According to our site stats, people spend an average of 1.2 minutes reading our finely crafted prose (and my friend's finely crafted poetry!!) and viewing our carefully composed photos.
Like this one, where I refrained from eating that nut there in the center so that you could actually view a nut in my granola, and not just imagine the ones I had already eaten.
Sigh. I'm so misunderstood.
However, if you could spare another, oh, say, .03 minutes, and click over there on the sidebar on my breakfast documents (there are two), you will see all the stuff I could have put right there in that post.
Further convincing you that you really don't have time for this nonsense.
You should spend more time here just out of gratitude that I don't make my posts even longer than they already are, but put all the pertinent but basically non-visual information in a wonderful document that you can print out and keep forever!
What kind of things, you ask?
~ Information about how to get protein into your children. You would understand at last that you have to shop for breakfast food as well as other things, and not just continually run to the store for milk, eggs, and orange juice.
~ Three fabulous recipes that will save you many steps each week.
>~ My own breakfast menus, not all of which feature hot food. Did I tell you it has to be hot? No. Do you know what Egyptian children eat for breakfast? Pita bread, feta cheese, and olives. And they are fine.
~ Different ideas that can be offered on a regular basis. You decide if you will have everyone eat the same thing or if you will let each choose and make his own. Here we each get what we want during the week, with me fixing some people some things, if they want. When the kids were little, I got their breakfast for them. On Sunday I make one big breakfast for all, often featuring something someone has especially requested. Do what you want! But do it.
~ If you've already looked at the Save a Step at Breakfast Worksheet, you should know that I've added an easy, much-beloved item that I forgot before, called Papa's Special.
And by the way, I really don't care who makes breakfast. If you think your kids can make the eggs on their own, go for it.
But they have to eat.
And they can't eat it if you haven't bought it. And by “it” I don't mean boxes of cereal.
Rosie tells about a student she had (she teaches high school) who seemed really hungry of the mid-morning. When the suggestion was made that the child needed to eat breakfast, her mom acted like, yes, that would be a good idea — as if someone from Mars was going to accomplish this!
If your kid is involved in a sport along with other after-school activities and is doing a bunch of homework, probably going to bed a bit later than he should, he is not going to be able to get breakfast and make himself a lunch unless you make it possible.
To reward those of you who keep my stats from hitting rock bottom by reading this far, I will tell you why we call my mother Habou.
You see, the Chief and I got married when he was 28 and I was 19. When Nick was born, a year later, my mother was only 44 years old. And she did not want to be called Granny! Now, Egyptians call their grandmothers endearing names like “beloved” — “Habouba” in Arabic. So, although she is not my Egyptian parent, she opted for that.
However, my kids are true-blue American and shorten everything, hence, Habou. So there you go! MWAH! You are the best for reading this far!
Suki says
That picture of Habou is so pretty! The last one was too. What a stylin' grandmother we have.
Michelle says
For the record..I spend WAY more time here at your place! And today's post inspired me to get off my fanny and make muffins again for my son to grab-n-go in the morning on his way to middle school. I was baking them for a while then fell off the wagon…got "too busy"…yeah right. Thanks for the nudge to provide healthy morning food for my eldest…have a good day!
Rachel says
LOL-I love your blog…it makes me look forward to having my own daughters (and sons, too, of course) "all grown up"…the kinds of things that we can do then, that we can't now (my oldest is 9 today).Thanks for sharing about Habou. I think that that is a wonderful nickname–as good as the one it came from!
Pippajo says
Where to start…okay, first, can your granola be molded into bars? Granola bars are a staple in our house and I'm tired of paying someone else to make them while adding all kinds of questionable ingredients we don't need to them. The last batch I tried was too healthy tasting, according to our focus group.Also, I love the story of Habou. It's way nicer than the way my grandmother came to be EGOD (Evil Grandmother Of Doom–though not to her face, of course).Pita bread, feta and olives for breakfast. I could live with that.And I have no problem lingering as long as necessary to read everything you write. Take that, stats!
LadyFi says
Not only did I read to the end, but I salivated all the way!
