This week, I wanted to share a new “tradition” that I may have accidentally started.
I began a new job about a month and a half ago, and as our family has adjusted to my new schedule, one of my kids’ only complaints (and I wouldn’t even say they’ve complained, per say) has been the shift in available hours to spend time with friends.
In the past, we had some weekday mornings and afternoons when we could plan a playdate or meet up at a local park.
With my new schedule restricting us to mostly evening hours and weekends, I started planning Friday night get-togethers with the kids’ friends.
Since I recently started simplifying meal planning, Friday nights were already “leftovers” or “breakfast-for-dinner” days. One of the easiest meals to entertain with, in my opinion, is breakfast.
There are so many make-ahead options, many breakfast foods are easily adaptable for allergies and food preferences, and most kids like some kind of breakfast option. At the very least, most kids like fruit!
Week One:
I finally connected with friends we had been trying to meet up with all winter long. Inevitably, one of our families would have the latest cold, flu, or other ailment, and we kept rescheduling.
Well, we got some beautiful weather, and we finally made it happen!
They came by and I made scrambled eggs, peanut butter and jelly oat bars (a simple oatmeal crust topped with canned fruit preserves and topped with the remaining oats as a “crumble”), cantaloupe, and a simple batch of pancakes.
The kids played outside and we just enjoyed the evening. So simple.
Week Two:
My middle son had been dying to have two of his friends over to play with Hotwheels (because the Hotwheel time at his birthday party a few weeks ago was just insufficient, in his mind). I spontaneously reached out to their parents and both boys happened to be free!
Since one of the boys had celebrated his own birthday earlier in the week, I decided to make breakfast-for-dinner extra special with sprinkles and whipped cream!
I added the sprinkles with some white chocolate chips to a sheet pan pancake recipe (along with some other toppings to give people options: chopped apples, chocolate chips, and bananas/peanut butter/chocolate chips) and gave the kids the option to top their pancake slices with whipped cream and extra sprinkles.
These sheet pan pancakes were a hit served alongside over-easy eggs, bacon, mango slices and some thawed cherry/berry blend.
Week Three:
By the second Friday night, I realized I was on to something. Fridays worked so well because we had a little extra time (since no one had to rush home to get ready for school – or work – the next day). Plus, my kids’ new job charts already included chores like cleaning the bathroom on Friday mornings, so the house was relatively presentable!
The breakfast-for-dinner theme made hosting a few extra people feasible even with a tight food budget too!
So, I asked another mom I’d been meaning to get together with if she and her two boys (right around my two eldest sons’ ages) if they would be interested in coming for dinner and fun.
We found a Friday that worked, and I kept the momentum going!
She brought an amazing fruit platter, orange juice, croissants and bread, and I whipped up a super simple berry cobbler, roasted potatoes and kielbasa, and hot water for tea.
The kids devoured the food so quickly, I didn’t even have a chance to take a picture!
I don’t know how long this will last, but I have visions of picnics at the beach and the park as we enter the summer months. This month has been a great reminder that making time for friends is super important; it doesn’t take much money, formal outings – or even a clean house!
I am hopeful our “friend Fridays” continue!