There’s nothing like surprising that special mom in your life with a special breakfast in bed… nor is there anything like her walking into the kitchen and wondering if a tornado made of flour didn’t just blow through. This Mother’s Day, stick with simple breakfasts so Mom can enjoy some tasty food without feeling the need to scrub dried jam off the floor on her special holiday to rest.
Breakfast in bed isn’t Mom’s favorite? No worries! I have a few dinner ideas, too, that are not only easy to clean up but also require minimal ingredients and prep, so the kiddos can help prepare their Mother’s Day meal.
If you need a few simple ideas to change up this year’s Mother’s Day brunch or dinner, try these:
1. Yogurt Bar
Breakfast in bed sounds nice until you’ve spilled orange juice on the freshly washed sheets or syrup is stuck to your pajamas. You don’t want Mom’s celebration to start so messy, so make things a little less chaotic by preparing a yogurt bar for her. All you need is a tub of her favorite yogurt (though traditional vanilla works best for a yogurt bar) and plenty of fun toppings.
In separate dishes, include plenty of toppings. Choose from things like:
-granola
-rolled oats
-fruit: strawberries, blueberries, banana slices
-nuts: walnuts, pecans, almonds, pistachios
-cookie crumble
-honey
-coconut flakes
-dark chocolate chips
-maple syrup
-brown sugar
-traditional sugar
Prepping the topics gets the kids involved—without a crazy clean-up.
2. Classic Pancakes and Eggs
If you want to go the more traditional route, you can serve up classic pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Our family has found several organic, clean pancake mixes at our local grocery store, or you can make homemade batter. (It’s not as hard as you’d think, with plenty of simple recipes online.)
Add some scrambled eggs as a side, and you’re all set. (Bonus points if you can purchase fresh, local eggs, as they taste creamier and their shelf life is much longer.)
But if you want to get the kids in on the fun and change things up, have them decorate Mom’s pancakes for her with whipped cream, chocolate chips, and fresh fruit. Fair warning: this might be a messy endeavor, but make sure to not only prepare breakfast/brunch but also do all the cleaning. This way, Mom can enjoy sweet memories with her kiddos without the hassle of cleaning up afterward.
(Want to make things even more fun? Find fun pancake recipes that include cheesecake filling, jams, or even cereal!)
3. Favorite Fun Drink and Treat
One of the sweetest ways my husband surprises me is when he stops at my favorite coffee shop and orders a pink strawberry refresher drink with two chocolate chip cookies. It’s more than a great pick-me-up; it’s also a way for him to show me that he remembers the little details about who I am and what brings me simple joy.
This Mother’s Day, why not treat her to a few of her favorite snacks? If her favorite place to get sweet treats isn’t open on Sundays, buy them the day before and save them as a surprise! (If she loves iced drinks, ask them not to pour the drink over ice. That way, you can save it in the fridge without it watering down.)
4. Fruit Bouquet
Does the mom in your life love fresh fruit? Surprise her this Mother’s Day morning with a personally made fruit bouquet. Creatively decorate the wooden skewers with her favorite fruits to look like flowers. This is a fun, mess-free, easy breakfast or brunch idea that can easily involve the kids, too!
(To go the extra mile, you can have the kids decorate a vase for the fruit flowers to be displayed in.)
5. Chicken, Steak, and Shrimp Kabobs
I like breakfast, but I don’t love breakfast. For Mother’s Day, I’m much more concerned with the dinner menu! If your mom is the same, make sure you prepare a fun evening dish that she can enjoy. One of the easiest, healthiest, and most flavorful meals you can make is chicken, steak, and/or shrimp kabobs. You know which meats your mom likes best, so chop them into small pieces and layer them on metal skewers between fresh red, green, and orange peppers.
Cook them on the grill until the meat is ready (note that shrimp cook significantly quicker), and serve them over a bed of white jasmine rice with your choice of a green veggie (grilled asparagus is great) or fresh salad.
This is a filling but light meal that’s also a bit colorful and fun, perfect for welcoming spring and celebrating Mom!
6. Rosa Pasta
Want to make a delicious pink pasta dish for Mom? Mix the marinara and Alfredo sauces, warm them in a skillet with butter and salt, and pour them over cooked bowtie pasta. (Add ground beef or chicken strips if you want meat.)
This is a fun, pretty dish that’s easy to make and sure to add a pop of color to your table!
7. Mesquite Pork Tenderloin
No one loves a one-pan dinner quite like a mama who doesn’t want to fret about a messy kitchen, so why not introduce this recipe to her? I was introduced to my first mesquite pork tenderloin recipe when a friend from my life group brought it over as part of my postpartum meal train. It’s nothing more than a fresh pork tenderloin, patted dry, coated in olive oil, and evenly seasoned with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Some people like to add chili powder too.
You bake this with chopped squash and zucchini for about 20-30 minutes at 400-425 degrees, and you’re all set! This can also be served with white rice and a salad, whatever Mom prefers.
It’s easy prep that lets the kiddos add the spices and cut the veggies, but it doesn’t leave the kitchen looking like a construction zone!
Mother’s Day Made Simple
In today’s culture, motherhood never feels simple. There are too many voices, both digital and in-person, that make a mom feel she’s failing. Whether she’s not preparing enough organic meals, or she’s giving her kids too much screen time, whether she’s not reading them a devotional every morning, or she’s letting them skip brushing their teeth on occasion, she’s always tallying the ways she’s not doing things right.
Motherhood feels messy, like we are always learning. And motherhood is messy because we actually are learning something new each day. We are learning to apologize to our children when we are wrong and to show them how to accept and extend the mercy and grace that God gives us.
These are hard lessons we learn to then extend to our children. They can feel complicated and heavy, so why not make this Mother’s Day feel a bit simple? Treat her to a special breakfast, brunch, or dinner, and let her know that she is deeply loved, both by you and her Father.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mamas! May you feel so loved and seen this holiday!
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Andersen Ross Photography Inc
