How to Make Mom the Best Brunch on a $20 Budget

Don’t break the bank this year on Mother’s Day. Instead, surprise Mom with brunch in bed for only $20! We rifled through ingredients and recipes with our calculator in hand and landed on decadent strawberry and cream cheese-filled crepecakes (not quite a pancake, not quite a crepe) cut into the name of your favorite lady: Mom. Read on for the recipe.

Ingredients:

— 1/3 cup pancake mix

— 1/2 cup milk

— 1 egg

— 2 Tablespoons water

— powdered sugar

— cream cheese

— jam (strawberry or raspberry)

— butter (to grease the pan)

— orange juice (to serve with the meal)

Special Tools:

— alphabet cookie cutters (letters M and O)

Instructions:
1. Add pancake mix, milk, egg and water together in a mixing bowl, mixing until there aren’t any clumps. If your batter is too thin, add more pancake mix a half teaspoon at a time.

2. Heat a pan on medium and add butter. Then pour your batter into the pan, waiting until bubbles form to flip the pancake. Make three small pancakes (they should fit one of the cookie cutters) and three medium-sized pancakes (they should fit two cookie cutters side by side).

3. Stack the pancakes and then punch out the letters using your cookie cutters.

4. Disassemble the stack and add cream cheese and jam between the layers. Stack them back up, then sift powdered sugar on top.

Grab a mixing bowl and add the pancake mix, milk, egg and water together in the same bowl.

Using a fork or whisk, mix the ingredients until there aren’t any clumps left. If your batter is too thin or watery, you can always add more pancake mix a half teaspoon at a time until it reaches a smooth consistency somewhere between a pancake batter and a crepe batter.

Heat a frying pan on medium and add butter to grease the pan. Then pour your batter into the pan, waiting until bubbles form to flip the pancake over to the other side. To make this “MOM” stack, you will need to make three small pancakes (they should fit one of the cookie cutters) and three medium-sized pancakes (they should fit two cookie cutters side by side).

Stack the small pancakes and medium pancakes separately and then punch out the letters using your cookie cutters.

You should then have two stacks of three M’s and one stack of three O’s. Disassemble each stack and add cream cheese on one layer and jam on another, leaving the top layer of each stack plain.

You know what to do – stack ’em back up and repeat with the other two letters!

Add a nice finishing touch by sifting powdered sugar on top of the letters.

UGH, delicious. I see a lot of these alphabet crepecakes in my future for all sorts of occasions. Mother’s Day? Check. Any friends having a birthday soon? You’re definitely getting a stack. Baby shower? Oh heck ya. Crepecakes for everyone!

For an extra extra special brunch for Mom, go all out and fill a tray with these beautiful stacks, OJ and maple syrup!

We're still waiting to feel a crisp fall breeze in the air, but that's okay! It's still time for some hearty brunch recipes to spice up the upcoming cozy season. We know you'll gladly take *all* the pumpkin recipes, but while you're shopping at your local farmers' market this fall, arm yourself with some apples, squashes, corn, and sweet potatoes in anticipation of the weekend's best meal. Read on for some brunch recipes to cure your fall fever quicker than the color on leaves can change.

Vikalinka

Puff Pastry Cinnamon Rolls

No meal is complete with tasty rolls, especially if they're cinnamon. However, this recipe makes baking them a little easier because it uses puff pastries. They take a little over 30 minutes to make which means you won't have to wait long to sink your teeth into their ooey goodness!

The Original Dish

The Ultimate Scrambled Egg Breakfast

Skipped breakfast and need to eat a hearty meal because you're starving. Of course you'll eat your classic scrambled eggs, but there's also delectable bacon, roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, and a secret herb sauce that'll make your tastebuds explode.

Pink Owl Kitchen

Collard Green Shakshuka

Rethink what you know about collard greens and shakshuka because this is one brunch meal you'll love cooking. You'll need ingredients like cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, collard greens, and garlic cloves to help create this flavorful dish that takes less than 30 minutes to cook.

Julie's Jazz

Butternut Squash Waffles With Cashew Butter

We're going to squash this right here and right now: Butternut squash is just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner. Just look at the ooey gooeyness.

Baker by Nature

Morning Glory Muffins

Wake up on the right side of the bed with these scrumptious muffins. If you've never tasted these before, think about how tasty a spiced apple cake mixed with a carrot cake would be baked in one muffin. Yeah, it's that good.

Kitchen Confidante

Baked Oatmeal Stuffed Acorn Squash

Whether you're hosting a family brunch or just looking to switch things up, you absolutely need this recipe in your life. Plump prunes and brown sugar sweeten the baked oatmeal, which is perfect with the cranberry sauce served on the side.

