Mother's Day Recipe: Breakfast Made Easy

Mother's Day, or as I like to call it, "The one day of the year I get to drink warm coffee," is almost here. I am a firm believer in promoting all children to make their mothers breakfast in bed.

That said, left to their own devices, the wee ones may serve you a fine cuisine of Cocoa Puffs and leftover pizza, which (although awesome) may not be the best choice for your nutritional needs. So here are some easy recipes for kids (and dads) to follow for the big day.

Now some people believe it's best to serve everything at once; I disagree. Invariably the food gets cold as you pose for selfies with your proud little chefs, and where's the fun in that? Rather, have them deliver the meal in phases so you can enjoy each portion (in relative quiet) as they move back to the kitchen to work on the next item.

Phase I – Coffee

This is the most important part of the meal. It's also an important life skill for the preschooler to learn how to start the coffee maker. If you are a person who likes cream and sugar, let's clean that up. A healthier substitute is to use Stevia for the sugar. If you've never had Stevia before, there is a bit of an aftertaste before you get used to it. Do not ruin your Mother's Day coffee with this. Try Splenda instead. It's artificial (meaning no calories), but it tastes really good. If you like creamer, try sugar-free vanilla creamer. Two TBSP is 30 calories. If you're like, "Two TBSP? I take my creamer with a dash of coffee!" try using unsweetened vanilla almond milk instead. For the same amount of calories you get a full cup.

Bonus points if they serve it to you with a) flowers b) a macaroni necklace.

Phase II – Carbs

A lot of people are terrified of carbohydrates. Don't be! Carbs provide energy for your brain and boost your mood; plus they taste great. Where people get tripped up is when they eat highly processed carbs like white bread where most of the nutrients are removed. Stick with healthier alternatives like old-fashioned oatmeal. This is actually easy for kids to make:

• Put ½ cup dry oats into a pot.
• Add 1 cup water.
• Boil over low heat, stirring occasionally until you reach the desired consistency. (Personally, I like my oatmeal lumpy.)
• If you like it sweet add a little bit of Stevia/Splenda plus a dash of cinnamon. Mix it up.
• Add 1/2 cup berries on top. Now, if you have toddlers, I highly recommend blueberries because you don't need to cut them up. But if you have a mid-range eight-year-old who is responsible enough to hold a knife, by all means have them dice up some strawberries.
• Note: feel free to have someone top off your coffee.

***This is a very good time to remind your children of the importance of the mantra "Clean As You Go."

***It's easier to clean up immediately after rather than letting the remnants of breakfast turn into concrete in your sauce pan. Just sayin'.

Remember: Food tastes better when it's healthy … and healthy food tastes better when someone else is cooking and cleaning for you.

Happy Mother's Day!