the filling. Repeat twice.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes, while making the glaze.
To make the glaze, combine the sugar and vanilla. Stir in enough milk for desired drizzling consistency.
Turn the cake out on a plate and drizzle with the glaze. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 14 servings.

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The recipes below come from 1st Traveler’s Choice Internet Cookbook at www.virtualcities.com

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Ham & Asparagus Strata
Josolyn House Bed and Breakfast, Little Rock, Arkansas

3/4 pound fresh asparagus (thin stalks) cut into 3-inch pieces
6 large pieces of sourdough bread (if you cut ends off and cut in two, you end up with 12 helping-size squares)
6 slices of ham cut to size of bread squares or you can use 6 ounces lox instead
4 eggs (or 1 cup egg substitute)
11/2 cups milk (may use skim)
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese (may be low-fat)
1 green onion, finely chopped
Spray butter or margarine
Garlic salt and pepper to taste
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Lightly brush or spray butter or margarine over six slices of bread as prepared above. Place bread, buttered side up, in a 9x13-inch buttered glass dish. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Layer with ham and raw asparagus. Cover with remaining six buttered bread squares. In a bowl, lightly beat eggs and add milk, onion, garlic salt and pepper. Pour over bread. Sprinkle nutmeg over the top. Bake, covered, at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake 25 more minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes (uncovered). Let cool for 10 minutes. Recipe may be doubled and made the night before; cover and refrigerate. Serves six.

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Farmer’s Casserole
Devonfield Country Inn Bed and Breakfast Lee, Massachusetts

21/2 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes or tater tots
3/4 cups shredded Monterey Jack with (optional) jalapeno peppers
1 package Knorr’s leek soup mix
1 cup chopped fully cooked ham or Canadian bacon (optional)
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 beaten eggs or 1 cup egg substitute
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk (or 11/2 cups evaporated skim milk)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
Add these the next morning:
1/2 pound asparagus, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 to 5 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

Spray a two-quart square baking dish with Pam. Arrange potatoes evenly in the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle cheese, ham, green onion over all. In a mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, pepper, salt, soup mix. Pour over mixture in baking dish. Sprinkle with Crazy Jane’s salt and/or Mrs. Dash.
Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Next morning bake uncovered in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add asparagus and tomatoes. Bake for another 30 minutes until golden brown. Let stand five minutes before serving. Makes six servings.