The Almond Eater

Pumpkin Smoothie Bowl

Don't think for a minute that this bowl is going to leave you hangry in one hour. It's made with pumpkin puree, almond milk, and banana, making it *super* filling. For added nutrients, it's topped with apples, chia seeds, and walnuts, leaving no room for hunger attacks.

Macheesmo

Sweet Potato Hatch Chile Hash

There's just something about a sweet and spicy mixture that drives our taste buds insane. This recipe adds to the craziness with roasted hatch chiles, chili powder, and crispy sweet potatoes.

Little Spice Jar

Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls always taste the best when they're homemade. Add some caramel and apples to the mix and it blows the socks off of store-bought options any day.

Cotter Crunch

Easy Spiced Hot Fruit Bake

If you're not drooling over this gluten-free and vegan recipe already, we're not sure if we can be friends. Seriously. We want to scoop the cranberry, apple, pears, and pineapple mixture over vanilla yogurt and lick the bowl clean.

Savory Nothings

Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast

Creamy pumpkin is sandwiched between crispy bread coated in pecans and drizzled in maple syrup. You'll taste a satisfying, warm, and sweet crunch in between each bite.

Glue Sticks and Gumdrops

Apple Cider Donuts

Is it really fall without grabbing a bottle of apple cider? We don't think so either and that's why these donuts are extra special.

Diethood

Very Berry Baked Oatmeal

Here's a hearty recipe to stick to your bones for those chilly days. Covered in berries and toasted nuts, this oatmeal can be prepared the night before.

Belle Vie

Pumpkin Brown Sugar Pecan Pancakes

Whether you eat your flapjacks cut in triangles or squares, you're going to love how this recipe shapes up. Caramelized pecans and brown sugar sweeten the deal, but a drizzle of maple sugar is non-negotiable.

The Original Dish

Autumn Hash with Homemade Turkey Sausage & Fried Eggs

Red potatoes, acorn squash, and turkey sausage are seasoned with rosemary and thyme. Kale is also wilted in it with sage to add some good old earthy flavors.

Well Plated

Pumpkin Overnight Oats

Pecan adds a nutty flavor to this slow cooked recipe. Unsweetened almond milk makes it a creamy bowl of goodness.

Cozy Cravings

Maple Pumpkin Bread

Let the warm, sweet smell of maple pumpkin bread fill your home with this scrumptious recipe. Combined with the tasty glaze, this is a comfort loaf you'll have no problem making throughout fall.

Pink Owl Kitchen

Fluffy Sweet Potato Pancakes

For an alternative to pumpkin bread, try making fluffy sweet potato pancakes for a more traditional fall brunch. Pair it with decadent omelets for a well-rounded breakfast.

Half Baked Harvest

Salted Bourbon Apple Crumble Coffee Cake

This is one cake you can have and eat without anyone challenging your decision. This fall brunch recipe is simple and full of the taste of an unforgettable spiced bourbon and apple blend.

Check out our B+C online cooking classes for more brunch recipe inspiration all year round!

This post has been updated.

The Wicked moviepress tour has been a truly beautiful thing to witness. Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo have cried in almost every interview because of how much they love their characters and each other, and it seems like working on this project really did heal something in them. So, after the sincerity of their interviews, I was really taken aback when I learned Dax Shepard had Cynthia Erivo on his Armchair Expert podcast...and chose to ask her about going to the bathroom?

Keep reading for what Dax Shepard had to say and, like me, wonder why he asked it in the first place.

On an episode of his Armchair Expert podcast, Dax Shepard asked Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo if her famously long nails make it difficult to wipe when she goes to the bathroom. “I knew you would ask that,” Cynthia responds, saying “no one’s afraid” to ask such an intimate question.

“My answer is that nobody uses just their fingers to wipe their backside,” she says. “You use tissue, correct? And you wipe!”

When he asked if she was annoyed or offended by the question, Cynthia admits she's "annoyed by it."

“I'm, like, 'Come on, guys,' ” she says. “But I get it, but it's also, like, ‘I'm a functioning adult, and I've never walked around smelling like, you know…'"

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

The actress has proved she's nothing if not honest this fall, going viral for saying "thank goodness" the actresses who auditioned with her for Glinda didn't land the role and for vocalizinghow much a fan edit of the Wicked movie poster offended her (she later admitted she should have texted her friends instead of posting on social media).

