The last, but not least, recipe in my Make Ahead Brunch series: a Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bundt Cake. This buttery and bright cake, spiked with fresh berries, is perfect for brunch, especially with warmer weather upon us. It can be baked in a regular baking pan, but using a bundt playfully hides a cinnamony crunch at the bottom and allows for a lemon glaze over the top. Because who doesn’t need an extra punch of lemon flavor on a sleepy weekend morning?

Make this cake—sans the glaze—the night before your guests arrive. Cover it well and store on the counter overnight. Make the glaze, which takes all of 5 minutes, and pour it over the cake immediately before serving.

Since anything goes at brunch, I like to put everything out at once. You just might find that your guests want to start with coffee and cake before moving on to savory foods. If you’d like to serve this cake as a dessert course, you can either make the glaze while someone else clears the meal plates, or let the glazed cake sit while you eat the strata and salad. It will keep just fine. If you don’t want to deal with a glaze at all, keep things simple with a quick dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bundt Cake, adapted from Martha Stewart
(can be adapted for kids 8+ mos)*

2 1/2 c organic flour, plus 1 tsp for blueberries and zest
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c (2 sticks) organic unsalted butter, room temp
1 c packed organic light brown sugar
1 c organic granulated sugar
4 large organic eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c organic sour cream
2 c organic blueberries
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
nonstick cooking spray, for pan

For the crumble:
5 tbsp cold organic butter, cubed
3/4 c organic flour
1 c organic light brown sugar
2 tsp organic cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

For the glaze:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 c freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk 2 1/2 cups flour with baking powder and salt; set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of sour cream.

3. In a bowl, toss blueberries and zest with remaining teaspoon flour; gently fold into batter. Coat a 12-cup nonstick Bundt pan with cooking spray. Spread batter in prepared pan and set aside.

4. Prep the crumb topping: pulse brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and cold butter in a food processor until crumbly. Spread topping evenly over the batter, gently pressing down. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a rack.

5. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze: in a small saucepan, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice over very low heat until smooth and warmed through.

6. Using a toothpick, poke holes over the top of your bundt cake and pour warm glaze evenly over it. Serve!

*Note: Some recommend that children under 12-months not eat citrus (though citrus zest in small amounts is fine). If you strictly adhere to the citrus recommendation, you may want to hold off on feeding this cake until 12 mos. Otherwise, simply skip the glaze on portions for kids 8+ mos. And always make sure to serve age appropriate bite sizes.

When planning my make-ahead brunch, I was looking for a hearty salad to pair with the Spinach and Cheese Strata. At first I considered something with, well, bacon (I told you I was conflicted about serving a brunch without breakfast meat!), but then I came across this salad. Hold the bacon, add the squash! It may not seem like the most exciting move but, trust me, you can’t get better than deeply caramelized chunks of butternut squash tossed with escarole, apple and high-quality aged cheddar. And then you get the satisfaction of having made a totally satisfying, meat-free brunch.

Making this salad—which also works great at lunch or dinner time—ahead is super easy. Simply roast the squash and make the dressing the night before you plan on serving the salad. Store both in (separate) air tight containers in the fridge. The day of your brunch, allow the squash to return to room temperature while you prep the rest of the ingredients. Then toss and serve.

Escarole Salad with Roasted Squash & Cheddar, from Martha Stewart
(can be adapted—or deconstructed!—for kids 6+ mos)*

1 small organic butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
1 tbsp organic olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
1 organic granny smith apple, quartered, cored & thinly sliced
1 head organic escarole, torn into 2″ pieces
2 1/2 ounces organic sharp cheddar, thinly sliced or shaved into ribbons

For the dressing
2 tbsp organic white wine vinegar*
2 tsp organic Dijon mustard
1 tsp packed organic light brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt, plus more to taste
pepper
3 tbsp organic olive oil

1. Prep the salad! Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss squash with oil, salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until tender and caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

2. Make the dressing: Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified.

3. Gently toss squash, apple, escarole and half of the cheese in a large serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with dressing and toss again. Top with remaining cheese.

*Note: Set aside and mash some roasted squash for eaters as young as 6 months. Older kids who can eat all of the ingredients, but haven’t yet taken to leafy greens can have their own escarole-free version (yummy squash, apples and cheese!). Consider using a minimal amount of dressing on portions for younger eaters and substituting apple cider vinegar for kids under 12 months.

