Meet our book How to Feed a Family

Meet our book How to Feed a Family

Well, there’s no better way to say it other than (insert high shrieking voice), “Holy crap! We wrote a book!” Can you believe it? I know. We still can’t either. But, if I can say so, I think we wrote a pretty awesome book. Oh! And the pictures. Goodness, wait until you guys see the photos. Maya really blew our minds. (If you buy it, and I hope you do, please note the cute toys in many of the shots. Aren’t your tables always cluttered with stuff the kids bring to the meal? No? Maybe that’s just my house.)

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OK, so, about the book, you know I’m going to say it’s full of easy, healthy recipes. But it actually is. I’m also clearly going to tell you it has lots of meaningful advice on issues that plague parents (think picky eaters) as well as loads of nutritional information. Yet that’s also true. I hope you just get yourself a copy and see for yourself. If it doesn’t bring some kind of sanity, harmony and deliciousness to your family then I promise Ceri will clean your kitchen. I promised that one already? Ok, she’ll clean your garage. She really hates that, especially since she doesn’t even have one of her own.

In order to celebrate the book’s official release next week on Tuesday, September 3rd (first day of school so you’ll have plenty of “me time” to run to the bookstore), we are bringing you special excerpts from it this week.

In many of the press interviews we’ve luckily had requested (Side note: Thank you press. We were in your shoes for many years and know you are up to your eyeballs with book launches. Seriously, we get it!), one of the question’s writers always seem to ask is what are our favorite recipes in the book. Well, gorgeous readers, here’s mine. It may not solve your back-to-school lunch panic attacks, but the food coma you slide into after eating this delicious and satisfying dishwill make you forget you’ve just started another school year that requires packed lunches.

Ladies and Gentleman, boys and girls, I bring you Peanut Butter Pancakes with Jelly Syrup from our book (that word still makes me giddy) How to Feed a Family The Sweet Potato Chronicles Cookbook. Please go forth and flap some jacks. I promise you’ll love them. Heart, Laura

Photos by Maya Visnyei

Peanut Butter Pancakes with Jelly Syrup

1 cup (250 ml) plain yogurt 5 cup (125 ml) buttermilk (if you don’t have any buttermilk, just add 1 5 tsp/7.5 ml white vinegar to 5 cup/125 ml milk and let it stand for 10 minutes)
15 tsp (7.5 ml) baking soda
15 tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder
5 cup (125 ml) fresh fruit of choice 4 cup (60 ml) fruit jelly
8 cup (160 ml) spelt flour
5 cup (125 ml) whole wheat flour
1 tsp (5 ml) chia powder (optional) 4 tsp (1 ml) salt
1 cup (250 ml) smooth peanut butter 2 Tbsp (30 ml) agave nectar or maple syrup
2 large eggs, room temperature 2 Tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature (more if required)

Method

Place the yogurt, buttermilk, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl, stir to combine and set aside.

Put the fresh fruit and fruit jelly in a small food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Set this fruit syrup aside in a small dish.

In a large bowl, place both flours, chia powder and salt, and whisk until incorporated.

Add the peanut butter, agave nectar and eggs to the yogurt mixture and whisk until smooth.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the yogurt mixture. Stir gently until completely incorporated.

Heat a large griddle on medium heat and melt 1 tsp (5 ml) of the butter. Ladle 4 cup (60 ml) of batter onto the griddle. Spread the batter into 4-inch (10 cm) circles and cook for
2 minutes on each side until golden brown, flipping only once. Using more butter as needed, repeat with the remaining batter.

Transfer the warm pancakes to plates, drizzle with fruit syrup and serve.

PB Pancakes with Jelly Syrup


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12 Comments

  1. Sarah
    August 29, 16:22 Reply

    This recipe sounds good but the measurements are off. Can you re-post it?

    PS Congrats on the book!

  2. Eila
    September 02, 09:22 Reply

    Oh my gosh!!! This is so super exciting!! How did I miss that this was happening. I CANNOT WAIT to see a copy. Please let me know if you would like me to do a give-away on the full plate blog as well. SOOOO excited for you two rockstars!!!

    • Ceri Marsh
      September 03, 09:21 Reply

      Eila!! Your note made our day!! Thanks so much. I’ve sent a note to Random House to get in touch with you. We’re so flattered you’d like to feature the book!! That would be really amazing. Let me know if you don’t hear from them soon and I’ll light a fire. You’re support means so much to us!!
      xoC

  3. How to Feed a Family
    September 03, 09:30 Reply

    […] can see an except here on a fave recipe – peanut butter pancakes with jelly […]

  4. […] may have heard about Ceri and Laura’s book, How To Feed A Fam­ily? Yes, it is all that and a bag of kale chips. You can trust me, I’m not just say­ing that […]

  5. Diane
    February 16, 12:26 Reply

    Great book! I have tried a lot of recipes already, and I’m really glad to have healthy baking with more healthy grains and less sugar. And I’m really excited to have some kale recipes. Great pics too – they are very inspiring.

    However, I am confused about a couple of the recipes. E.g., I just made the Orange Chocolate Mini Muffins and I think there must be a typo. I can’t taste the orange at all, and the batter was very goopy – more like cookie dough than muffin batter. The recipe calls for only 1/2 cup of OJ, but it seems more is needed. Is there anywhere to post updates/corrections before the 2nd edition comes out?
    Thanks.

  6. Jan
    March 12, 18:25 Reply

    Hi Ladies,
    This is my all time favourite cookbook and I have never liked cooking. It has changed my attitude about cooking. I bought it for my daughter because she loves to cook and now I can’t live without it. I’ve learned a lot about making my cooking and baking healthier and the recipes are quite easy. I love the chocolate mini muffins. I used smaller muffin tins and decreased the time a bit, so maybe this would help. The batter is a little heavy but they turn out great. I have made them 3 times and I love them. The orange flavour is slight and they are not too too sweet (yet super yummy) which I really like. I highly recommend the cookbook.

    • Laura Keogh
      March 12, 18:48 Reply

      Dear Jan,

      Thank you so much for your lovely note! It made our day. It makes us feel so wonderful to hear that we’ve helped encourage you into the kitchen and have made it more fun and healthier for you. Wow, that’s exactly what we hoped for when we created the book!

      I’m also a fan of the mini chocolate orange muffins too. And, it’s true, mini muffin tins can vary a bit in size and the smaller, the better.

      We appreciate you taking the time to write us. Thank you for all your support. Happy cooking and thanks for reading How to Feed a Family and SPC. Best, Laura and Ceri

  7. Happy Mum
    July 01, 17:54 Reply

    I have to tell you that this is THE best cookbook I have ever owned. We love so many of the recipes especially the toaster tarts which we have tried many different filings for including pumpkin pie and another one of raspberry and ricotta. Yum! Thank you for the book – it has inspired us and made us happy to find reipes that are tasty for everyone and do-able at the end of a long day.

    • Laura Keogh
      July 25, 23:31 Reply

      Hi! Thank you so much for your lovely note! I’m so thrilled you love the book. And the toaster tarts are my favourite too!! Your raspberry and ricotta recipes sounds like heaven. I should give it a try. We really appreciate you taking the time to write. All the best, Laura

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