Now, this question was very weird to me for a few reasons. Not only does it have nothing to do with the film, but Dax asking Cynthia about her bathroom habits gives me a similar feeling to the one I got watching that male interviewer ask Scarlett Johansson about her underwear during Avengers: Age of Ultron press. Just...what is the reason? Plus, the fact Cynthia has also been vocal about how much she values her nails as a part of Black culture only makes the question (and the fact the nails feel like, no pun intended, the butt of the joke) weirder.

"Here’s the thing," Cynthia tells Dax before switching topics. "There are people who do not have nails who need to check how they’re wiping." Get 'em girl!

What did you think about this Armchair Expert interview with Dax Shepard and Cynthia Erivo? Let us know in the comments and read up on The Latest Wicked: Part Two News!

We all know that Saturdays are for brunch and bottomless mimosas and Sundays are for sleeping in and *lots* of coffee. Even though you may want to stay in bed ALL day, you still need to get up and make a decent breakfast. If you didn’t think of making a hearty make-ahead breakfast, the perfect alternative is a comforting and simple baked oatmeal. You can pop them in the oven, then swiftly return to your bed to start an episode of Gilmore Girls.

Scroll down to discover 17 varieties that are perfect for your lazy Sunday morning vibes.

Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Amish-Style Apple and Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Big chunks of tender apple are studded throughout this comforting baked oatmeal. Make it at the beginning of the week and you can have a quick, hot breakfast every day. (via Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Cooking Classy

Banana Pecan Baked Oatmeal

This breakfast bake is dense, hearty and sweet. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a big cup of coffee, especially when eating it under your warm covers. (via Cooking Classy)

Running With Spoons

Baked AB&J French Toast Oatmeal

Can’t decide between oatmeal, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and French toast? Why choose?! This baked oatmeal has flavors of all three and will satisfy *each* craving. (via Running With Spoons)

Half Baked Harvest

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Salted Coffee Caramel Apple Skillet Cookie

A baked oatmeal skillet cookie for breakfast or brunch? Count us in! This yummy dessert is full of chocolate, vanilla, and brown sugar goodness that'll taste like a slice of decadent Heaven with every bite! (via Half Baked Harvest)

A Few Shortcuts

Baked Peanut Butter Oatmeal

Whether you eat this oatmeal on the go or savor it in a bowl, it’s more than satisfying. Pre-package squares in bags for a great snack to grab on your way out the door. (via A Few Shortcuts)

Family Food on the Table

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

If you want all the flavors of banana bread with the warmth and nutrients of baked oatmeal, this recipe is for you. Plus, your house will straight-up smell like Grandma’s while you’re making this. (via Family Food on the Table)

Love and Lemons

Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal

If you wake your overnight guests with the scent of toasted coconut and almond, you may get an award for best hostess. Serve with a pitcher of mimosas and they may never leave. (via Love and Lemons)

Flavor the Moments

Carrot Cake Baked Oatmeal With Cream Cheese Glaze

Some days just call for dessert for breakfast. There are tons of carrots, pineapple and coconut in this baked oatmeal, which totally makes up for the indulgent cream cheese glaze. Right? (via Flavor the Moments)

Love Grows Wild

Cinnamon Roll Baked Oatmeal

In a dream world, we could eat cinnamon rolls every day for breakfast with no adverse effects. Thankfully, we have this baked oatmeal that tastes just like a cinnamon roll, minus the insane calories. (via Love Grows Wild)

Kim's Cravings

Coffee Baked Oatmeal

You can’t have your breakfast without coffee, so why not put your coffee IN your breakfast? This healthy baked oatmeal gives you plenty of energy from the oats and a slight buzz from strong brewed coffee, so you can take on your day like a champ. (via Kim’s Cravings)

The Wholesome Dish

Strawberry Cheesecake Baked Oatmeal

Weekends are for treating yo’ self, and this breakfast is a great way to do so. The cheesecake swirl is incredible, especially when you get a bite with a juicy strawberry. Go make this *NOW*. (via The Wholesome Dish)

Budget Bytes

Oatmeal Cookie Baked Oatmeal

Oatmeal raisin cookies just got a massive breakfast upgrade. The texture of this baked oatmeal is soft and chewy with a few crunchy bits, just like the perfect cookie. (via Budget Bytes)

Recipe Runner

Pear Almond Steel Cut Baked Oatmeal

Steel cut oats are decidedly more nutritious than the old fashion kind, so this baked oatmeal gets extra points for healthiness. It has pieces of diced pear, slivered almonds and cinnamon for a warm spice that will make you feel good from the inside out. (via Recipe Runner)