We recently had friends over for brunch. They don’t have kids (yet!), so we made a plan for 12:30 pm (a “morning” plan for after noon, imagine that!). That would have normally taken the pressure off of cooking the day-of, except for the fact that we had other friends over the night before, friends for whom I cooked dinner, friends who also have no children and stay up later than we usually do. I needed a plan. A plan that would make back-to-back entertaining possible. Even with two little kids.

And it did. My plan—it worked!

If you ask me, every brunch needs a) coffee, b) savory eggs, c) something sweet and d) something light and healthy to balance out the eggs and sweet. My brunch menu was complete with all of these essential elements and all I had to do the day-of was put eggs in the oven and toss together a salad. THAT’S ALL.

My menu was simple: A Spinach and Cheese Strata, Escarole Salad with Roasted Squash and Cheddar and a Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bundt Cake. At first I was worried about not offering breakfast meat (okay, I admit it: even I find my omission of bacon or sausage as an essential element of brunch controversial)—but it totally worked. Chock full of gooey bread (think a savory bread pudding), the strata is quite filling. Paired with a hearty salad and cake, there was plenty of food. But, you know, I won’t blame you if you decide to quick roast sausage or oven crisp bacon, too. (Ooh! Or add some crispy pancetta to the strata.)

I was turned onto this strata from Gourmet by Deb of Smitten Kitchen. It’s a snap to put together: throw the ingredients in a baking dish the night before your brunch, store in the fridge overnight, begin the cooking process about an hour and a half before you plan on serving. In fact, it’s a great recipe for any weekend—even if you’re not entertaining.

Spinach and Cheese Strata, from Gourmet
(can be served to kids 12+ mos)*

1 10-oz package organic frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups finely chopped organic onion (1 large)
3 tbsp unsalted organic butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
8 c cubed (1 inch) French or Italian bread (1/2 lb)
6 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (2 cups)
2 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1 cup)
2 3/4 c organic milk
9 large organic eggs
2 tbsp organic Dijon mustard

1. Squeeze handfuls of spinach to remove as much liquid as possible, then finely chop.

2. In a large pan over medium heat, cook onion in butter until soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg, and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in spinach, then remove from heat.

3. Spread one third of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart gratin dish or other shallow ceramic baking dish and top evenly with one third of spinach mixture. Sprinkle with one third of each cheese. Repeat layering twice (ending with cheeses).

4. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, mustard and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 8 hours (for bread to absorb custard).

5. The next day, preheat oven to 350°F. Let strata stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed, golden brown and cooked through, 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

*Note: Egg whites are a high allergen food usually not recommended until 12+ mos (plain egg yolks can be served to children 8+ mos), but the recommendations are changing. Evidence is mounting that there is no significant protective effect by delaying the introduction of high allergen foods. Read more about eggs—and shifting attitudes about food introductions—on one of my favorite baby food resources, Wholesome Baby Food.

If your child does not have food allergies and there is no history of food allergies in the family, you may consider talking to your pediatrician about introducing eggs (a great source of protein!) much earlier.

• Basil – has strong antioxidant properties and volatile oils that have antibacterial properties, and it may decrease the immune response to allergens.
• Cardamom – contains essential oils that have high antioxidant properties and could help alleviate ulcers and has anti-inflammatory properties.
• Celery – the leaves can substitute for parsley. Contains polyacetylenes, substances that are highly toxic against fungi and bacteria. Essential oils in celery seeds has been shown to have anticancer properties.
• Cilantro/Coriander – could help with diabetes, digestive health, heart health and contains dodecenal which in laboratory studies is effective at killing salmonella.
• Cinnamon – could reduce blood pressure and contribute to heart health.
• Cloves – contain eugenol, a substance that could be helpful for relieving pain, killing bacteria and reducing inflammation.
• Cumin – is rich in essential oils that have been associated with blood glucose-lowering effects. It is found to be highly effective at killing the H. pylori bacteria associated with stomach ulcers.
• Garlic – contains allicin, a bacteria killer, and saponin, a cholesterol soaker-upper. A study out of London found that garlic may help decrease preeclampsia complications at birth.
• Ginger – is rich in antioxidants and could protect against cancer. It’s also been shown to help with motion and morning sickness.
• Horseradish/Wasabi – contains glucosinolates, which are known cancer and bacteria fighters. Wasabi is known to prevent tooth decay
• Mint – contains phenolic compounds that have strong antioxidant activity and may prevent E. coli bacteria from forming.
• Oregano – a study showed that oregano oil caused damage to E. coli bacteria within one minute, and another study showed it to cause damage to a parasite that causes diarrhea and abdominal pain.
• Parsley – contains many volatile oils with cancer protective properties, and can lower blood sugar.
• Peppers – contain capsaicinoids which are inflammation reducing phytochemicals.
• Rosemary – contains polyphenolic compounds that could inhibit oxidation and bacterial growth of E. coli.
• Turmeric – contains curcumin which could be a cancer-fighter and have anti-inflammatory properties.

