Easy Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed

Mother's Day is a Sunday set aside to honor our mothers and grandmothers, but often dads and older children are at a loss for what to do. Breakfast in bed is a traditional activity to celebrate Mother's Day but it can be tricky to pull off. Here is a simple Mother's Day breakfast in bed anyone can put together to show your mom how much your cherish her.

First, sneak out of bed without waking up mom. Get all the children involved in some way so they feel special and important. Younger children should be given a specific task, such as making mom a Mother's Day card, while Dad or older children prepare breakfast. Provide crayons, construction paper and stickers so younger children can work unsupervised but still feel like they are important to the celebration. Tell them how important it is that they make a beautiful card to decorate mom's breakfast in bed tray.

Next, prepare mom's breakfast in bed tray. If you can cook, a simple omelet can seem very impressive. Whisk two or three eggs in a small bowl with salt, pepper, and herbs like thyme and parsley. Pour the mixture into a hot pan, sprinkle cheese on one side, and allow the bottom to cook until it is set. Use a spatula to gently fold the side of the omelet over to cover the cheese. Continue cooking, flipping if necessary, until the omelet is not raw in the center.

Place the omelet on a pretty plate (use the good china). Take two or three strawberries to make a simple garnish. Choose large, pretty strawberries with the green stems and leaves still attached. Use a sharp knife to slice into the strawberry vertically three or four times. Do not slice completely through the top of the strawberry. Just start below the stem and leave it attached at the top. Then fan out the small sections you have cut to make a pretty garnish for the breakfast in bed tray. Place these on the plate next to the omelet.

Use cookie cutters shaped like flowers, heart or stars to cut the center from plain white bread. Spread a layer of butter on the top and toast in a toaster oven. Use these shapes to make fun jam sandwiches or leave them as shaped buttered toast. Place these on a smaller breakfast plate. Add a strawberry garnish to the top or side of the shaped toast.

Finally, include a small glass of mom's favorite juice. Squeezing fresh orange juice will seem very impressive and is easy with a simple juicer. Just twist the orange halves over the juicer, remove the seeds and pour the juice into a glass. Two or three oranges will give you plenty of juice for the breakfast in bed tray.

If you cannot cook due to time or a complete lack of culinary skills, a Mother's Day breakfast in bed tray can still be prepared with a little foresight. The day before Mother's Day, visit your local bakery. Choose two or three pastries that are beautiful and have fillings you know mom would like. Tarts work well because the fruit is displayed beautifully on the top. Danishes and cinnamon rolls from bakeries, instead of pre-packaged items, are made to be pretty as well. Choose different flavors and colors.

On mother's day, present the pastries on the main dish with the cut strawberries as described above. Include a small bowl of mixed fruit, like cut pineapple, grapes, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, peaches or orange sections. Add juice and fresh brewed coffee.

When the breakfast in bed tray is completed, add the Mother's Day card your children have been making. Include a small glass vase with a single flower, like a rose, Gerber daisy or carnation, on the breakfast in bed tray. Have everyone help you carry the tray into mom's bedroom and wake her up with your fun surprise. Let the younger children tell mom all about her breakfast and show her the card.