Five Heart Home

Piña Colada Baked Oatmeal

Wake up on your staycation to make this tropical Piña Colada breakfast bake. It’s full of cashews, coconut and pineapple, so it tastes like you’re sitting on your deck at a seaside resort. (via Five Heart Home)

Kate Moving Forward

Pineapple Coconut Baked Oatmeal

This oatmeal gets its extra creaminess and protein from Greek yogurt. Top with coconut and maple syrup and you may be going back for seconds! (via Kate Moving Forward)

The Wholesome Dish

To-Go Baked Oatmeal

To make your baked oatmeal travel-friendly, pour individual portions in a baking tin. You can customize the toppings for different days and take your breakfast on the go when you’re in a pinch. (via The Wholesome Dish)

Two Peas and Their Pod

Zucchini Bread Baked Oatmeal

Any time you can sneak vegetables into your meal is a win. This oatmeal does that by loading up with vitamin-rich zucchini but tastes like a sweet and warming slice of your favorite dessert bread. (via Two Peas and Their Pod)

Follow us on Pinterest for more easy + delicious breakfast ideas.

This post has been updated.

Header image via Love and Lemons

I literally can't believe I'm writing this, but after a year of keeping up with all the biggest and best 2024 movies, I'm here with a final installment: December movies! This year has had some truly remarkable flicks (Challengers! Wicked! The Fall Guy!) and we're truly going out with a bang. While you're keeping up with all the best December TV shows coming out, here are the best December movies coming next month.

Keep reading for all the new December movies to add to your watchlist in 2024.

Y2K — In Theaters December 6, 2024

A24

Remember that Y2K crisis at the turn of the millennium? This December movie, which follows two high school juniors who crash a New Year's Eve party, reimagines it as a full-blown disaster — blood, guts, and all.

Y2K stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Julian Dennison, The Kid Laroi, and Fred Durst.

Mary — On Netflix December 6, 2024

Netflix

Get a new look at one of the most famous women in the world when Mary drops on Netflix next month. This movie will give you a whole new look at the titular heroine's life — from being forced into hiding to running for her life, all to protect her baby son from a murderous king.

Mary stars Noa Cohen, Ido Tako, Stephanie Nur, Susan Brown, Ori Pfeffer, Eamon Farren, Hilla Vidor, Mili Avital, Gudmundur Thorvaldsson, Dudley O’Shaughnessy, Keren Tzur, Mehmet Kurtulus, Mila Harris, and Anthony Hopkins.

Nightb—ch — In Theaters December 6, 2024

Searchlight Pictures

Another December movie that will have you looking at motherhood differently is Nightb—ch, which follows Amy Adams character's life as she becomes a mother...and becomes convinced she's also turning into a dog.

Nightb—ch stars Amy Adams, Scoot McNairy, Arleigh Patrick Snowden, Emmett James Snowden, Zoë Chao, Mary Holland, Archana Rajan, Jessica Harper.

F Marry Kill — On Digital December 6, 2024

Lionsgate

We all know dating apps can be a really horrifying experience, but when true-crime lover Eva starts to believe one of her three dates could be the “Swipe Right Killer," she finds herself in a life-or-death situation.

F Marry Kill stars Lucy Hale, Samer Salem, Virginia Gardner, Jedidiah Goodacre, Brendan Morgan, Brooke Nevin, and Bethany Brown.

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter — On Netflix December 6

Mike Coppola/Getty Images for iHeartRadio

If you're still singing "Nonsense" by Sabrina Carpenter, then this December movie (er, holiday special) is for you. Not only will the popstar perform tunes from her fruitcake EP, but she'll be joined by special guests as well!

A Nonsense Christmas With Sabrina Carpenter stars, you guessed it, Sabrina Carpenter.

Maria — On Netflix December 11, 2024

Pablo Larraín/Netflix

Angelina Jolie's newest film follows iconic performer Maria Callas. After a glamorous, albeit difficult, public life, Maria moves to Paris for some quiet — and must confront her identity, her past, and her future in the process.

Maria stars Angelina Jolie, Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Valeria Golino, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Haluk Bilginer.

Kraven The Hunter — In Theaters December 13

Jay Maidment/Sony

Despite the fact it's coming out around the holidays, Aaron Taylor Johnson's new December movie is not for kids. The flick follows the titular Kraven as he morphs from the son of a gangster to the brutal and fearsome villain comic fans know so well.

Kraven the Hunter stars Aaron Taylor Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, and Russell Crowe.

Carry On — On Netflix December 13

Netflix

One TSA agent is in for a less-than-jolly holiday when he's blackmailed by a traveler hoping to bring a very dangerous package into the airport on Christmas Eve.