Catharina de Bononia says
I agree. I read 'til the end… and then have to hand-copy recipes because we just got a new computer that won't accept the plug (I mean, there's no properly-designed SLOT for it) from our ancient (but still perfectly working) printer!Thank you. Again. My babies are still too little to really eat-eat breakfast… we do Cheerios with bananas and whole milk… but maybe I'll try to wean them onto something better. They do like biscuits (I do big scrambled-eggs and homemade-biscuits on Sundays after Mass). Maybe hardboiled eggs… maybe I oughta go make some right now and offer them tomorrow morning.I appreciate the time you spend, and the recipes you're passing along.Thank you.
Keri says
I read the whole thing too. So there, stats. As a matter of fact, I just read all your breakfast worksheets because that's an area of weakness. Right now they fix themselves a bowl of cereal for breakfast, but then I grumble because I have to stop schoolwork midmorning and go find them a snack. I checked and have all the ingredients for your baking mix, so I'm going to whiz up a batch and see how that works. My son will think he's died and gone to heaven if he gets pancakes several mornings a week.
Leila says
You are the best, I told you!!Pippajo: Yes, why not! When I have done it, I have made like I'm making Rice Krispie treats but substituted a bunch of granola, chocolate chips, and whatever. I know, I'm so flip about recipes. Someday I'll do it and tell you how. Or you do it and tell us how!And although this has made just the kind of granola bars *I* like, sort of airy and chewy, the kids accused me of messing up their RKTs.
Anonymous says
I always read all your posts and I happen to love the way you write. Personally, I'd prefer it if you'd read your posts aloud to us somehow! Your voice in those videos is so soothing to me. My boys call my mother "Nanny", which sounds entirely too goatish to me. However, my childhood best friend's mom kind of adopted me and is like a mother to me, and my kids think of her as a grandmother. They call her "Mimi" and her husband "Papa". I think those sound so sweet and DH and I will probably adopt those names ourselves one day!Lastly, I also married my DH when I was 19, and he was 29. We've been married almost 18 years now. I think the age difference is perfect, don't you? :-)Becky
Tricia says
I'm learning from your blog too! Keep up the good work!
Anonymous says
Okay, so I looked. And I looked again. Where is "Papa's Special?" WHAT is "Papa's Special?"Help? Susan (DE)
Lindsey in AL says
I personally LOVE your posts, read all the way through every one and love you too!! Today I find myself wishing I were an Egyptian child- luckies!!My dad became a grandparent when he was 37 (he's not biologically mine but has been my only dad since I was 6- he and my mom have the opposite age difference to you and your Chief) and our kids call him Poppy (like Papi but spelled wrong :D) My father-in-law is old enough to be my dad's grandfather and he is Pawpaw which sounds nice and old to me; just perfect 😀 Now I am off to look at your breakfast worksheet. I actually don't have much breakfast but we have been out to lunch 3 times this week 😐 so I could really use some help there.Blessings!
Ginger says
I just recently found your blog. I love it! I have two boys, 5 and 2. Breakfast is sometimes a struggle, but I believe it is so important. I have a very healthy orange, carrot, yogurt muffin recipe that I try to keep around, but I think they eventually got burned out on them. I, however, could eat them everyday and never tire of them. My Mom is a young, hip grandmother. So, she opted for the name "Nonnie." It means grandmother in Italian. Please keep up the healthy recipe and food ideas! I read to end and will continue to keep reading.
Leila says
You guys are great. I was truly trying to be humorous, not fishing for affirmation, but hey, I'll take it!Susan, you should be able to see the Papa's Special in the Save A Step for Breakfast document on the sidebar. It's in the list of our own breakfast menus, which are in loose order of how often we as a whole eat those foods. So it's third.Love all the grandparent name ideas!Becky, you are really finding ways to affirm me! I always think my voice sounds dumb; I guess everyone does, and I'm insulting my mother and my daughters to say that because we all sound the same!!
Amy says
Leila, I ALWAYS read til the end because your posts and recipes are great. You are the wind beneath my wings lol. I made your breakfast casserole yesterday and the kids ate the heck out it!! Just do it is my motto on cooking 23 hours a day for all these people but I know this time will pass and I will look back one day and miss this time!!
