Mother's Day Means Breakfast In Bed

April 29, 2021 at 2:51 p.m.
Mother's Day Means Breakfast In Bed
Mother's Day Means Breakfast In Bed
By Sharyn Lonsdale

I haven’t had breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day for many years. But when my daughters were younger, I was treated to this time-honored tradition more than once. Their dad did most of the cooking, but they added little touches, including chocolate and fresh flowers picked from outside, which my daughter Abby says, “may or may not have been weeds.”  That, of course, never crossed my mind. Here I was with a tray of food, treats, coffee and weed/flowers. When I finished, I called for someone to remove the tray. And yes, dad did the dishes.
Mother’s Day became a holiday in 1914, but according to thektichn.com, it was in the 1930s when newspapers and magazines started urging children to serve mom breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day. It’s still happening today. I’m a bit jealous of my friend Paula who said her grandchildren don’t need a holiday to serve her breakfast in bed. They regularly bring her bagels and coffee when they sleep over.
I conducted an informal poll on Facebook and found that many of my friends never got breakfast in bed. Natalie said that she served her mom breakfast in bed, but she never got to enjoy it herself. Joanne was a bit blunter. “If my boys had ever served me breakfast in bed, I would have fainted and flipped the tray!”  
A 2017 Zagat survey found that only four percent of mothers wanted breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day, while more than half said they’d rather go out to eat. “Take me out to breakfast!” agreed Connie. “I’ve only been served breakfast in bed once, by my grandkids. My husband warned me they wanted to do the cooking. I had to lay in bed pretending to be asleep. But it was fun.”
Going out is nice and it’s also popular. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is the single busiest day of the year for restaurants. This year especially, if you do go out, be sure to have a reservation and a back-up plan. Many restaurants are currently understaffed and may be unprepared for a Mother’s Day onslaught. Why not take mom out on Saturday and then serve her breakfast in bed on Sunday? We all know she deserves it.
Five Tips for a Memorable
(in the best way) Breakfast in Bed
1. Start with a tray. If you don’t have a bed tray, you still have time to buy one by Mother’s Day. Don’t make mom or grandma balance plates on their laps. You can pick up a bed tray for less than $20 at Walmart, Wayfair, Home Depot or Amazon and you’ll use it more than one day a year. Just be careful. Sue R. recalled, “Years ago my daughter brought me a tray for breakfast and sat it at the foot of the bed while she woke me up. I was so startled I knocked the whole thing on the floor.”
2. Adult supervision is mandatory. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to breakfast and even experienced cooks burn the toast and overcook the bacon. And, of course, children should not be using kitchen appliances unattended. Younger children can plate fruit and eggs and add the all-important decorations and flower/weeds. Hint: Keep them away from the maple syrup.
3. Make what Mom likes. If your mom has never made or ordered quiche at a restaurant, there’s probably a reason, so don’t try to impress her and make it on Mother’s Day. My friend Mary told me her daughter decided Ramen noodles were the ideal breakfast option. Would she have preferred something more traditional? Maybe, but she said. “I love it, because she made it for me.”
4. Maximize success by having all the basics on hand and let your mom “order” breakfast. Grab a notepad and ask “And how would you like your eggs?” “Wheat toast or an English muffin?” “Coffee or tea?” She won’t be surprised, but she’ll definitely be happy.
5. You cooked it. You clean it. There is nothing worse than handing over your breakfast dishes and then seeing them in the sink. Just ask my friend Donna who enjoyed eggs and pancakes one Mother’s Day and then faced carnage in the kitchen. Fortunately, her daughters responded to her shocked scream and cleaned up. I imagine most women would agree with my friend Nancy, who said, “My happiest Mothers’ Day would be a cleaned house; I’ll get my own breakfast.”
Nothing fancy or complicated here, just easy, yummy eggs that any mom or grandma would love. Always make your eggs last because they cook fast and cool off faster.
Scrambled Eggs with
Cream Cheese and Scallions
Ingredients (for two servings)
1½ tbsps. butter
4 large eggs
2 oz. cream cheese (full-fat is best), softened and cut into pieces
4 Scallions thinly sliced, saving some for garnish
Salt and pepper
Whisk together eggs and cream cheese. Set aside. Melt butter in frying pan and add scallions, cook over medium heat until soft. Pour egg mixture into the skillet and cook at medium/low heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put on plate and sprinkle with the reserved scallions.
If you have restaurant news and updates you would like to share, please email Sharyn Lonsdale at [email protected] with subject line DISH.