thanksgiving breakfast

Yes it's almost here, one of my favorite days, one where you get to eat all you want, all day long and never get scolded. Oh yes and watch football while your grazing through the hours leading up to a meal that's taken 3 days to prepare.



Once the family got to an age where thanksgiving dinner went to 4 pm instead of 1 pm one of my favorite things to do for the girls and any family members who had shown up the night before was a festive early morning breakfast. I spent as much time planning breakfast as the "big" dinner. I would order Kringle's from Berndtsen's bakery in Milwaukee, find the freshest fruit the store had to offer and make sure the juice was freshly squeezed.



For the adults a fresh pot of coffee and bellini's

Bellini recipe - well chilled - 3oz Raspberry sparkling ( or champagne with a 1/2 oz of chambord) 1 oz apricot nectar in a champagne flute.



for the kids - fresh OJ, concord grape juice and martinelli's sparkling apple cider.



I would get up well before others and have a platter of fresh fruit ready to serve as everyone slowly migrated to the kitchen. I stayed away from traditional fruits and went with an assortment of Kiwi, papaya, mango, dates, figs, persimmons, berries, tangerines and blood oranges if they were available.



Then they would spot the Kringle, which was a perfect compliment to the fruit.



while they were all occupied with the fruit and the kringle I would be finishing up the sit down part of breakfast. Just a few things to keep them going until that first mid morning round of appetizers would show up, usually just as the parade was finishing and the first game was due to come on.



Scrambled eggs with a little cheddar and mild chilli's

Bacon ( home grown and thick cut) EXTRA crispy - if you can't raise your own go to a good butcher shop and get their smoked and cured thick cut, you'll be glad you did.



Denise's oven fried potatoes - red potatoes cubed, coated with olive oil, sprinkled with minced garlic, salt, pepper and dried basil. mix oil and spices in plastic bag, add potatoes and shake to coat. spread on baking sheet and drizzle oil from bag over potatoes. bake at 425 until potatoes are crisp.



Peggy's Baked French Toast - this is the best french toast I have experienced so I just had to steal the recipe. this and the extra crispy bacon with maple syrup are always the big hit.



recipe: 1/2 cup butter - melted

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 loaf of french bread sliced thick - 3/4 inch

maple syrup

fig jam



In a large rectangular glass casserole spread a 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon evenly on the bottom.

Mix OJ, milk, eggs and 1/2 tsp vanilla in rectangular dish suitable for dipping the bread.

Dip the sliced bread and layer in pan over butter and sugar mixture. drizzle over the top of bread the remaining 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup sugar mixed with the 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Bake in oven, preheated to 400 for 10 to 12 minutes flip slices over and bake another 12 minutes. serve hot with syrup and jam.



if its to close to organize this for thanksgiving don't forget Christmas is coming.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING