Nutmeg is not a brunch person, as you may have gathered coffee is important and generally speaking bunch buffet restaurants are not known for their coffee. Here are some great make at home recipes that follow are great for weekends for a big group or for two. Serve with good coffee and enjoy!

Baked Cinnamon-Apple French Toast

6 medium apples (an assortment works well)

2 tbsp unsalted butter (cut in chunks)

½ cup light brown sugar

1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

8 slices thickly sliced toast (we used raisin bread) – be creative here

8 large eggs

½ cup sugar (we skipped this)

3 ½ cups milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

Peel, core and cut the apples into ¼ inch slices. Heat butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until it starts to foam. Add the apples and cook them until tender, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.

Lightly toast the bread. Cut the toast slices in half to make triangles. Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish, and arrange the bread in two rows, overlapping the dish.

Beat the eggs in a medium bowl; then whisk in the sugar, milk and vanilla to make a custard. Pour the custard over the bread and spoon the apples over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, heat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the baking disk and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the custard is set and does not shimmy when you shake the pan. It will puff up and brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Serves about 8.

High Protein Oatmeal Pancakes

1 cup oatmeal

1 cup cottage cheese

1 cup egg whites

1 large banana

¼ cup blueberries

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla extract

To make the batter put all the ingredients into the blender and puree until smooth and creamy. Heat a small pan over medium heat and lightly spray it with olive oil.

Pour enough batter into the pan so it covers most of the pan’s surface. Turn the pancake over once bubbles appear – about 5 minutes. When one side is cooked, the other side should cook a bit faster – about 3 minutes.

You can eat them right away with your favorite toppings (Ginger’s is Vermont maple syrup) or put them in the refrigerator and heat them in the toaster the next day. They will last for 4 days in the fridge.

Makes about 5 pancakes so increase the quantities for a bigger crowd.