Catharina de Bononia says
Well, I got up from the computer yesterday determined to make my girls some good breakfasty-snacky muffins… they came out of the oven right when naptime was over… banana, raisin, walnut–from scratch–and my girls turned up their noses! I have a hard time complaining about their pickiness, though… I was exactly that way myself (until about college!), so I'm *really* sympathetic.Those girls did, however, force me to break my Lenten no-snacking rule… I mean, SOMEBODY had to enjoy that fresh-from-the-oven healthy muffin!I used a muffin recipe (then altered it a bit) from a random book my husband brought home a few months ago. It's called "100 Magnificent Muffins and Scones" by Felicity barnum-Bobb. It was just on, like, the discount table at Barned & Noble or something, but I've made several things out of it and they're all (so far) easy, tasty, and quick. So I'd recommend it as an idea-factory.
Leila says
Catharine, thanks for the book idea! I want to remind everyone who is muffin-inclined to give a piece of cheese or a yogurt as well, if it's breakfast.
Anonymous says
Leila, You ARE humorous…your character shines through strongly in your posts, and the longer they are the better. Thanks for all your work! I'm so glad I found your blog just recently. I love it. From Linda
Kris says
1 ½ cups brown sugar (this does seem like a lot, but this recipe makes many servings. You can start with a smaller amount at first if you like. You can also substitute honey, molasses, or maple syrup)–I have to comment on the * but this recipe makes many servings*. :)I made some of this on Friday afternoon. By Saturday morning it was all gone except for about a 1/4 cup. Now, I do have 4 teenagers in the house, three of them boys ( and 5 younger)…. but really! ;)As my aspiring -chef -18 yo said…"This granola is off the charts!" Thanks for sharing!
Pippajo says
I have another question! I made the granola two nights ago and we all love it! The kids are snacking on it like they usually snack on dry cereal. I looked around online and found a recipe and tried to make the granola I mixed with chocolate chips into bars and it did NOT work! I used a modified Rice Krispie Treats recipe and the marshmallows went all stringy and the chocolate chips melted and it only made a fraction of what it was supposed to.Have you ever made it into bars or do you know how I could do it? You have to remember I am a person who needs recipes, I cannot be left to my own devices or I will sure melt/burn/otherwise ruin something!S.O.S please!
Victoria says
We called my grandmother 'si'tee' which in the family is Arabic for grandmother. Is Lebanese Arabic different to Egyptian Arabic?We called my grandfather 'jhi'dee'.I will probably be nanny because my mother was nanny.
Leila says
Hi Victoria,Yes, Si'tee is Arabic for grandmother — just like in English we have "grandmother" and then what you say your grandkids will call you — "Nanny" — think of all the other endearments grandmothers get called!So Habouba is like that. There is also Habeeba… both of which are endearments you would also say to a young girl or anyone you want to shower with affection!So I think we American grandmothers-to-be-at-some-point should be called "Honey" or "Sweetie"! That would be fun!
clare says
I'm always very happy to see a post from LMLD in my inbox. You are at the top of my favourite blogs.(Can you tell I'm from Canada by the English spelling?). My sister in law called my husband's parents Mamma Mia and Pops. They loved it.Keep up the great work. I particularly appreciate the balance in your posts- faith, upbringing, recipes, sewing and decorating and I love the posts about the family marriages.
Gwenny says
Truthfully, I don't usually click over to the site but just read the post on my google reader. Does that mess with the stats? I surely spend longer than 1.3 minutes absorbing your pearls of wisdom, Leila! And I'm not being a bit facetious in saying that. 🙂 When is your book coming out again?
Jyl says
I admit I read for one minute at a time, it’s always because it’s in between chasing toddlers, toilet breaks and nursing baby! But!! I always come back and finish, even if it takes all day.
Catie H says
This breakfast post had been a great reminder for me to fill them up on protein first thing. Greek yogurt (with cereal, granola) has become a life saver as something to add to the repertoire! It’s much more affordable now than it used to be.