A sit down breakfast was part of my childhood every single school-day morning. It was all part of a well run routine …the expectation was set …and it was not optional to be sitting down at the breakfast table on time and to eat what was there.
I would turn the corner into the dining room saying my prayers on what would be served because I knew I was eating it whether I liked it or not!
First, if it was FFA fruit season…half a grapefruit was always there. I still love a good grapefruit today…but I swear my parents bought cases and cases of those fruit. It just seemed like the bottomless stash in the basement.
Nine times out of ten the main part of breakfast was a hot item…the sugary cereal options were on vacation or when we got them for a Valentine’s Day gift or in our Christmas Stocking.
Now, many many times it was a bowl of Cream Of Wheat – you always hoped it was the CHOCOLATE day ….and you better not be late to the table because, the thought of cold Cream Of Wheat even still makes me cringe. Plus…I could gag right now thinking of possibly coming across a lump in the bowl!! Not sure if my mom had a fancy dancy whisk like I do now….but that was just not a good thing.
Pancakes and French Toast were in the rotation often too. If you serve breakfast now to some little people….make sure you take advantage of these two easy home run items. Both are so easy and economical to make. In fact, this past weekend I thinly sliced some apples on the griddle before the pancake batter….and BAMM a grandma win.
Now, one hot option we knew was never happening in the morning was WAFFLES! My mom passed away when I was 23…she was 46 and our friend relationship was just developing. Bringing up and laughing at her Waffle Baking Skills was still just not appropriate. LOL We had some good laughs with dad about this….but for sure after mom was gone. Lifting that lid on the waffle iron for the first batch was as stressful as taking your first drivers test as a teenager. The whole family sat there in anticipation that they wouldn’t stick….if the first batch came out smooth it was a given the rest were a go…but if the first batch stuck….well you know!
The morning breakfast routine before we dashed out the door to catch the bus seemed like a task at the time…but what a wonderful food memory now! The last item at our breakfast table setting was a Shaklee vitamin pill. They were huge and one certain type was ALFALFA. What in the world? It must have been a great sales pitch to buy that year supply….LOL Yes they were green and yes they tasted GREEN! My routine had become to save that little gem until the very very end… right before running out the door. If I timed it right, mom would see me pop it in my mouth…but she wouldn’t see me spit it in the snowbank on the way to the bus. Now as a mom/grandma…that is so sad to think of all the money I was spitting away….and who knows all the health benefits I missed out on!
Whether you serve mega sized vitamins to your family or not….just make sure you are creating opportunities for mealtime conversations / memories. Keep it a routine and keep it simple recipes friends.
Enjoy The Journey 