Mothership Meals and Satellite Saucers: Mothers Day Pancakes

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mothers Day Pancakes

Okay, so I'm not really a big MD-celebrator. My unconventional mother was scornful of the whole shebang. Even now if you call her on Mothers' Day, she kind of rolls her eyes and groans and mutters about what a guilt-producer of a holiday it is. I don't feel so passionately against it, but I don't lay any great claims to the day either.

Basically, I'm happy for that fact that it is GORGEOUS outside, we are going to the Queens County Farm Museum, and I have no deadlines, no worries, no... uh, promises to keep. (Sorry, the 4th Grade Musical was on Friday night and my son's class sang The 59th Street Bridge Song. Another class sang "Takin' it to the Streets", pumping their fists in the air on the chorus, the thought of which still makes me a little teary-eyed...)

Anyway, our Mothers Day breakfast was our family's latest favorite pancake recipe, which my son found on the internet at school several weeks ago and brought home and asked me to make.

"What kind of pancakes are they?" I asked him when he handed me the scrap of notebook paper on which he'd copied down the ingredients (which has has since kicked around our kitchen long enough that it has acquired enough stains and evidence of family life to become an Important 2009 Family Memento).

"It said they were Dutch Pancakes."

"What made you copy the recipe down?"

"I don't know, I just thought they sounded good. Can you make them?"

This is what I thought parenting would be like: my kids bringing home interesting recipes or ideas and asking me to make them. I didn't know it would take 10 years to happen.

It turns out they are really thin pancakes, basically crepes. My son is devoted to the recipe's suggestion to use cinnamon and sugar and butter, instead of our usual maple syrup. Considering the price of maple syrup these days, I'm all for this. He rolls them up and eats them like a hot dog. He shouts enthusiastically when I suggest making them.

I keep meaning to use some buckwheat flour, to make them like breton crepes, but keep forgetting. I use whole wheat flour, and they're great.

Happy Mothers' Day to all of you moms out there!

2 comments:

Your Health Planner said...: Nice, Larissa, and Happy Mother's Day to you. Yes, Dutch pancakes are much thinner than their American counterpart. And, they are not eaten for breakfast, instead, they are enjoyed at every other part of the day: lunch, afternoon snack and dinner! They are often rolled up and taken to school or out on your bike for an "on the go" snack. They are eaten with all sorts of both savory and sweet toppings. My favorite: cheese and ginger.

Nice catching up with you here. Hope you are doing well!
Cheers!
Deirdre; May 12, 2009 at 5:37 AM
Larissa said...: Rolled up and taken to school -- what a great idea! I have to get my kids into the savory side. Cheese and ginger. Really? I'll have to give it a try!

Great to hear from you!; May 15, 2009 at 11:17 AM

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The Mothership Method

(Or, how to sit down for dinner with your family without completely losing your mind)

It would be great if kids AND parents wanted boiled chicken and baby carrots every night for dinner. But, too bad, we picky parents want spicy, exotic, fun foods, and our kids want, well, sorta lame foods.
Here's the solution: break it down. Serve the dish deconstructed, and let everyone put their own dish together at the table. Sort of like tapas, or smorgasbord, or tacos. Or how in some parts of China you get a bowl of rice, and everything else is in the middle of the table and you take what you want for your own little bowl of rice. That way everyone gets to eat what they want, parents don't have to nag their kids, and kids get to feels some ownership over their meals. Plus, kids get exposed to the look and taste of the foods you hope they will one day love. But it's not just tacos. You'll be amazed at what can be served with the Mothership Method.

Ten Tips to Get Through Dinner Without Having A Nervous Breakdown

1. Accept That Kids Are Picky. No need to freak out on your cooking ability, or look at your kids like there is something wrong with them. It's called "neo-phobia", and it's just how they are, especially from ages 3-6.

2. Serve Meals Broken Down. Even grown-up meals like coconut curry or linguine with clams can be served in their elements, making them more appealing to kids. Grown ups can assemble their own jumble of deliciousness at their own plate while kids take on the pared-down elements.

3. Push if it Works, But Don't Nag If It Doesn't. Some kids are okay with being expected to taste everything on their plate. Others aren't. I think it's okay to push kids -- but not if you're turning dinner into a battlefield.

4. Suggest a Smell. Smelling a new food is easier than tasting it, and can sometimes provide a kid with the information needed to take that scary first bite. But don't confine smelling to new foods. Smell favorites, too, and help them develop their sense of smell by making a game out of it.

5. Don't Ask "Do You Like It?" Instead, try, "What does this remind you of?" or, "Would your cousins like this?" or, "Does this taste salty or sweet?". Asking if they like it or not gives kids too much power and ends the conversation. Besides, we don't care if they like it! We just want them to keep tasting it until it is familiar.

6. Don't Get Frustrated. Imagine being in Taiwan, or Nairobi, or Rome for the first time. Would you eat everything on the local menu? New foods are scary and gross. Our kids need time to learn about the foods that we eat.

7. No SubstitutionsThis is family dinner, not a diner. You, in all your wisdom, have provided foods that are healthy and delicious and appropriate for your children. There is something on the table for them to eat. Period.

8. No Snacks Before Dinner. This can be the hardest with our hectic schedules and hungry kids. But children who come to the table hungry are more likely to eat than cause trouble.

9. Put Peer Pressure To Your Advantage. School children are more likely to accept new foods if the alpha girls in their group accept them. Swap healthy food ideas on playdates.

10. Involve Your Kids In Cooking, Shopping, and Gardening. The more experience kids have handling and preparing a variety of foods, the more likely they are to eventually accept the foods. (But don't get upset if they help you make a complicated wonderful meal, and then refuse to eat it.)