On any given weekday, breakfast might mean a simple cup of coffee and perhaps a piece of toast—still warm if you’re lucky—gobbled up as you leave a trail of breadcrumbs to the door. But Valentine’s Day is a special day meant for spending with the one you love—and the food you love—so what better place to cash in on that merriment than in bed cozied up with your better half and your favorite breakfast? Here are a few tips for making the ultimate breakfast in bed.
Plan ahead
You don’t want to wakeup and find you’re out of OJ, or coffee, or baking powder for your waffle batter, or anything else you had anticipated being available. Get ready for your morning a few days before by planning a menu, making sure you’ll have everything you need, then head to the store to fill in the gaps.
go for the good stuff
Valentine’s Day is all about decadence, luxury, and romance. You don’t have to break the bank to impress, but get cheese from the nice part of the store, swap your usual strawberries for raspberries, get bagels from the bakery instead of the freezer aisle—that kind of thing. Your breakfast will instantly stand out as special.
Make a simple menu
Save the elaborate breakfast service for the chefs at your next 5-star hotel stay. Be realistic. You don’t have to make everything yourself. Homemade jam and fresh squeezed juice are great, but you’ll likely wake everyone up if you start grinding carrots through that juicer. Pick one or two things you can make well and make quickly, like French toast, pancakes, or an omelette and fill the rest of the breakfast in with quick items like a parfait, grapefruit halves (citrus is in season right now!), English muffin, cheese cubes, or tomato slices.
Know your audience
Keep in mind, you’re making breakfast for someone else. If your loved one is usually a fruit and yogurt kind of person, a pound of bacon might not be as well received as you had hoped. If they usually go for a bagel, elaborate on that and pick up some quality smoked salmon, capers, red onion, and cream cheese. If they usually go for cold cereal, consider making homemade hot granola.
prep what you can the night before
Of course, whoever makes breakfast in bed will have to get up somewhat earlier than everyone else (shhh! Try not to cause a commotion in the kitchen!), but that doesn’t mean you have to get up at 4 a.m. either. Fixing a frittata? You can prep those veggies the night before. Serving a side of fruit? You can prep that now, too. In fact, you can even make the whole meal the night before, so you have very little to worry about in the a.m. Try these decadent Crock Pot Cinnamon Roll Oats, this Overnight Apple Raisin French Toast Casserole, or this Quick Vegetarian Spinach and Artichoke Casserole. The night before is also a good time to make that homemade juice, too. Try this heart healthy Homemade V8 juice.
Make the service special
Use a solidly-constructed tray that can handle transportation and any serious spills. Plate items in bowls and plates with wide bottoms, so they’re not tempted to tilt on your walk up the stairs. Putting jelly or jam, butter, or condiments in little bowls looks better than plopping a sticky jar of jam on the tray (and takes up less space, too). Add a cloth napkin, single bud vase, glass of water, forks, and knives, and you’re ready to go!
Not sure what to make for breakfast? Maybe this national poll of How Americans Eat Breakfast can help get you take a good guess. And, I mean, if all else fails, no one ever says no to leftovers or a morning Mickey D’s run.
Making dinner at home, too? Try this impressive but easy Marry Me Chicken recipe.
Shop crock pots, small kitchen appliances and fun gadgets at EverybodyShops.com.
