I have been meaning to do this for a while, but have been putting it off for reasons, that at this time escape me.  Now, many things you read, emphasize the need to try and schedule a family dinner together.  To get the family in one place at one time in an effort to open communications.  And I am not going to knock that concept as I think it is a good one.  But I have been working on one that has been more easily incorporated into our family schedule.  Sunday Breakfast.

Fortunately, Sunday mornings are a break from our usual hectic schedule.  Nobody needs to be at work, at practice, at a game, or other activity under usually after noon.  (I can only assume it is to make sure that everybody has been to church first).  So Sunday mornings are as close to a lazy time as we usually get.  But that still didn’t always mean we sat around the table for breakfast together.  LatteGirl usually wanted to have breakfast while watching the Disney Channel, the wife usually opted for corn muffins and the Sunday paper.

But that all changed when I picked up a Mickey Mouse Waffle Iron.  With only a bit more effort than I was already doing, I turned Sunday morning breakfast into an “event.” I serve the Orange Juice in a Carafe, I will sometimes cut up some strawberris as a garnish to color the plate, make our special “Minnie Mouse Pancakes” (* LatteGirl, being the girly girl she is, always insisted in calling them Minnie Mouse insted of Mickey, and I use pancake batter, instead of Waffle Batter, so the come out softer like pancakes, rather than hard crusted like a waffle).  A little whip cream around the edges of the plate and we have something that looks more like you would get at Disney World.

For my girls, it is like having breakfast “out” at a restaurant, or like at the places we eat when we are on vacation.  So now everybody looks forward to having breakfast, and I get a “family meal” out of it, where we can sit and talk.

As an additional bonus, since LatteGirl is not a very good morning person, and tough to get to eat on schooldays in the morning. I started making a larger batch of pancakes than we need on Sunday.  The extras get put in freezer bags, and can be pulled out and microwaved indivudually for a quick breakfast.  It is cheaper (and healthier) than buying store bought pancakes or waffles, and she gets a “special” pancake for breakfast anytime.