One way to celebrate Mom is to make a beautiful spring brunch for her. Skip the lines and the crowded restaurant; these simple recipes will make her just as happy. Happier, even, since you’re going to clean the kitchen, too. Right?

Spring Vegetable Brunch Casserole

This is a lovely brunch casserole, full of spring vegetables. It’s easy to make and deliciously luxurious. Best thing? It needs to be made the day before!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, white and lightest green part only, cleaned and chopped
5 ounces baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup half and half
1 cup mascarpone cheese (can be found in the deli section of most grocery stores)
7 large eggs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Dash of your favorite hot sauce
½ loaf rustic whole grain or seeded bread, torn into bite-sized chunks
4 ounces brie, cut into chunks
1 bunch thin asparagus, woody stems removed, cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup frozen petit peas, thawed
½ bunch fresh dill or tarragon, roughly chopped

Directions

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter in the olive oil. Sauté the leeks until they are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add spinach and sauté until it’s wilted, about a minute. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

While the spinach and leeks are cooling, beat together the eggs, half and half, and mascarpone cheese in a large bowl. Season with the salt, pepper, and hot sauce before adding the bread, asparagus, and peas. Toss to coat everything. Add leeks and spinach, brie, and the chopped herbs, and toss again.

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with a nonstick cooking spray and fill with the casserole mixture. Cover with foil and chill for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

To cook, preheat oven to 350°. While the oven is preheating, allow the casserole to come to room temperature. Once the oven is preheated, bake the casserole, covered for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the eggs are set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a little before serving.

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding with Macerated Berries

If your mom prefers sweet to savory, this is the dish for her! Once again, it really should be made the day before, so it’s perfect for Mother’s Day brunch.

Ingredients

For the bread pudding
8 stale croissants (be sure to get these at least the day before as fresh croissants will disintegrate!)
1 tablespoon butter, softened
5 large eggs
2 cups half and half
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
Zest of 1 orange
6 ounces good quality semisweet or dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon butter, softened

For the macerated berries

1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup blackberries
1 cup sugar

Directions

Using a serrated bread knife, cut the stale croissants into bite-sized chunks. Allow to sit while you grease the inside of a 9×13-inch baking dish with the softened butter and make the custard.

To make the custard, whisk together the eggs, half and half, vanilla, brown sugar, granulated sugar, salt, and orange zest in a large mixing bowl.

Put the croissant pieces into the baking dish and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Pour the custard over the croissants and chocolate chips. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

To cook, preheat the oven to 350°. Put the baking dish, still covered with foil, into the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 20-30 minutes more, or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.

While the bread pudding is baking, make the macerated berries. Rinse all the berries in a colander and drain. Place the berries and the sugar into a mixing bowl and mix with a large spoon, smashing the berries slightly. Allow the berries to sit on the counter and stir occasionally to ensure that the sugar melts. The sugar will draw out the berries’ juices. (Any leftover berries can be served over vanilla ice cream.)

Cut the bread pudding into squares and serve with a spoonful of the berries (don’t forget the juice!) over the top.

And don’t forget – you promised to clean the kitchen!

The post Easy, Make Ahead Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

May is National Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. It’s a time focused on celebrating a deeply rooted history, diverse community and vibrant culture.

Photo credit: Central Market

Every corner of the store will pay homage to the rich food culture, which has been woven into everyday life in the U.S. Look for special foodie tastings in all departments, food pairings with sake, tea, Vietnamese Coffee Cà Phê Sữa Ðá, Kombucha and Korean Gang Chu, cooking classes led by noteworthy AAPI chefs, foodie recipe walls filled with new recipes highlighting AAPI dishes and products and cultural entertainment including Bollywood dancers, lion dances and Henna artists.

And don’t forget that Mother’s Day is coming!  Exceed her expectations and excite her palate with breakfast in bed, a Mother’s Day feast, specially designed floral bouquets and arrangements, sweet treats and more.

Photo credit: Central Market

Central Market is introducing a Mother’s Day lineup to make you look like the hero without even opening a cookbook. Start off the day by treating your mom to breakfast in bed, charm her with a beautiful brunch and end the day with a deliciously prepared dinner complete with stuffed branzino and flank steak – and don’t forget to do those dishes too! Central Market has curated all the best to make your mom feel like royalty.

So don’t wait! Head to Central Market to enjoy the best of what May brings!

The post Central Market Has So Much in May first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

To the mothers who are being celebrated by their families, enjoy your day! You have earned it!

To the mothers who are with their family but are not being celebrated for whatever reason, we see you. We know your sacrifice.

To the single mothers who are doing the work of two parents, you are doing a heroic job and, regardless of what anyone says, are doing it beautifully.

To the mothers who adopted a child and who society judges just because they didn’t give birth, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I and so many like me owe you our lives.

To the new mothers who are scared out of their wits and second (and third and fourth and fifth) guess themselves every minute of every day, you’re doing great! Just remember, table manners are extra credit.

To all the mothers of grown children, we still need you.

To the mothers who are mourning the loss of their children, no matter the age or reason, you are in our hearts, and we stand with you in grief.

To the mothers who wonder where their children are and if they’re all right, we hear your cries and pray with you.

To the mothers who have just had a shouting match with your child, complete with “You’re the worst,” “I hate you,” and slammed doors, we know you’re not the worst, and we love you.

To everyone who has lost a mother, we know your loss is enormous, and we honor her memory.

