Bunchland

Your Mother’s Day morning plan!

If what mom really wants in her special day is to lounge around in bed till noon and then make grilled cheese, this is totally the day to do it. But for those who wake up with a little more spring in their step, why not put together a garden party style spread?

EAT:

Nothing says fancy tea party like a trio o’ finger sandwiches. To whip up an easy selection of tea sandwiches you can display all pretty-like, grab yourself a big baguette and make three varieties in one fell swoop. This minimizes toil in the kitchen and maximizes kid and parent pleasing variety. Make sure your kids don’t scrutinize your filling actions if they’re squeamish about cross contamination!  Read more...

• Cuke n’ avo — spread mayo on both side of the baguette, and top with cucumber slices, avocado slices and cracked black pepper

Your Sunday morning plan

A spring morning calls for a fruity and fresh breakfast, followed with an outdoor craft. Pureed berries and homemade biscuits get molded into a teacup (or a mug/chalice/goblet/up to you) for a personalized treat. After you’re good and sated, celebrate the spring weather by giving your front porch some flair. These hanging jellyfish are enchanting!

EAT

Serves 4 – 6

• 2 pints of mixed berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries)
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 3 Tbsp vegetable shortening
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 cup milk

In a food processor, combine berries (reserve ¼ cup for garnish) with sugar and pulse to a puree. Set aside.  Read more...

Your Sunday Morning Plan

Vegetable omelets are always a tasty and nutritious brunch choice, but when spring veggies like asparagus are in season, they’re just that much better. And ’round these parts, we’re expected to experience a whole bunch of rain this weekend, might as well take advantage of it.

EAT

Is there anything healthier and tastier than enjoying in-season produce? And how do eggs go so well with so many things! The beauty of omelets is that you can put just about anything in them, but we’re opting for asparagus, mushrooms and spring onions.

You’ll need:  Read more...

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• approx two eggs per person (maybe one egg per small kid)
• two asparagus spears per person
• sliced mushrooms to taste (maybe 1/4 cup each?)
• chopped spring onions to taste (1 Tbsp each?)

Your Sunday Morning plan… which works rather well for Saturday too

St. Patrick’s Day is when we celebrate even a little bit of Irish heritage, put on the John McDermott album and find our greenest t-shirt. And while it ends up being an all-day pub party for some, there’s plenty of non-beer and whisky fun to be had. We think the St. Patrick’s Day weekend is a perfect excuse to make a good old-fashioned fry-up for breakfast and then go out chasing leprechauns and look for their gold and try to find a few four-leaf clovers for good luck.

EAT:

A traditional Irish breakfast. OK, maybe make it less than traditional and don’t include all the meat. Have a little orange juice, brew a pot of Irish Breakfast tea (or herbal tea for the kids), and then get to frying up:  Read more...

• eggs, either sunny-side up or over-easy

Your Sunday Morning plan

Is it spring yet? Maybe not. But we’re taking that tinge of warmth in the air as a reason to celebrate the last legs of winter. The sun will be out before we know it, and then tulips and sprouts! Park days and picnics! Until then, we suggest making a scone ring in the shape of a flower for breakfast, along with a cupple that doubles as a serving of fruit. Then, after you’re fortified with starchy, fruity goodness, practice your pinball wizard skills with a DIY pinball table!

EAT:

To make the cupple:

Grab an apple, a melon baller or spoon and a lemon. Slice off the top of the apple, hollow it with the melon baller, leaving ¼ inch thick walls all around, to prevent browning, brush the inside with lemon juice. Fill with juice, then raise your goblets and toast to the spring ahead!  Read more...

Your Sunday Morning Plan

It’s still warm enough to play outside without freezing your face off, and just cool enough to crave something comforting and toasty. The perfect November Sunday morning consists of pressing fall leaves after enjoying an oatmeal sundae bar, we say!

Eat:

Kids can make their own masterpiece with this fun and interactive breakfast. Oatmeal is high in fibre, magnesium, and iron, and eating it actually lowers cholesterol and stabilizes blood-glucose levels. Most importantly, this whole grain breaky is a blank canvas for fun, and loading it up with fresh toppings provides an opportunity to maximize the health and taste factor.

For 4 servings of oatmeal:

• 1 ½ cup large flake rolled oats
• 3 ½ cup milk or milk substitute
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla (optional)

Combine all ingredients into a large pot, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Read more...

Your Sunday Morning Plan

Unless you’re in one of the western states or provinces (or Newfoundland), it’s pretty darn hot. Almost too hot for anything, really. But we figure we can’t just spend the whole weekend stuck in the basement with a movie marathon, subsisting on popsicles. (We won’t judge you if this is your heatwave coping solution; it does sound enticing) Here’s our suggestion for keeping cool, but still having a company-worthy breakfast party.

EAT:

This weekend, make like the Europeans and/or the people who run hotel chains and let everyone assemble their own plate of low-key no-cooking-required breakfast fare. That’s the beauty of the continental breakfast; no tiny dictators ordering you as to their specific pancake and syrup directions.

You’ll need:  Read more...

• Croissants and/or danishes (Make a run to your favourite bakery)
• Bread and/or bagels
• Peanut butter
• Jam/jelly/marmalade
• butter