Breakfast in Bed

Figure E--For a lighter treat, make an exotic fruit plate with colorful fruits like mangos, kiwi, papayas or guava.

Other Ideas

• Save time by premixing as many ingredients as possible. No breakfast in bed is complete without homemade muffins, so prepare the batter the night before, cover with plastic and simply put in the refrigerator until it's time to bake. Use a measuring cup with a lip to pour the batter into the muffin tin.

• Have the muffin tin ready, too. Put the muffin cups in their places and put the tin back in the cupboard until morning.

• Make a yogurt parfait to go along with the muffins. Combine yogurt, blueberries and sliced strawberries and serve in a glass goblet.

• If scrambled eggs or omelets are on the breakfast menu, premix the eggs and milk the night before. Avoid seasoning the eggs before cooking, though. Salt may cause the eggs to curdle if added too far in advance. Also, wait to add omelet ingredients such as cheese, vegetables or meats because they could affect the consistency of the cooked eggs if added too early.

• If mom's a fan of spicy foods, make her some huevos rancheros by adding a dollop of refried beans, sour cream, salsa and a little fresh cilantro to her eggs. Thinly sliced deli ham also makes a great addition.

• Last but not least, give mom the best present of all by leaving the kitchen even cleaner than it was before breakfast.