Carry On stars Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman, and Sofia Carson.

Mufasa: The Lion King — In Theaters December 20

Walt Disney Pictures

Not only is this Lion King sequel giving us a brand new look at a classic story, but it also marks Blue Ivy Carter's acting debut! The movie tells the story of how Mufasa began his journey as an orphaned cub and how a run-in with royal heir Taka changed everything.

Mufasa: The Lion King stars Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Aaron Pierre, John Kani, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, Donald Glover, and Blue Ivy Carter.

Babygirl — In Theaters December 25

A24

Nicole Kidman's new December movie will add some spice to your holiday, thanks to an affair with her character's much-younger employee. Is it getting hot in here?

Babygirl stars Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.

A Complete Unknown — In Theaters December 25

Macall Polay/Searchlight Pictures

If you're still laughing about the Timothée Chalamet lookalike contest, then you'll definitely want to show up to see this flick, which stars our favorite Timmy as Bob Dylan during his historical move from folk to rock'n'roll.

A Complete Unknown stars Timothée Chalamet Monica Barbaro, Elle Fanning, Edward Norton, Boyd Holbrook, and Nick Offerman.

Let us know which December movie you're most excited for on Instagram!

Nicole Kidman is, as the kids say, mothering. She's giving fans plenty of movies and TV shows to pick from while we wait for the next seasons of Big Little Lies and Nine Perfect StrangersA Family Affair, Expats, The Perfect Couple (and the AMC intro, of course). Her newest movie Babygirl comes from A24, and the steamy drama is mixing work and pleasure. Pour yourself a glass of wine for this one, folks.

Scroll down to learn more about Babygirl — and to watch the HOT new trailer!

What is the plot of Babygirl?

A24

Babygirl Plot

In Babygirl, Nicole Kidman plays Romy, a powerful CEO struggling to hold her perfect persona together. Her marriage to Jacob has never provided with much pleasure, despite the fact he's caring and artistic. But when Romy meets a young intern named Samuel, and feels immediately drawn to him, the two begin a torrid affair.

And filming scenes with Harry Dickinson got so intense, Kidman said she literally had to take breaks. “There were times when we were shooting where I was like, ‘I don’t want to orgasm any more,'” she told the Sun. “Don’t come near me. I hate doing this. I don’t care if I am never touched again in my life!”

But the fact the movie was made by women empowered Kidman — and gave her a sense of freedom. "Doing this subject matter in the hands of the woman that wrote the script, that's directing it and is a really great actress herself — we became one in a weird way, which I'd never had with a director before," Kidman says in a statement. "When you're working with a woman on this subject matter, you can share everything with each other.”

"I really decided in the beginning, I want to make a sexual film, just as sexual as all these films that I've always admired so much," adds writer-director-producer Halina Reijn, "but now I'm going to do it completely through female eyes. What does that mean and what does that look like?”

When is the Babygirl release date?

A24

Babygirl Release Date

Babygirl made its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but you can watch the movie in theaters December 25, 2024.

Who's in the Babygirl cast?

A24

Babygirl Cast

The cast of Babygirl includes Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson, Sophie Wilde, and Antonio Banderas.

What has Nicole Kidman said about making Babygirl?

Amy Sussman/Getty Images

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Nicole Kidman revealed Babygirl is the most "exposing" film she's done because she's “made some films that are pretty exposing, but not like this.”

“It left me raggedm" Kidman says. "At some point I was like, I don’t want to be touched. I don’t want to do this anymore, but at the same time I was compelled to do it...This is something you do and hide in your home videos. It is not a thing that normally is going to be seen by the world.”

“I felt very exposed as an actor, as a woman, as a human being,” she continues. “I had to go in and go out like, I need to put my protection back on. What have I just done? Where did I go? What did I do?”

What does babygirl energy mean?

A24

"Babygirl" is a term of endearment that's usually applied to a man (you've probably heard it describe Pedro Pascal or Paul Mescal). When someone is giving babygirl energy, they're kind, cute, and disarming. And considering Babygirl plays with power dynamics, we could be guessing who the "babygirl" in question is up until the very end.

Watch The 'Babygirl' Trailer Here!

www.youtube.com

- YouTube

There were SO many moments that made our jaws drop here:

  • The thumb in the mouth
  • The pink skirt moment
  • NICOLE CRAWLING ON ALL FOURS?!
Yeah, this is one you won't wanna watch with your parents, friends. 🥵

Are you looking forward to seeing Nicole Kidman onscreen again? We might have to wait until December to see Babygirl, but there are plenty of incredible Fall Movies coming our way.

This post has been updated.