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This time of year is getting a little hectic with end-of-the-school-year activities colliding with new summer interests. Our children are wrapping up dance, while starting up soccer, and finishing craft club, while beginning softball. But no matter what time of year it is, we have a pre-game, pre-performance ritual to get ourselves psyched!

A few years ago, my husband introduced a heaping spoon of peanut butter. Gratefully none of us are allergic and we all love it (plus it has some nutritional value), and we were easily convinced that a scoop of peanut butter would set us off on the right foot.

Some of our activities are beginning early these days, and my children are expected to be up and filled with energy right after breakfast.

I decided to take our ritual of mounds of peanut butter and transition it into a morning smoothie. My children love fruit smoothies and chocolate milk so it wasn't a far leap!

These were quick to make and little hands made everything more enjoyable. The recipe is simple using items you likely already have around. Here's what we used to create our Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Smoothies:

To add a little extra loving, I decided to make some straw notes to wish my favorite athletes all the best. It was a cute surprise to greet them at the breakfast table. M is our slugger in her second year of softball, and C is a big kicker in her second year of soccer.

I used flexible straws and attached our notes with some tape on the back. Be sure to tape right above the bend so that your straw can both reach into the glass and the note is low enough to make the straw functional.

Little L is not yet in organized sports or activities, but that didn't stop him from wanting a smoothie to start off his day!

I picked up the Carnation Breakfast Essentials at Walmart. For a limited time while supplies last, they have a coupon available for your own smoothie making. And if you're looking for more smoothie recipes, check out Carnation's host of ideas or follow them on Facebook.

And parents, of course, need a little extra success, too, so pour yourself a glass of these delicious creations.

Do you have any pre-game rituals that get your kids off on the right foot?

xoxo, MJ

Breakfast is our all-time favorite around here. We could have pancakes in the morning, cereal and toast for lunch, and dine over a stack of French toast with a side of eggs. Our diets would lack balance but, hey, we'd be happy for quite a while! Breakfast is also such a wonderful meal to invite kids to cook! Think of all the Hollywood portrayals of the red-faced, smiley children, thoughtfully carrying the tray of morning treats for Mom and Dad to enjoy in bed.

Well, that hasn't quite happened around here, but we do make it a practice to cook breakfast together on the weekends. Sundays are the best time to gather around the kitchen island and grab a mixing spoon. We bring the griddle out for small eyes to watch as bubbles appear in the circles of batter. We snack on chocolate chips (one for every year of your life and extras for every person in the family who loves you!) as we take in the rich smells of the bacon crisping and popping.

I think it's important for my children to understand the process of food preparation. The act of stirring to smoothness, ladeling an even portion, waiting and watching are all part of the amazing observation of life, and I find becoming a part of this work has made them more interested in food and independence more generally.

Joy has a fun and easy breakfast meal with eggs (and gorgeous photography) that I can't wait to try with my kids. Guess what's for dinner tonight? More on Egg in a Basket.

And if you're wondering how to make your kitchen a great space for your mini cook, check out last week's ideas on inviting them into the kitchen!

Have you made an egg in the basket before?

xoxo, MJ