Saturday, January 23, 2010

The Little Things

It's 21 degrees F here this morning and my boys have swimming. My husband graciously offered to take them so I can stay home & make cupcakes for today's birthday celebration. (Low-fat vanilla cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World, with fresh blueberries!) Rather than pour cold cereal into plastic bowls and be done with it, I felt this morning called for a little extra love. Using quick-cooking oatmeal, I prepared a simple, warm and nourishing breakfast - the love in the details. In a divided dish I provided flax seed, dried cranberries, raisins and freshly diced apples. Agave nectar, cinnamon and nutmeg (or megnut, as my youngest son will sometimes still call it) were placed on the counter so each guy could personalize his dish. The final touch - warming the bowls in the microwave for 60 seconds and then keeping them warm (handy function on my microwave) until everyone was seated.

Lest you picture pure familial bliss, however, I'll tell you the truth:  breakfast was greeted with an under-the-breath groan from one boy and the need to prepare a bagel for the husband who will not eat oatmeal. No matter. Everyone was well fed, the preparation and clean up was minimal and now I can get started on those cupcakes!  Plus, I have a pretty good hunch that both my boys will remember those little touches with fondness.

2 comments:

  1. Even if they don't remember the specific instance, I'm sure they'll remember the love behind it. Way to be a Super Mom!

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  2. I still remember special treats from my childhood. I think that's so sweet of you to do that, and I always loved being able to decorate, I mean top, my own food, with the toppings I wanted.

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