It is that time of year when everyone is getting ready to go back to school. The parents love it and the kids hate it. Summer is winding down and it is time to get back into a structured life, that’s if you have one. One last sit down to remember all the memories that were made throughout the summer.
I don’t miss the times of getting everything ready for the kids, but I do miss the times spent listening to how their day went and getting them to ball practice and going to all the games. Life was hectic back then, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.
One of the things I had always done for my boys was make sure they had a hot breakfast before they went to school. This is not saying I was a perfect mom and did everything right, but I feel breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It got your brain going in the morning. We would have bacon, egg, cheese biscuits, breakfast pizza, breakfast burritos, sausage griddles, biscuits and gravy or sausage balls. These are a few things I would cook. One would eat right away and the other would bring it with him for break.
The benefit of getting breakfast was there was no excuse for them to say their brains were not ready. It was a win-win because whether you went to school or not you got a hot breakfast.
This meant getting up an hour early every day so I could get things going and still get ready for work — and in the middle of all this, I would do a morning devotions.
I am not saying all this to look like superwoman. I am saying all this to show you how to do whatever it takes for your family. Whatever you make a priority, you do.
What is your priority? This for sure will get you into structure. Structure is what we need in our lives. It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing. If you fly by the seat of your pants all the time you won’t make it in anything.
Things will be fun for awhile but it will all catch up to you.
My first and foremost priority is time with God. You all know that mornings are hectic and you want it to run as smoothly as possible. My morning time with God gave me a peace to be able to handle whatever came my way. I had one child that would wake up in a good mood and one not so much.
The best thing was while they were younger I got to pray with them on the way to school. They knew it was coming and it happened whether we had a bad morning or not. A lot goes on at school and your kids need to be covered in prayer.
Time goes by so fast and now it seems to go by even faster. Make sure you make the best of all that comes your way. Get involved in your kids’ lives. Know what they are doing and who they are doing it with. You can’t always protect them or keep them from doing all things but being involved with make them think twice about a lot of things.
Bacon & Eggs Tater Tot Casserole
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time50 mins
Total Time1 hr 10 mins
Ingredients
1 (1.25-pound) packageHickory bacon
1 (32-ounce) package frozen Tater Tots
8 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package shredded colby jack cheese
salsa for serving
Instructions
Cook the bacon until crisp and dry on paper towels. Crumble and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom of the baking dish with the tater tots.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Add half of the bacon, half of the green onions, and half of the cheese and stir well. Pour the mixture evenly over the tater tots.
Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes or until the eggs are set and the tater tots are heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining half of the bacon, green onions, and cheese. Return the dish to the oven and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve warm topped with salsa.
Tina Specht is co-publisher of the Minden Press-Herald. She shares her thoughts and recipes each Thursday.