Breakfast in Bed (Little Luxuries at Home)

Normally we have a strict no food in bed policy. Especially with these luxury sheets. We are not risking any crumbs or spills.

But most rules have exceptions right?

During our Year of the Pancake, I decided for Greg's birthday I was going to bring him breakfast in bed; combining what Greg loves most, pancakes, with what I do best, cheese boards, to create the most magnificent pancake board ever!

It's easy to forget, but presentation goes a long way! What might seem like a basic birthday present, is made extra special with a little attention to detail.

I got up before Greg (not difficult, he likes to sleep in and I'm always anxious to get going!), and started to assemble the tray quietly in the kitchen.

I was able to get an awesome folding bed tray from Aldi in the Aldi finds section, and I used the board from my cheese plate to add a raised level for the main items, while the silverware and drinks rested on the bed tray.

I absolutely love simple white serving dishes, because they go with everything and give you endless options to style! I got these bowls in two different sizes, as well as the tiny pitcher for syrup from Sur La Table.

So what does breakfast in bed include?

Pancakes, turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, a big cup of chai, some orange juice, syrup and toppings!

The toppings are what really make a pancake board. When you're bombarded with videos of food items that are over the top, and have a million steps, remember you can dress up plain pancakes with little effort on your part, all while still offering the recipient variety.

I placed the board from the cheese plate towards the front of the bed tray. This will be for the pancakes and toppings and leave space for drinks along the back of the tray. Start with your pancakes. This is the centerpiece of the board and will take up the most space. I arranged them diagonally across the board. I laid the turkey bacon on a similar angle, creating some consistency. You want variety and for it to look free and effortless, but you also don't want it to look like a mess! I created a similar line with the banana, although it's not a perfect diagonal.

For the fruits I used strawberries, blueberries, and a banana. Again, a little effort on your part in presentation can go a long way. I sliced the banana so that it rested on the banana peel on one side. This made it easy to transfer onto the board, and also helped create a neat line of banana slices. The banana lined a small bowl of blueberries, and the strawberry slices were casually piled in the remaining space between the fruit and pancakes. I used one strawberry to fan out and add a little decoration to the board.

I also made chocolate ganache, which is in another small bowl on the opposite side of the board. You don't want to put all bowls on one side of the board. If you want to give variety, you also want it to look like variety, so don't be scared to play around with where things are on the board. By placing the white bowls farther apart, they pop more than if they were huddled together in one corner of the tray, and give a look of variety that you might not have gotten from placing them together.

Last but not least, I got a small pitcher, also from Sur La Table, meant for creamer but I used it for syrup! I included a small glass of orange juice and a big mug of piping hot chai, and another porcelain bowl, this one filled with scrambled eggs. With all the sweetness in the pancakes and toppings, I wanted to add something a little savory, healthy, and full of protein.

It's safe to say that Greg loved the birthday surprise! But this pancake board doesn't just have to be for one person! I love doing similar boards for brunches and get togethers! Pair it with a mimosa bar and you're guaranteed to have a fabulous Sunday brunch. When feeding a crowd, or short on time, you can even use frozen mini pancakes.

The recipe for pancakes and chocolate ganache is below! For some Sunday Brunch inspiration, check out my mimosa bar, also below!

This pancake board included whipped cream, you can use fresh or cool whip, and rainbow sprinkles! The mimosa bar included a few different juices, as well as chopped up pineapple, mango, and strawberries!

For the pancake board!

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 3 Tbsp sugar

• 1 1/2 cups skim milk

• 2 Tbsp low fat butter

• 2 eggs, separated

• Blueberries (optional)

• Strawberries (optional)

• Banana (optional)

• Whipped cream (optional)

• Rainbow sprinkles (optional)

• Turkey bacon (optional)

• Scrambled eggs (optional)

• Syrup (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all dry ingredients.

2. Add milk, butter, and egg yolks until combined.

3. Add egg whites, folding into batter until just mixed.

4. In non stick skillet, add about 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook until small bubbles form, and flip, cooking on other side for about another minute. Note that typically we will use 1/3 cup of batter for each pancake, but with this being a board, having smaller pancakes works a little better.

5. Top with butter or syrup, or any other topping as desired.

For the chocolate ganache!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of heavy cream

• 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (I used dark, you can also use milk chocolate)

Directions:

1. In a microwave safe bowl, add heavy cream and microwave on high for 1 minute.

2. Remove bowl from microwave and add chocolate chips. Make sure chocolate chips are not all in the centered and piled up. You want them spread evenly through the bowl so that they are mostly covered by the heavy cream.

3. Cover the bowl and let sit for five minutes.

4. Uncover and stir until smooth.

If you love breakfast like we do, I hope this helps with all of your breakfast party plans, or breakfast in bed surprises!

Remember, little luxuries can make a world of difference!

Cheers!