Mornings in our house are busy.
With five children ranging from my 7 month old to teenagers, everyone needs something different and more often that not everyone also seems to need it at exactly the same time! There are school bags to find, hair to brush, uniforms to sort and, of course, breakfast to make before we can even think about getting out of the door.
I’m not going to pretend I have discovered the secret to a perfectly calm school morning routine. There will probably always be somebody looking for a missing shoe at the last minute. However, one little change has genuinely made breakfast easier for us: keeping the NINJA BlendBOSS Tumbler Blender on the kitchen worktop and using it as part of our morning routine.
It may only be one appliance, but it works for completely different stages of family life. I can use it to make breakfast smoothies for the teenagers as they fly out of the door, and then use it again to prepare banana pancake batter for the little ones. It’s quick, convenient and helps me get everyone fed without creating lots of extra work – exactly what I need on a school morning.
Quick breakfast smoothies for the teenagers
Teenagers and leisurely breakfasts don’t always go together. However early they get up, there always seems to be a last-minute rush before they leave for school. On those mornings, a smoothie is such an easy breakfast option because I can blend it quickly and they can take it with them on the go.
One of our simplest combinations is banana, frozen berries, plain yoghurt, a splash of milk and a handful of spinach. I don’t measure everything precisely; I just add enough milk to get the consistency they like. You can easily switch the ingredients around depending on what you have at home, too. Mango, pineapple or a little peanut butter all work well, depending on everyone’s tastes and any allergies.
The NINJA BlendBOSS has become the hero of this part of our routine because it makes the whole process feel effortless. I add the ingredients, blend until smooth and breakfast is ready in minutes. It also helps us use up fruit before it goes past its best, and keeping frozen fruit in the freezer means I usually have the basics for a smoothie even when the food shop is due.
Most importantly, it gives the girls something healthy to take with them rather than leaving the house without breakfast because they have run out of time. It’s a very small switch, but it makes me feel much better knowing they have had something before a full day at school.
Banana pancakes for the little ones
Once the bigger girls have headed off, breakfast looks a little different for the younger ones. A long-time favourite in our house is my three-ingredient banana pancakes. They’re soft, simple to make and particularly great for little ones who are weaning.
The recipe uses just banana, egg and flour. I pop the ingredients into the NINJA BlendBOSS and blend them into a smooth batter, ready to cook in small spoonfuls in a frying pan. Using the blender makes the mixture lovely and smooth and saves me from standing there trying to mash out every last lump of banana with a fork.
The pancakes are a handy shape for little hands to hold and can be served with fruit or plain yoghurt. As always with weaning, make sure the ingredients, texture and serving style are suitable for your baby’s stage, and supervise them while they eat. You can find the full method in my Three Ingredient Banana Pancakes | Weaning Recipe.
I usually make a few extra because they’re not only for babies — the older children enjoy them too. Any leftovers can be kept for an easy snack later, which means one quick job in the morning can help me get ahead for the rest of the day as well.
One appliance that works for the whole family
What I like most about the NINJA BlendBOSS is that it isn’t another appliance that only comes out of the cupboard occasionally. It has earned a permanent spot on our worktop because I can use it for different members of the family in the same morning.
For the teenagers, it means a quick smoothie they can grab when they’re rushing. For the little ones, it makes preparing our favourite banana pancakes even easier. For me, it means less faffing, fewer separate jobs and one part of the morning that feels a little more under control.
That’s really what making more of our mornings looks like in a busy family home. It isn’t an unrealistic routine where everything runs perfectly. It’s finding one small change that removes some of the friction and makes everyday life easier. The pink NINJA BlendBOSS from Very has done exactly that for us – helping me make simple breakfasts for everyone, from weaning babies to always-in-a-hurry teens.
This post is in collaboration with Very.
