Monday, May 5, 2008

Kid Safe Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed

With Mother's Day coming up, honoring my own mother isn't the only thing on my mind. As a Father, helping my kids honor their mother kinda comes with the territory. A traditional Mother's Day treat in our house is serving Mom breakfast in bed.

Personally, I hate eating breakfast in bed. Any food that gets between the sheets makes it hard to go back to sleep after breakfast.

I think the idea of breakfast in bed is to give mom a break from the daily cooking. Seeing as how I'm the one that does most of the cooking in our house, my wife gets a break from cooking most days, anyway. I'm smart enough to not explain that part to her. Besides, my kids like doing it so I'm doubly stuck getting up in the morning.

Fortunately, my kids are getting older and more adept in the kitchen, so my part in their breakfast insanity is becoming more limited. My 13 year old daughter makes pancakes from scratch that rival the best mixes and the two younger girls are at least eager to help with the simpler tasks.

Of course, you know it's never that easy. My wife prefers waffles to pancakes to the point of making disappointed faces (or downright complaining) if we don't make waffles. In this case, if we don't feel like making waffles for her, frozen store-bought ones will work just fine.

I wouldn't want to eat them in anything other other than a pinch, but I don't have to. My wife does.

It's easier for my younger kids to get involved with frozen waffles, too. Even the youngest can make toast. My seven year old can mix up frozen juice and I've been teaching the two oldest to make eggs over easy (my wife's favorite) in such a way that you don't have to flip them over.

So, for my wife this year, I think I'll help (let) the kids make a quick breakfast in bed for my wife consisting of (frozen) waffles with maple syrup (I'll make the syrup), eggs over easy the easy way, orange juice (or milk), and sliced fruit. Probably apples.

If she wants something else for breakfast in bed she can get up and make it herself.

4 comments:

Misa Gracie said...

Sounds lovely - but how do you "make" syrup at home? I assume you live in the city and not in a grove of maple trees. :)

Claudia Davila (Fran) said...

And I'd like to know the methods for your easy over-easy eggs!

I'm with you on the discomforts of breakfast in bed -- crumbs, tipping coffee cups, syrupy fingers -- these don't mix well with clean sheets and comfy blankets! Except maybe in a cabin setting... mmmmm : )

Thanks for your comment on my blog, John! I've been busy with my webcomic and sadly lagged behind on my Our Pueblo site. But I'm back on it now!

John Newman said...

Misa Gracie!

I'm talking about a "simple syrup" recipe using maple extract, not the "real kind." That would be way beyond me.

Simple syrups are easy. Combine two cups of sugar and one cup of water in a small sauce pan. Heat over medium until the sugar dissolves. Add 1/2 teaspoon maple extract and simmer for about 5 more minutes, reducing the mixture until it's slightly thickened.

I think it's best served warm but, it will keep in the refrigerator for a few weeks. My kids like adding it to cold milk to make "maple milk."

John Newman said...

Fran!

You asked for easy eggs over easy. Stay tuned. I'll be posting the recipe in a day or two.