Thursday, November 21, 2013

Santa Train Breakfast

Last year we took the grand-chickadees on a Santa train ride. They spent the night the night before, and to get in the spirit we had a Santa Train Breakfast. (It was too late in the season to post it then, so now is the time!)

 DSCN5919 I searched high and low for a large train centerpiece, and the only one I could find (besides a $200 one!) was unfinished, so I pulled out my paints and to work I went, to create our very own version of the Santa Express. I set the table after the babies were asleep, to surprise them in the morning…and were they!

DSCN5920 Since this was a Christmas train, Santa was the driver, of course, and he had his train filled to the brim with all sorts of toys (I raided their toy boxes :)). The top is very vintage—when the babies’ father (our son) was born I really wanted an old, “real” top, not the kind that had a base at the bottom and therefore wouldn’t move around, and my mother found this one for him, so it’s much older than he is. The Night Before Christmas book was also his and his brother’s.

DSCN5922 Of course, no Christmas train story would be complete without a jingle bell (a nod to The Polar Express). They each took their bell to the train ride and took one for their little cousin who was joining us.

DSCN5936 While they waited for breakfast to be served Baby Boy Chickadee #1 and his sister, Baby Love, entertained themselves with the goodies on the table~~the nativity scene animals gathered on her napkin, and the small train ornaments came alive in his imagination!

DSCN5925 Baby Boy #2 (11 months) had his table set too. :)

DSCN5928 And what was on the menu, but TRAIN PANCAKES! Williams-Sonoma carried these pancake molds at one time, but they were no longer available. I was very lucky to have found them on eBay!

DSCN5959 This is the best picture I could manage of the finished pancakes…we had hungry little bears chickadees on our hands, and she had already cut the top off when the camera arrived! The steam from the engine is whipped cream (boy, did they like that part!!), made with my handy-dandy iSi cream whipper. You can read all about this favorite gadget here.

DSCN5954 Their first course was granola with yogurt and red sprinkles, served in my “best” footed bowls—the now-famous holly collection from Arby’s, from years ago! (I’ve had the glasses for years, then our son found these at GW and gave them to me, beautifully wrapped, as a Christmas present!)

And then…SANTA CAME TO OUR TRAIN CAR and visited with each child! We can’t wait to do it again this year, so….

…tell me, please—have you found a good train to use as a centerpiece? Even on Pinterest I haven’t been able to find much. I think this year we might go with their dad’s and uncle’s real train set that they’ve never seen before, but I sure would hate to retire the first one after only one year!

What other children’s Christmas breakfast ideas can you share? We can never have too many ideas!

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Thanks so much for stopping by. I hope you’ll leave me a comment to let me know you were here—I’m thrilled to know you stopped by, and I’ll always visit back and comment too. If you like what you see, I invite you to follow me (I promise to follow back), and please—Pin away and follow me on Pinterest too! Thank you!!

NOTE: Some of the items I use in my posts are in my Etsy shop, but many are not, simply because I haven’t updated my shop. If you see something you like and wonder if it’s available for sale, email me at coral5252@gmail.com and let’s talk!

I’ll be attending these fun parties:

Feathered Nest Friday at http://frenchcountrycottage.blogspot.com/

Home Sweet Home Fridays at http://thecharmofhome.blogspot.com/

Thrifty Things Friday at http://thethriftygroove.blogspot.com/

Vintage Inspiration Friday at http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com/

Show and Tell Friday at http://romantichome.blogspot.com/

Friday Tatertots and Jello at http://tatertotsandjello.com

Friday Bacon Time’s party at http://bacontimewiththehungryhypo.blogspot.com

Friday at It's Overflowing

Friday at Shine on Fridays

Fridays at Stuff and Nonsense

Saturday Strut Your Stuff at http://www.sixsistersstuff.com

Sunday Showcase at http://www.bystephanielynn.com/

Sunday Creative Home and Garden Hop at http://creativehomeexpressions.blogspot.com/

Sundays at The Tablescaper: http://thetablescaper.blogspot.com/

Sunday at DIY Show Off

Mop it Up Monday at http://www.ishouldbemoppingthefloor.com

Masterpiece Monday at http://boogieboardcottage.blogspot.com/

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at http://linda-coastalcharm.blogspot.com

Tuesdays at Our Home at http://mariaelenasdecor.blogspot.com/

Tuesday’s Treasures http://www.myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.com/

Inspire Me Tuesday at http://astrollthrulife.blogspot.com/

Cuisine Kathleen at http://www.cuisinekathleen.com/

Wow Us Wednesdays at http://www.savvysouthernstyle.net/

DIY by Design Party at http://diybydesign.blogspot.com/

Home and Garden Thursday at http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com/

Tablescape Thursday at http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Open House Party Thursday at http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com

Transformation Thursdays at http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/

From my nest to yours~

Zuni

10 comments:

  1. What a delightful tablescape for your beautiful grandbabies. I am sure their little eyes were so wide when they saw the train on the table with toys. Great idea! Wish I had little ones so I could do that. Look for a small little Tyco train set that would be cute on the table, but I really like the one that you found and painted. Know that they had a wonderful time and I am sure they will be looking forward to going again.
    Have a great weekend.
    Mary

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  2. Oh so cute. Love the whole post. The pancakes are adorable. Love the key idea. Now I want to go on the train ride.

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  3. You just mentioned what I was going to suggest: a real train set if anyone in the family owned one. If you could modify it to fit the table and have it take the condiments around to each child seated (syrup, salt, etc.), that would be kind of cool. Or it could deliver each child's food to where they're sitting. If you can't modify it down that much, maybe you could consider putting the train on the floor and building a "picnic" area in the middle for the kids so they'd be constantly surrounded by the train. Those are my thoughts. I'm sure you'll come up with something that's cool. What you did for last year was really terrific! You should get a Grandmother of the Year award for that one!!!

    Have a happy weekend and a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

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  4. What a fabulous surprise for those two little chickadees! I know they were thrilled with the breakfast and the ride. I do have a Villeroy and Boch train, but it really is not large enough to be a centerpiece. I use it mostly on one of the shelves in my china cabinet. Hope you find what you want!

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  5. This is so cute! My Grandson loves trains and I gave his Mom some of those pancake forms I found in a thrift shop. He loves the train pancakes so much. He also has a great wooden train that I found at a Thrift shop and he loves it and Now I want to figure out a train breakfast for him this year! I also found ornament pancake molds at the thrift shop and will use them this year also. Thanks for sharing at TTF!

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  6. What a special memory for your grands! The train is adorable, I am sure they enjoyed you fussing for them!
    Thanks for linking to Let's Dish! Have a wonderful Tgiving!

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  7. I loved the post and the pancake train is the coolest ever, I remember when william sonoma use to sell the train pancake form, I loved the shapes...the yogurt with the sprinkles makes the breakfast so special with the train set centerpiece...you have made it so special for them....

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  8. Oh my goodness this is just too cute! They must have been over the moon to wake up to this and then have the train ride to follow later on. Loved this post!! Train pancakes, yet? Amazing! :)

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  9. Love it! Such a great idea! I would love for you to add your link to the link party on my blog at http://iamonly1woman.blogspot.com/2013/11/check-me-out-saturday-craft-link-party_22.html

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  10. What a blessing!! hope you have just as much fun this yr..Chickadee.

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