Linda's Busy Cooks Blog

This weekend is Mother's Day! Instead of just making Mom a special breakfast or dinner, treat her to an entire weekend worth of meals. These quick and easy recipes will see you through the weekend in style. I love Black Bean Wild Rice Salad (pictured), Crunchy Oatmeal Brownies, and Turkey Cordon Bleu - and so will Mom! Oh, and don't despair - Mom will be happy even if you just make one of these recipes.

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Let Mom sleep in on Sunday and make this easy menu so you can serve her breakfast in bed. All of it can be made ahead of time so all you have to do is heat the eggs, slice the coffee cake, pour the juice, and spoon the salad into a bowl. Kids, if you're making this menu, get a grownup to help with the oven steps in the recipes, and be sure you know kitchen rules before you start. Mom will love it!

• Danish Puff Coffeecake
• Make Ahead Scrambled Eggs
• Overnight Fruit Salad

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

You know that most moms love cookies. So make a batch or two for Mother's Day, and the whole family can enjoy them. One of my favorites is Starlight Mint Cookies (pictured), but I also love Chocolate Dainties and Dark Chocolate Cookies. Be sure to read how to make the best cookies before you begin. Yum!

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Let's celebrate today with some wonderful, quick and easy recipes your family will love. These are some of my favorite recipes with a Mexican slant. None are authentic, but all are really delicious! I especially recommend Mexican Pizza, which is rich and hearty with refried beans, green chiles, and lots of cheese. Yum.

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Pancakes are the perfect recipe for Mother's Day breakfast or brunch. They are among the easiest recipes to make, and are also very inexpensive. Read all about how to make the perfect fluffy pancakes, choose your favorite recipe (mine is Classic Pancakes, pictured), then treat Mom next Sunday, or make breakfast for dinner on Monday or Tuesday.

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

It's not often that you can call a main dish 'luscious'. This one is. Tender and smoky salmon is topped with a fresh and sweet fruit salad for a spectacular dinner. All you need to serve with it is some roasted green beans and a nice grilled bread. For dessert, an ice cream pie is an easy make-ahead treat.

• Salmon with Blueberry Grape Salad
• Roasted Green Beans
• Toasted Garlic Bread
• Fudgesicle Pie

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Even if you aren't of Mexican heritage, Mexican and Tex-Mex food is so good and fun to make and eat, let's schedule a weekend around Cinco de Mayo. It's always fun to learn about a culture, so read about the celebration and plan your menus. Mexican Chicken Salad, pictured, is one of my favorite, albeit not authentic, recipes.

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Let's learn how to make one of my favorite recipes, Pizza Spaghetti Style. This delicious casserole is easy to make, it feeds a crowd, and can be made ahead and frozen. I love the combination of flavors and textures in this easy recipe. You can vary it as you like, by using ground turkey or pork sausage instead of beef, provolone or Swiss cheese, or chopped zucchini or summer squash instead of the bell pepper. Yum!

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

I love making bar cookies because they take much less time than drop or shaped cookies. There are infinite combinations of flavors and textures too. Oatmeal Carmelitas (pictured) are one of the best, but you'll also find delicious recipes for brownies, lemon bars, no-bake bar cookies, and fruit cookies. Be sure to read How to Measure Flour and Bar Cookie Science before you begin for the best results. Yum.

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Tostadas sound fancy and festive, but they're really simple to make. They consist of a crisp tortilla that you can top with anything you'd like. These are some of my favorite recipes, especially the 'Chicken' Tostadas, and Shrimp Tostadas. Remember, Cinco de Mayo is next week, so why not include some Tostadas in your menu plans? Enjoy.

_{Photo © 2008 Linda Larsen, licensed to About.com, Inc.}