MONTREAL - Mother's Day is May 13. Restaurants will be booked solid, florists will be frantic. Hallmark is on high alert.

Dinner out is great, so are flowers. But all most Moms really want is a little TLC. How about offering her a lazy morning lounging in bed, or on the sofa, reading the paper, listening to music?

Here are a few ideas for a cheery Mother's Day breakfast. It's not complicated, nor elaborate. Just a sunny way to say "Love you, Mom." (Don't forget to do the dishes afterwards!)


Champagne with strawberries

A little bubbly is a most luxurious start to the day. Champagne's nice, but any sparkling white wine will do, especially if it's cava from Spain or Italian prosecco.

Slice a strawberry or two into a champagne flute. Add chilled sparkling wine and a splash of crème de cassis or strawberry liqueur and top with white cranberry juice.


Blueberry Loaf Cake

This is a simple blueberry-packed breakfast cake, not too rich or too sweet from The Way We Cook by Sheryl Julian and Julie Riven (Houghton Mifflin 2003). You can make it the night before, or well ahead of time, as it freezes nicely. Serve on its own or with a little jam or orange cream.

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled to lukewarm
  • 1 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, with rack in the center.

Grease an 8-1/2 inch by 4-1/2 inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit exactly. Grease the paper and sides of pan and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

With the mixer set on its lowest speed, add the flour mixture to the batter, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overbeat.

Use a rubber spatula to fold the blueberries into the batter as gently as possible so as not to crush them. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 1-1/4 hours, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Set the pan on a wire rack to cool slightly, then turn the cake out of the pan and set it right side up on the rack to cool completely. Let the cake sit for an hour or two before cutting it into slices.

Makes 1 loaf


Orange Cream

A little tangy, a little sweet, this quick-to-prepare creamy citrus spread is nice with blueberry loaf, or even on toast.

  • 3 tablespoons crème fraiche
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons orange marmalade
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • Finely grated zest of half a clementine

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes ¼ cup.


Indian Masala Chai

A nice change from coffee, this traditional Indian tea is steeped with milk, sugar and spices.

  • 2 tbsp loose black tea, like Assam or Darjeeling
  • 2 cups (500 ml) water
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 2 whole cloves
  • 4 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed
  • 1 2-inch (5 cm) cinnamon stick
  • 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients except milk. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 2 or 3 minutes. Add milk, simmer another minute, then remove from heat. Strain and pour into glasses or small cups. Add extra sugar, if desired.

Serves 2 to 4.