Mr Breakfast's Guide To
Breakfast In Bed

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1. Introduction
   
2. Celebrations And Romance
   
3. Breakfast In Bed As A Lifestyle
   
4. Breakfast In Bed Tips
   
5. Conclusion
   
6. Equipment
   
   
   

I. Introduction

Whether it's peanut butter on toast served by Junior and Sissy, or Grand Marnier French Toast served by a lover, breakfast in bed provides the recipient(s) with feelings of warmth and appreciation.

As the author of this definitive guide to breakfast in bed, I have to inform you that you don't need this guide. Even the most feeble attempt at making someone a meal should be appreciated. If it isn't, you should tell that the ungrateful lounge-about to get out of bed and don't come back until they can accept love... because that's what breakfast in bed is... an expression of love.


II. Celebrations And Romance

There are several occasions throughout the year when we set aside time to express love and appreciation to people we care about. In the breakfast community, we call these days BIBS (Breakfast In Bed Suggested). An incomplete list of these occasions include birthdays, Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, relationship anniversaries and mornings following intimate sexual activity. The absolute best is last in the list. However, there is one celebratory day that runs a very close second. That is the holiday of caring that you create yourself... the surprise breakfast in bed. "What's the occasion honey?" "No occasion. I just love you." There is no meal with more potential to bring happy tears to the deserving eyes than breakfast.


III. Breakfast In Bed As A Lifestyle Choice

Before I start dishing out tips to create ideal breakfast-in-bed scenarios, let me tell you why I'm qualified (and why you might be too). There is an elegant breed of person who treats breakfast in bed as a lifestyle. We have special trays, coffeemakers with timers and televisions at the foot of our beds. We're not millionaires. We just believe that if days were years then breakfast time would be President's Day. Like the day President's Day, we have time off of work and we can stay in bed guilt-free with a cup of coffee, a favorite breakfast and Good Morning America. Refreshed, relaxed and focused, we eventually rise to greet the day. In essence, breakfast lifestylists give themselves the gift of love.

I have breakfast in bed 90 days out of the year. You could smirk and call me self-serving, but the one thing you can not call me is unqualified to discuss...


IV. Breakfast In Bed Tips

The Surprise Is The Thing: If you share a bed with the person you're cooking for, you should have an excuse ready if they wake up too soon. "Go back to sleep. I'm just getting up to 'blank'." Be sure to give yourself plenty of time to prepare before that special someone would ordinarily rise.

Show The Love: If you're making something with love, let it show. Heart-shaped cookie cutters are just the thing to make romantic pancakes. Scissors are all you need to make heart-shaped toast. For those of you with an expense account for love, a heart-shaped waffle maker can provide years of smiles. A simple splash of red - strawberries, cherries or jam - can give any plate a feeling of something special.

The Little Things: A bowl of cereal is one thing, but that same bowl on a doily with a vase of flowers, a handsomely folded napkin and fine silverware is another. From salt and pepper to cream and sugar to the morning paper, leave no excuse for your loved one to get out of bed. As Julia Cameron once said, "Art is born in attention. Its midwife is detail."

The Gift of Health: While it's okay to splurge on special occasions with richer, fattening foods, you might consider using breakfast in bed as a time to show you care about someone's health. Fruit smoothies, deluxe oatmeal and vegetarian omelettes are just a couple of the hundreds of healthy breakfast options you could choose from.

Be Creative: Try hiding a poem or a small flat gift under a plate. That tiny space is perfect for hiding tickets to a show or a vacation destination. Use the equation: sappy equals happy. But also remember the postulate: a diamond ring in a bagel minus a watchful eye equals a trip to the doctor's office.

Love Can Move Kitchens: Quietly move the toaster, microwave and coffee maker into the bedroom. Imagine the aura of joy you create, as your special someone wakes to see their breakfast being prepared. Make yourself a chef's hat for sappy-equals-happy bonus points.

You Don't Have To Cook: Take a secret early morning trip to the Burger King or McDonald's take-out window. An Egg McMuffin presented on an elegant tray can say "I love you" or "thank you" just as easily as a two-hour breakfast quiche.

Booze Adds Class: We associate celebrations with liquor. Breakfast in bed should be no exception. It only takes a half a glass of champagne to transform a half a glass of orange juice into a Mimosa. Add a couple teaspoons of Grand Marnier to plain pancake or waffle batter to create something you'd be proud to serve with a faux French accent.

Crumbs In Bed Ruin The Mood: If you don't have a breakfast-in-bed tray, fold a table cloth in half and lay it down. A nice basket filled with hand-held items like muffins, fruit and the morning paper can provide an elegant low-crumb experience. A bedside table is imperative to hold beverages, condiments and waste (banana peels, muffin papers, etc.). A coffee table or even a chair can be used to fill this need.

Don't Forget The Kiss (If Appropriate): A quick closed-mouth smooch on the lips or cheek is an ideal appetizer to breakfast in bed. "Why closed mouth, Mr Breakfast?" During the night, over 170 different types of bacteria have languished in your loved one's mouth feeding on bits of decaying food particles between teeth. When bacteria consume nutrients, they produce sulfur compounds. The result is "morning breath".

Clean-up: The gift of a dirty kitchen is a rotten gift. A true breakfast in bed aficionado knows the job isn't done until the dishes are washed and the bed is made. This not only completes the job; it also sets a tone for helpful gestures you can perform throughout the day. Don't let the trend of thoughtfulness you've established end at breakfast. V. Conclusion

Control the calendar. Don't let the government dictate your holidays. If Sissy gets an A, if Junior makes a birdhouse, if your husband works hard... give them a holiday.

There's an old sharp-toothed one-liner that goes, "If you want breakfast in bed, then try sleeping in the kitchen." The only place that biting comment bites me is in the idea department. It sounds like a fun idea for the kids and a romantic idea for lovers: sleeping bags on the floor with an expectation to rise to the ultimate breakfast in bed. I may try it Wednesday. Breakfast in bed does not recognize boundaries of time and space. If that sounds familiar, its because neither does love.


VI. Equipment

Breakfast Tray Types

Gourmet Bed Tray

Modern Bed Tray

Bed Desk Tray


15 Breakfast In Bed Recipe Ideas

Warm Cointreau Grapefruits
Breakfast Banana Split
Easy Eggs Benedict
Benedict Scramble
Hawaiian Omelette
Western Omelette
Eggs Florentine
Apple Pancakes
Blueberry Pancakes Tiramisu Pancakes
Chocolate Waffles with
Caramel-Banana Topping
Amaretto French Toast
Vanilla Cream French Toast
Apricot Honey Oatmeal
Apple Breakfast Lasagna

2,800 More Ideas



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