I have to admit I've never understood the popularity of the "Sunday brunch" at otherwise decent restaurants—the lines are ridiculous, the food often subpar, and you know as well as me the waitstaff have plenty of better things to do (like nurse their own hangover). My indifference to this cultural phenomenon doesn't mean I don't love a pile of pancakes and a fried egg or two; it's just that I prefer them from the comfort of my own home.
At state fairs, funnel cakes are enormous, paper plate-sized affairs made by pouring batter from a funnel in a winding circular pattern over hot oil. This homemade version is simplified by using complete buttermilk pancake mix doctored up with a bit of sugar.
Kids will love these edible fuzzy green bugs! Two crawling rows of cupcakes coated with tinted coconut are decorated to resemble whimsical caterpillars.