Breakfast for Mom that Kids can Make

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Until the day she died, my mother worried and fretted about me, even if the tables had been turned and I was her caregiver. Mothers are like that.

I tend to be the same way with my boys, even if they’re grown men. But I try not to show it too much. A sneeze? I’m thinking, are you coming down with a cold? But I restrain myself from asking; I don’t want to be hovering.

Mother’s Day is on Sunday and mothers across the U.S. will be feted, usually with breakfast in bed. That seems to be the typical treat for moms, while dad is usually honored with a barbecue. It may be that sleeping in is the most luxurious treat for mom, who is usually the first one up in the household, making breakfast.

So in honor of mom, here are some breakfast-in-bed recipes that are easy enough for most kids to make. But they’re also good breakfast choices for anybody in a hurry, looking for some nourishment to start the day.

For mom, make breakfast special by:

• Setting it on a tray. If you don’t have a tray, use a sheet pan with a placemat on it.
• Be sure to have a fresh flower in a bud vase, even if it’s a single daisy from the garden.
• Tuck a homemade Mother’s Day card on the tray.
• For eye appeal, include a bowl of strawberries, raspberries and/or blueberries for mom ; it adds color to the tray and provides a healthy nibble.

Some dishes little ones can make:

• A parfait made by layering sliced berries, yogurt and granola in a tall glass.
• A fruit salad of sliced bananas (use a table knife) and berries.
• Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut in quarters with a table knife to make them look fancier or cut into shapes using cookie cutters.

Here are some recipes for all ages. To find the recipes, I searched through the Special Fork database under “meal type,” searching for breakfast and brunch, and in the “other/advanced” search, I searched for level of difficulty: 1 (easiest). Be sure to assess your own child’s capabilities before assigning a recipe, remembering that knives, graters and hot dishes can injure. Adult supervision is always important.

• Bircher Muesli with California Dried Plums -- featuring uncooked oatmeal and fruit juices, this recipe can be made in advance. Grating an apple and some orange peel should be left to older children or dad to prevent nicked fingers.
• Buttermilk Pancakes -- this is a basic pancake that older children can make with supervision. Top with berries and drizzle with maple syrup.
• Apple Butter Pinwheels -- these pinwheels, a recipe by Marilyn Hunter, are like miniature cinnamon buns, with a base of puff pastry. It does take some dexterity and uses an oven for baking; a good project for older children.
• Scrambled Egg Breakfast Burrito -- make this hot breakfast in under 5 minutes. The cooking is done in a microwave oven. A short video provides easy instructions for this recipe.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers from Special Fork!

Special Fork is a recipe website for your smartphone and PC that solves the daily dinnertime dilemma: what to cook now! Our bloggers blog Monday through Friday to give you cooking inspiration. Check out our recipe database for quick ideas that take no more than 30 minutes of prep time. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.