To those who never knew their mother, we celebrate your strength and resilience.

To those who chose not to be mothers, you are just as worthy, just as entitled to our love and our celebrations as those who are mothers.

To all women everywhere, regardless of your “status,” you are worthwhile. You are laudable. We see you, and we celebrate you. Thank you. You make the world a better place!

The post On Mother’s Day first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

In 1914, Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, a national holiday to honor mothers. Here we are, 102 years later, and to continue to honor the mothers in our lives, I’ve pulled together some ideas to help show your appreciation to your wonderful mother.

Jewelry

Rings, necklaces, or earrings – there are so many options! You can’t go wrong with a gift from Grissom’s Fine Jewelry.  They are one of the few locally-owned jewelry stores left in Fort Worth.  Grissom’s carries the best quality jewelry and always has a wonderful selection of new and antique pieces. Many years ago, I went up there with my dad and found a really pretty antique diamond necklace for my mom.  It is a memory I’ll always have, and it was the perfect present which she still treasures to this day.   Give that extra special mom out there a gift that will blow her away! She deserves it! From now until Mother’s Day, Patrick Grissom is offering all Tanglewood Moms readers 20% off all in stock jewelry items!!! (Rolex watches and loose diamonds excluded.) Just mention you heard about this from Tanglewoodmoms.com, and the deal is yours!

Another fabulous Mother’s Day gift would be a gorgeous and thoughtful piece from Wishing Well! I was so happy to get my necklace at Christmas, and I have been eyeing a stunning turquoise ring lately.  I love the way the pieces open and close magnetically.  The charms really do keep your intentions close as a reminder of what is important to you.  Wishing Well is offering Tanglewood Moms readers this deal – enter the code MothersDay2016 at checkout for 50% off!

Handmade with Love

I like to take my kids up to Van Grow Art Studio and paint their sweet little hands and put them all over a serving platter or a large popcorn bowl.  The people who work there will help you, and I had them write a message for me on my piece, as well.  This will then need to be fired in the kiln, so it will take time. Don’t delay! They have open studio in the afternoons from 12-6 and on Fridays. They are offering all of our Tanglewood Moms readers a Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off discount on Saturday, April 30, from 12-6 as well! The deadline to create is April 30^th at 6pm to have your gift ready in time for pickup the Friday before Mother’s Day.  Take advantage of this extra day and mention Tanglewood moms to get the discount! Follow them on Instagram @vangrow for future discounts and schedules!

Bags/ Totes

I saw this shopping tote on the Facebook Shop Small Fort Worth site and thought that they would be a perfect Mother’s Day gift for a lucky lady!  They are usually priced at $38; however, right now they are on sale for $30, and the price includes the monogram!  Amanda Miller is selling these, and here is a link to her Facebook page – Miller’s Boutique. If you want a monogram, you will need to order quickly to ensure arrival for Mother’s Day!

If you haven’t seen Funky Wright Designs’ gorgeous watercolor pieces, you have to check them out!  I love the soft watercolor paintings, and now it is on a clutch! I can take it with me everywhere.

Gift Baskets

Hurley House has some beautiful and delicious Mother’s Day Gift Baskets that are sure to please any mother on your list!  You can decide between the prearranged baskets shown on the Hurley House website, or they can customize one just for you! The Hurley House will also deliver; however, orders need to be received by Friday, May 6!  Call 817-343-4483 to place your order.

Flowers

Who doesn’t love flowers, either cut and arranged or growing in a garden?  If you take your children to Archie’s Gardenland, you will find some beautiful options, and the great thing about these flowers is that they will continue to grow and be a reminder of this special gift that will last a long time.   I was there a couple of weeks ago and fell in love with the Mexican pottery.  Pick out one of these planters, grab a bag of potting soil, let the kids find some flowers, and you are ready with the perfect gift!

Gifts That Keep on Giving

Dooty Free lawn service for a year!  With 2 dogs, my yard can get smelly, and if I don’t keep it picked up, surely a foot is going to step in the mess. Yuck!  Dog-loving moms everywhere will appreciate this service! Call 817-269-9637 to make this happen.  The first 2 callers that say they heard about this through Tanglewood moms gets 1 month free!

Savor Culinary Services!  Give your hard working mom a break in the kitchen!  Take the “What’s for Dinner?” out of the equation.  This AMAZING gift will be truly one of the best things you could do for a busy mom! Savor is offering Tanglewood Moms readers a chance to win 3 customized meals!  Visit the Savor Facebook Page to enter.  They will announce the winner on Sunday, May 1^st.  Good luck, everybody!

Hints for the Dads out There!!!

Make her day extra special by stopping into The Fresh Market and picking up some of her favorite breakfast items and a bouquet of flowers! Get the kids and surprise her in the park with a picnic. Or better yet, let her sleep in and help the kids deliver her a special breakfast she will never forget! The Fresh Market is offering Tanglewood Moms readers 2 dozen Mother’s Day Roses for $25!!!

Being a mom is the hardest job there is, so celebrate them and enjoy your day! Happy Mother’s Day everybody!

Tricia Schniederjan is a Fort Worth girl born and raised. Tricia is a runner, scuba diver, snow and water skier, hiker, and kayaker.  Her love of exploring has taken her on many adventures with her 5 children, which has led to her becoming an expert at traveling with children. She is a UT Austin graduate, an optimist, a peace keeper, and an enjoyer of life.

The post Mother’s Day Gift Guide 2016 first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.