The Perfect Holiday Breakfast (recipie) with Debbie Mason

Barnes and Noble // Goodreads

Surviving the holidays will take a Christmas miracle...

Ex-cop Cat O'Connor is bored working for her sister, Chloe, as a personal assistant on the set of her soap opera. Until Chloe gets an opportunity to audition for the role of a lifetime and asks her identical twin to substitute for her on the soap with no one the wiser. It's a perfect switch—until Cat attracts the attention of the mysterious Mr. Tall, Dark, and Way-too-handsome leading man.

Grayson Alexander never thought being snowbound in the charming town of Christmas, Colorado, for the holiday would get so hot. But between working with sexy, tough Cat on set and keeping his real reason for being there under wraps, he's definitely feeling the heat. And if there's one thing they'll learn as they bring out the mistletoe, it's that in this town, true love is always in season...

You would think, since I write a series set in the small town of Christmas, Colorado, that my perfect holiday morning would show up in at least one of my books. So far it hasn't. All three holiday stories end on Christmas Eve. One with a Christmas pageant at the church, the next with a wedding, and my latest release, Snowbound at Christmas, with the McBrides and O'Connors arriving en masse at the ranch. Much to our hero's chagrin.

Grayson kissed her, not a kiss that would embarrass her family and friends, but one that promised a future. Lifting his mouth from hers, he said, “What are the chances we’re going to get some time alone?”

"Slim to none. They're all sleeping over."

His eyes scanned the room. "All of them?"

~Snowbound at Christmas

It's possible I haven't included my perfect holiday morning in my books because some people might think it's . . . perfectly boring:) I'll let you decide.

My family is a lot like the McBrides and O'Connors, so Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are fun-filled and a little crazy. By the twenty-sixth, no matter how much I love my extended family, I'm ready for a break. It's why we came up with my favorite, long-standing tradition. We stay in our pajamas and pretend we're not home. While hubby makes bacon and eggs to order, I make stuffed French toast while sipping on coffee with Baileys. Once the kids and hubby are settled in front of the fire for a TV marathon, I sneak upstairs and crawl into bed with the books I received for Christmas and get started on my reading marathon. To-date, five books is my record. And that's because my perfect holiday morning doesn't end until the wee hours of the next day.

Now thanks to No Bent Spine for reminding me, I should probably start making this year's book list. After all, there's only 75 days till my next perfect holiday morning:)

Stuffed French Toast

·       can of sliced peaches

·       1/2 cup sugar

·       4 pinches ground nutmeg

·       1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

·       Loaf of French bread

·       1 cup mascarpone cheese or cream cheese

·       6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

·       1 lemon zested

·       6 eggs

·       3/4 cup milk

·       1/2 tsp vanilla extract

·       2 tsps butter

·       2 tsps vegetable oil

Place peach slices and juice into a heavy saucepan. Stir in sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon, and cook over medium heat until bubbly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reaches a syrupy consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cut off and discard the ends of the French bread. Slice into 1 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut a pocket into each slice.

Stir together the mascarpone, confectioners' sugar, and lemon zest until smooth. Scoop mixture into a small plastic bag. Cut off one corner of the bag, and pipe as much filling into the pocket in each slice of bread as will fit without overflowing.

Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Melt butter with oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Dip each stuffed piece of bread into the egg mixture and cook until browned on both sides. Serve hot with the warm peach sauce.

You can also substitute fresh berries for the peaches. Sprinkle the warm fresh toast with confectioners' sugar, top with berries, then drizzle with chocolate sauce and add a dollop of whipped cream.