Mothers Day Buffet

Your Mother loves you,
Looks after you,
Takes care of you.
The only bad thing
Your Mother ever does
Is die and leave you.
~Poem from a postcard I had a long time ago

We had a fantastic Mothers Day here, the whole family together, which is a rare occurrence. The whole family includes 4 mothers - myself and 2 sisters (one here from VA for the weekend) and, of course, our Mother. I created a sumptuous feast, the traditional Mothers day brunch buffet, but better because it was (mostly) home-cooked. This was the first time I've done a brunch for this large a crowd (17 total) but it all went quite well.

Mothers day brunch buffet in pictures:

Hash Browns, Bacon, Salmon Patties

Scrambled Eggs, Cheese Strata

Tomato with Basil and Mozzarella

Ham

Apples, Bananas, Bagels

Strawberries and oranges

Recipes

Cheese Strata

Ingredients:
1 loaf of bread
15 eggs
6 c milk
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
8 c grated Cheddar cheese
Preparation:
Beat together eggs, milk and seasonings
Place a layer of bread slices in a large, deep, oven safe dish
Cover with cheddar cheese
Add another layer of bread and cover with cheddar cheese
Pour egg mixture over the layers
Cover and refrigerate overnight
Cook in a preheated oven, 350 degrees for 1 hour

Tomato with Basil and Mozzarella
Slice several tomatoes apprx 1/2" thick
Splash slices with olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Put apprx 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese on each slice
Add some fresh basil
Place under broiler for about 5 minutes, until cheese is melted and lightly browned

Scrambled Eggs
Ingredients:
36 eggs
2 c milk
3 splashes Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper
Butter
Preparation:
Whisk all ingredients except butter in a large bowl
Melt apprx 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat
Pour in egg mixture (in increments if necessary) and turn gently until desired consistency is reached

Muffins, Croissants, Bagels
Go to Costco
Find the Bakery section
Buy Muffins, Croissants, and Bagels

Breakfast Burritos - I had some warm flour tortillas for making breakfast burritos from the available ingredients, for instance, I had a burrito with some hash browns, bacon, scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, salsa and black olives.

Also: Coffee (lots), orange juice, and various condiments, accouterments, enhancements, munchies, and sweets.