Super herb home-made baby food
According to Dave, a tablespoon of oregano packs the same antioxidant strength as an apple! Why not add some fresh herbs to your next batch of veggies and whiz some into the puree. Add flavor and boost baby’s antioxidant intake.   An herby puree the whole family will love is this spinach basil pesto, a great alternative to butter or oil on cooked pasta.

Dry works as well as fresh
I don’t know about your kiddos, but my boys usually find tiny green flecks of fresh herbs and pick them out of salads. Herbs do have a strong fresh flavor that probably doesn’t appeal to most kids who are learning to tolerate bitter flavors. I know eventually they’ll eat them raw, but for now, in addition to cooking fresh herbs down in sauces and using them to flavor stocks for soups, I try to include as many dry spices in our meals as possible. To make taco night a breeze I mixed up this home-made taco seasoning which contains six super spices. Our morning oatmeal — with cloves, ginger and cinnamon —reminds me of pumpkin pie.

Optimize your stalks
Unless you have an herb garden, buying fresh herbs can be pricey. Don’t waste the stalks, toss them in a zip lock back with other veggie scraps and collect in the freezer. Use your veggie scraps to flavor meat stocks or simmer in a pot of water, then strain. Use the vegetable broth for soup or to replace water when cooking grains.

Natural food dyes
Make food colorful without the toxins in commercial food coloring. Use turmeric to turn rice yellow, and try wilted pureed herbs to turn pizza, tortilla or pita dough green.

About Jenna
At Food with Kid Appeal, Jenna blogs about her journey to feed her family whole food and grow good eaters with the obstacles of high food costs, a demanding day job, and a barrage confusing nutrition  information in the news.  Follow her on her mission to nourish her carnivore Hubby, and two sons:  unfamiliar-food-protester 5 year old Big Boo and picky-palate 3 year old Little Boo.

Here’s the skinny (or not-so-skinny, as it were): Cascadian Farms is owned by General Mills who recently quietly reformulated Purely O’s adding THREE times the sugar, fillers including corn meal and sweeteners including tapioca syrup.

O’s cereals are one of THE most popular first finger foods. They are consumed by babies as young as 8-months-old and General Mills doesn’t have the moral clarity, or just plain business ethics, to tell us? They didn’t even have to advertise the details. How about just informing us to look at the nutrition panel for changes? We can—and should—take it from there.

I don’t know about you, but this enrages me. Makes me wonder what kind of society will live in that we can’t trust the companies that feed our children to keep things like unnecessary excess fat and sugar and endocrine disruptors (e.g., Bisphenol-A) out of our babies’ food and food containers. Or to at least tell us that they haven’t (remember the Sigg debacle?). I guess, as Marion Nestle points out, it’s just business as usual for these big companies.

What do you think? Am I overreacting? Will you keep buying Cascadian Farm O’s? If not, is it just because of the sugar, or also on principle?

If, like me, you plan on giving up O’s all together, consider these breakfast alternatives:

• oatmeal with your favorite add-in’s (we love this banana pecan oatmeal
• whole grain toast with slow cooker apple butter
• toast or whole grain bagel with pumpkin walnut cream cheese
• 10-minute blueberry almond morning polenta
• plain yogurt with my all purpose blueberry puree
• coco-banana date smoothies
• orange cardamom french toast
• sweet potato muffins with cream cheese filling (can be stored in the freezer and reheated in just minutes in the oven or seconds in the microwave for an on-the-go option)