Mother's Day

We've all heard the adage, "If momma's not happy, nobody's happy," and chances are it's proved true in your household at one time or another. So, in celebration of Mother's Day this coming Sunday, we wanted to know how to help mom be happy and how to keep mom happy (year round!).

IN-STUDIO GUESTS: Joining KTD Host Shana Sheehy in the studio are two guests.

• Peggy O'Mara is the Editor/Publisher of Mothering Magazine, she takes a look at how motherhood and happiness are linked and how mom's mood affects the family. 

• Sharon Fleck is a local therapist, she talks postpartum depression and other perinatal mood disorders affecting mothers' happiness.

FEATURED STORIES:

- Single Moms by Choice - A recent Pew Research Center poll about alternative family structures in the US found that 7 out of 10 Americans thought that women raising children solo was "harmful to society". KTD Producer Sarah Gonzales speaks with Jane Mattes, author and founder of Single Mothers By Choice, who responds to these results and explains why having the choice is so important to women who have the mothering desire, but not the partner. [Full story]

- Chef KTD: Mother's Day Breakfast - Dads, this one's for you: Our own Chef KTD, Liz Madsen, returns with a recipe for the perfect Mom's day breakfast in bed. She and her son, Aiden, show contributor Jessica Cochran and her two kids how to prepare strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast. Yum! [Story + recipe + pix]

- What Makes Mom Happy - Fourth graders at Chester Valley Elementary say they think makes their moms happy. And then hear it from the number one expert source: moms share what makes them them happiest.

THIS WEEK CHEF KTD Liz Madsen and her son Aiden showed our Jessica Cochran and her kids how to make a delicious treat for a Mother’s day breakfast in bed. Chef Liz recommends serving strawberry stuffed French toast with whip cream, powdered sugar and a fresh-squeezed glass of orange juice.

Dads out there, remember it’s your job to help the kids pull this off on Mother’s Day!

Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

For the French toast batter:

• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk or heavy cream
• ½ cup sugar (some brown sugar is fine)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Whisk the ingredients together. Dunk slightly stale bread (Chef KTD likes to use Hawaiian sweet bread or brioche – and leave it sitting out overnight so it absorbs more batter). Fry in frying pan just like regular French toast.

For the Filling:

• 1 ½ cups cream cheese
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¾ cup diced strawberries
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend the ingredients together. Spread onto cooked French toast, top with another piece of French toast and place on a baking pan (a silpat liner or cooking spray will keep it from sticking). Bake for 8 minutes at 350.

Whipped Cream Topping:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar

Start with the cream as cold as possible, and whip with mixer as fast as possible. Serve baked French toast sandwiches with whipped cream, more strawberries and whatever else you like!

Liz is the pastry chef Kinley's Restaurant in Anchorage. View all the Chef KTD installments to date.