Kids love making breakfast for Mom on Mother’s Day but sometimes it’s not so relaxing for her.
They have questions. They get confused. One of the issues that grownups forget is that some children, having decided they want to cook for you, are coming to the task with zero knowledge of cooking. They will have a hundred emergencies to pepper you with as you try to sleep in. Mom wants to stay chill but part of her just wants to get up and take care of everything! Here’s how to make sure Mom stays in bed with the kitchen running smoothly.
Make a Game Plan
- A few days ahead, decide as a family what to cook and how you’ll serve it.
- Bring to the pow-wow a few easy recipe suggestions.
- Do a dry run; break down the preparation and write down who will perform what task. Take them through the steps of making the breakfast.
- Write a list of ingredients and make sure they are within easy reach.
- Point out where the equipment/serving pieces are; better yet, pull them out the night before. That way, the children will feel confident and you’ll get a few extra.
Keep it Simple
No matter the ages of your children, the menu should be easy enough to pull together with just some supervision of an adult. For younger children, plan to serve easy things to gather and put on a breakfast tray, much like a deluxe continental breakfast:
- The day before, pick up bagels, croissants, or other pastries.
- Have fresh fruit already cleaned and in a bowl in the refrigerator.
- Stock yogurt and granola, dried fruits, nuts, and keep them within reach of smaller children.
- For a place mat, let kids draw or write out the words of the ingredients they used and messages for Mom on white paper.
Older children will be better able to prepare a real breakfast. They can handle egg dishes, toasting breads, or making French toast, but they’ll still need Dad on standby to help with cooking tasks, such as cutting, cooking on the stove.
Clean the Kitchen the Night Before
If all is clean and ready to go in the morning, the kids will more easily be able to find what they need. And there will be less mess to deal with after breakfast. The last thing you want is a huge mess for Mom to clean. Here are some easy suggestions for young and old children:
Bagel Bonanza:
Serve split and toasted bagels with bowls of hummus, sliced cucumber and tomato, and sprouts. Or make fruited cream cheese: Stir 1/4 cup chopped thawed, drained frozen cherries or whole blueberries into 1/2 cup softened reduced-fat cream cheese. Garnish the plate with more fruit.
Yogurt Granola Parfaits:
Layer in glasses: low-fat granola, fruit of your choice, and her favorite yogurt.
Easy Spinach Goat Cheese Eggs
Makes 4 servings
8 large eggs
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; stir in spinach. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add olive oil and heat. Pour in egg mixture; cook until eggs begin to set, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle goat cheese on top; cover and cook until eggs are completely set and cheese is melted.
