Growing up, Christmas morning was a mad affair for our family. Excited children plus presents plus the ubiquitous box of See’s Candy produced a somewhat chaotic atmosphere. Sure, Dad eventually cooked up a pan of Lil’ Smokies and there was usually an orange in the toe of the stocking. But, for the most part, breakfast consisted of a sugar high.
I still enjoy my traditional See’s Candy on Christmas morn, but I’ve tried to make the morning’s caloric intake a tad bit healthier. In the early years when there was just one FishBoy, we were able to cook a full breakfast and eat it before even tackling the stockings. But, over the years, eagerness has trumped appetites more times than not.
A few years ago I established the tradition of filling the stockings with breakfast. Here are some of last year’s stocking stuffers:
(OK, the sugar cereal probably wasn’t the healthiest of all breakfasts, but rest assured this year’s stash features free samples of Bare Naked Granola and Kashi cereal.)
Breakfast in a stocking is a great way to mix fun nutrition into the morning’s activities. I love giving my kids carte blanche to eat whatever they find.
Breakfast in a Stocking
- granola bars
- individual, boxed cereal
- dried fruit
- juice boxes
- oranges, clementines, and apples
- small packages of crackers
- nuts, nut clusters, trail mix
Once the flying wrapping paper settles, we have Second Breakfast. We are, after all hobbits.
What does your Christmas Breakfast look like?
**Check out more tasty tips at Beauty and Bedlam.
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{ 22 comments… read them below or add one }
That's a wonderful idea! I'll borrow it next year – I'm D-O-N-E this year!
Have a great Christmas!
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I love this idea. Will be making a note for next year!
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That's a cute idea! I've been struggling with deciding what to do for my daughter's stocking- I definitely don't want to load a two year old up with candy! We always do a BIG christmas breakfast and some breakfast foods in the stocking would fun to snack on until the presents are unwrapped and the real breakfast is cooked.
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What a great idea!
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I loved this idea and am planning on doing the same for my kids this year!
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My Mom, my sister and I always make breakfast casseroles on Christmas Eve. My sister brings the Cinnamon Rolls and I bring fruit. It works incredibly well for our family-there are lots of boys with huge appetites!
I LOVE this idea though! Clever!
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Christmas breakfast in our house is cake. We make a Happy Birthday Jesus cake on Christmas Eve, then light & blow out candles Christmas morning and eat the cake for breakfast. And we usually put some fruit in their stockings but mostly, it's the one day of the year that mom says, "Hey, eat whatever you want."
That's just how I roll.
Donna
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Love the idea!!!
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When my husband was growing up his dad always made homemade cinnamon rolls. This is one of the few childhood traditions that my husband talks about so I let him have his way. They're SO yummy. However, I have added a breakfast casserole into the mix & I make sure it's done first then we have rolls. I also have fruit available on the table but very little of it is touched. Oh, well! At least I try. The first year we did this my son was about 14mo & we had just cinnamon rolls. I had thought he would sleep on the way to Nana's house, about a 2 hour drive, unfortunately he was so full of sugar that he didn't settle down the whole drive. The next year is when I introduced the breakfast casserole, which we also love.
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I am soooo stealing this idea! Thanks for sharing what a GREAT idea!
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I love this idea! My hubby's family has a huge brunch after opening presents (usually opened at the crack of dawn or earlier!), so we do that too, since it's the only tradition they have on his side of the family!
Homemade cinnamon rolls, eggs, hashbrowns, and crisp bacon are a must! I've added fruit as well and we leave the cheese out of the hashbrowns since hubby can't eat it. Otherwise, it's the same stuff!
Looking forward to Christmas AM!
Lea
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You are a genius.
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We really just eat whatever. This year I'm making cinnamon rolls and a breakfast casserole. Can't wait.
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I am totally stealing this idea – thanks so much!!!
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What a fabulous idea! I am totally stealing it for next year.
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What a GREAT idea!!
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I am totally doing this next year!
We also get oranges in our stockings too!
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I'm making cinnamon rolls this year. We're having family over so they'll be ready right when everyone shows up. Yummy! We can't do dairy so I'm using coconut oil in the filling and maple frosting instead of cream cheese frosting.
You reminded me, my mom likes to give us chocolate oranges — and other candy — in our stockings.
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oh I like that idea!!
But I have to ask, are your kids patient enough to wait to eat it at the table? My kids normally have dry cereal for breakfast & I can just image how much vacuuming I would have to do. LOL
I normally make a sausage casserole, but am out of the fixin's (& really don't want to go to another store this wk). So I'm thinking pancakes & bacon.
I have heard of lots of ppl making cinnamon rolls, but I am intimidated by the process.
I have also heard monkey bread is good so maybe for next yr I'll try it…(or maybe for New Year's next wk)
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What a great idea – I don't fill stockings – my mom never did and I just never started. We do have a breakfast tradition, you know those rolls you get in a can? Well we always have the orange flavored ones. Yummy! But since we have been eating much healthier this year I will be adding a casserole and a batch of healthier cinnamon rolls! Maybe I will put breakfast in their shoes next St. Nick day!
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my mom used to put an orange in the toe of our stockings, too…must be the brilliant mommas who do that.
I am doing stockings for the first time this year and stuffing w/ a bunch of little things.
We're doing monkey bread for breakfast…probably the one time a year my gang gets it b/c it's just terribly bad for you.
We like to do a bday cake for Jesus, and I asked my hubby if we could just put a candle in the monkey bread. He didnt' like that idea. So, I'm making something separate for Jesus (but, honestly, I'm thinking Jesus would have liked monkey bread).
I'm making some eggs loaded w/ veggies, too, b/c we have been making quite an effort in the last 6 months or more to eat more heart (and waist) friendly foods. Monkey bread doesn't quite fit into that category. So, I'd like to have something to fill us up while taking small samples of the monkey bread (or at least that's my plan).
Merry Christmas, Jessica!
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I'm making Bread Machine Overnight Cinnamon Rolls for our Christmas breakfast!
The stocking idea is such a good one! I'm filing it away for next year!
http://www.thedomesticcontessa.com
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