Breakfast for dinner | Two Decades of Kids and Counting | Sally Torbey | Palo Alto Online |

Local Blogs

Two Decades of Kids and Counting

By Sally Torbey

About this blog: About this blog: I have enjoyed parenting five children in Palo Alto for the past two decades and have opinions about everything to do with parenting kids (and dogs). The goal of my blog is to share the good times and discuss the ...  (More)

View all posts from Sally Torbey

Breakfast for dinner

Uploaded: Oct 7, 2015
My daughter's Girl Scout troop enjoys cooking, so an important part of our meetings is preparing and consuming a meal together before we accomplish our other tasks. We meet monthly on a Friday night. At the last meeting it was decided to make breakfast for dinner, because breakfast is really everybody's favorite meal. Thirteen girls cooking together in a home kitchen is at best chaotic, and at worst enticingly dangerous. Between the flaming burners, hot oven and sharp knives it is a wonder that nobody gets hurt! Crowded around four burners, the girls flipped pancakes, grilled French toast, broiled bacon, scrambled eggs, and heated a marshmallow syrup for the fruit salad. What is most remarkable, besides the lack of injuries, is how the results of all this chaos taste pretty good!
Some of the scouts shared that they had enjoyed a breakfast for dinner tradition with their own families, and they reminisced about the dinners of egg sandwiches and pancakes they had when they were younger. I suspect that, like me, their parents made breakfast for dinner when life had become overwhelmingly busy and a grocery run was long overdue. Eggs and bread were the only ingredients in the frig, but were enough to make a satisfying meal on an evening of back-to-back carpools or after a meeting that ran late. We probably made the meal chastising ourselves that we didn't have it together enough to cook a proper supper. Ironically, though, it is not the meal created from extensive planning and preparation but the one made as a last resort that is remembered by the kids as the special occasion!
This is not the first time that I have experienced my kids fondly remembering the simplest of events, while elaborate efforts go unnoticed. I plan to remind myself of this often as the holiday season rapidly approaches!
Democracy.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Luke, a resident of Old Palo Alto,
on Oct 7, 2015 at 7:42 pm

Wonderful event for all present!!


Posted by Sally Torbey, a Palo Alto Online blogger,
on Oct 7, 2015 at 7:44 pm

Sally Torbey is a registered user.

Especially for the dog who cleaned up the floor afterwards! Thanks for reading and commenting, Luke.


Posted by Lisa, a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis,
on Oct 7, 2015 at 8:05 pm

Our family has a long tradition of breakfast for dinner! It was started by my hubby, who brought the tradition from his side. They fondly call it 'Cowboy Dinner', though, because of the addition of baked beans to the eggs and toast. To this day, our grown kids have fond memories of Dad making 'Cowboy Dinner'!


Posted by Sally Torbey, a Palo Alto Online blogger,
on Oct 7, 2015 at 8:09 pm

Sally Torbey is a registered user.

I love it and my guess is your kids will be making "Cowboy Dinner" for their kids someday. I am going to start stocking my pantry with cans of baked beans ready for the next busy evening!


Posted by Mira, a resident of Old Palo Alto,
on Oct 7, 2015 at 8:51 pm

It's great that your troop can still stay together, even in high school! A girl scout troop that I joined in high school also met in the evenings over dinner (and brownies). It was a wonderful way to end the day.


Posted by Sally Torbey, a Palo Alto Online blogger,
on Oct 7, 2015 at 8:54 pm

Sally Torbey is a registered user.

Thanks, Mira, for reading and commenting. It is a fun way to end the week and start the weekend!


Posted by LJ, a resident of another community,
on Oct 9, 2015 at 5:32 am

Breakfast food is comfort food at its best. Sounds like a great troop meeting!


Posted by Sally Torbey, a Palo Alto Online blogger,
on Oct 9, 2015 at 5:35 am

Sally Torbey is a registered user.

Yes, maybe that's why it's everybody's favorite food!


Posted by Mother of 4, a resident of Palo Verde School,
on Oct 9, 2015 at 9:16 am

I am not sure why eggs are thought of as breakfast food. As a child I remember fried eggs and fries as a normal everyday type of evening meal and one of my favorites. The runny egg made a wonderful dip for the fries and we usually had frozen peas on the plate also. Quiche, scrambled eggs and omelets were also regular evening meals.

I think eggs were my family's standby fast food meal when we were in a hurry to get out. There is nothing quicker than making some scrambled egg, toast and frozen veg for hungry children in very little time. I know I preferred this than plenty of the stews and casseroles full of unknown ingredients that I suffered as a child.


Posted by Sally Torbey, a Palo Alto Online blogger,
on Oct 12, 2015 at 7:46 am

Sally Torbey is a registered user.

Dear Mother of 4,
Thanks for reading and commenting. Yes, the simplicity of eggs is appealing to kids who prefer single ingredient menu items!


Posted by GC, a resident of Community Center,
on Nov 20, 2015 at 11:40 am

Hi Sally,

We call it "Brinner" in our household... sort of Brunch at dinner time and usually something that involves maple syrup! French toast or pancakes with all sorts of doctoring to the flavor.

Thank you as ever for making us smile.


Follow this blogger.
Sign up to be notified of new posts by this blogger.

Email:

SUBMIT

Post a comment

Sorry, but further commenting on this topic has been closed.

Stay informed.

Get the day's top headlines from Palo Alto Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.

Analysis/paralysis: The infamous ‘Palo Alto Process’ must go
By Diana Diamond | 1 comment | 1,428 views

The Time and Cost Savings of Avoiding a Long Commute
By Steve Levy | 5 comments | 1,204 views

Common Ground
By Sherry Listgarten | 1 comment | 1,171 views

Planting a Fall Garden?
By Laura Stec | 2 comments | 428 views

 

Sign-up now for 5K Run/Walk, 10k Run, Half Marathon

The 39th annual Moonlight Run and Walk is Friday evening, September 29. Join us under the light of the full Harvest Moon on a 5K walk, 5K run, 10K run or half marathon. Complete your race in person or virtually. Proceeds from the race go to the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund, benefiting local nonprofits that serve families and children in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties.

REGISTER