When I was a kid, breakfast-in-bed was a really special treat.
My sister and I would get up early and tinker around in the kitchen. We loved concocting coffee mixtures for my mom after we scrounged around for “sugar” (salt) and “powdered creamer” (flour). She drank those clumpy lattes like a champ!
My grandma was THE BEST at breakfast-in-bed. She let us have treats that weren't often found in our own kitchen. Mom raised us vegetarian, but bacon was a must for the rest of the family. Occasionally, we'd even wake to find Toaster Strudel™ popping up in its warm, gooey pastry shell.
Once in awhile I try to recreate those nostalgic breakfast-in-bed mornings for my own family. On the docket? Old-fashioned milk malts, several types of meat, juices and our sponsor, Toaster Strudel™. The company is celebrating its 30th birthday this year by putting 30% more icing in all Toaster Strudel™ packages, and it's the perfect solution for my morning platter production.
No matter how early I rise, my oldest inevitably sneaks up behind me and starts chugging my mug-o-chocolate. I haven't even gotten it to the bedroom yet! This kid is like a furtive little ninja-fox, always on alert. There is absolutely no waking before him. Since birth, he's had an uncanny ability to sense the second my head leaves the pillow.
Before the sun rises, the whole crew piles into our California King. Those bright little boy character pajamas offer a vivid display against our white sheets.
Some Boy grins from ear-to-ear. I know that one day, breakfast-in-bed will be a nostalgic memory for him the way it is for me.
He'll remember that sweet frosting dripping over the edges of his pastry.
Dad hasn't left for work yet, and he sneaks a bite or two. Or ten.
Baby Minion's mouth waters at the idea. He's teething, so his mouth waters over a lot of things these days. For now, he'll have to make do with milk and baby food.
To add a few more memories to the morning, I bring out a frame that's extra special to me. It was in my room at my grandma's house when I lived with her for several years as a child, and it now hangs in our own home. The wood-framed poem is titled, “Why God Made Little Boys,” and it details the clever mischief that boys bring to the world. My rambunctious buddies like to hear it read aloud.
There used to be a matching display devoted to girls, but I suppose that one made its way to a house with more estrogen . . .
We complete our nostalgic breakfast-in-bed morning by streaming some old-school cartoons. That's one benefit of pairing modern technology with a sentimental meal: everything is ready at the push of a button! I can prep the bacon and drinks the night before, and there's no need to bake from scratch. Just pop those pastries in the toaster and serve warm. Present-day convenience makes way for even more memory-making time.
When's the last time you had breakfast-in-bed?
Disclosure: This post was sponsored by General Mills through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about Toaster Strudel™, all opinions are my own.