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.)
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.
Warning: count(): Parameter must be an array or an object that implements Countable in /home/customer/www/sweetpotatochronicles.com/public_html/wp-content/themes/trendyblog-theme/includes/single/post-tags-categories.php on line 7
You might also like
Vitamin Week: What’s So Great About…Avocado
What isn’t great about avocado? They’re creamy and rich…and they’re fruit! Which means the creamy and rich part is okay, right? As it turns out, it’s not just okay, it’s
Roundup: Seafood Week
I love compiling these Roundup posts because they require me to read old posts (if you can call a year ago old). Depending on my mood, I either a) cry at how
A Quick Bite With Andi Curtis, plus What’s For Lunch?
Every morning before we make the breathless sprint to the bus stop, Esme pokes her head in the fridge and asks, “What’s in my lunch?” I’m still in the early
Hey, thanks for stopping by!
We're Ceri and Laura, a couple of magazine-editors-turned-food-bloggers. Also, we're mothers obsessed with delicious, healthy, family food. We're constantly thinking of ways to make your time (and our own!) in the kitchen easier and more productive, but still nostalgic for the days when dinner was cereal eaten over the kitchen sink.
12 Comments
Sarah
August 29, 16:22This recipe sounds good but the measurements are off. Can you re-post it?
PS Congrats on the book!
Eila
September 02, 09:22Oh 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, 09:21Eila!! 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
How to Feed a Family
September 03, 09:30[…] can see an except here on a fave recipe – peanut butter pancakes with jelly […]
KIDS CAN TOO! - Sweet Potato Chronicles
September 27, 13:53[…] 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 […]
Lemon Linguine - Easy & Tasty - Tea & Poutine | Tea & Poutine
January 10, 17:52[…] more trip to the store to confirm exactly what I wanted to get with it; a cookbook 🙂 I picked up this fantastic book written by two women who were 9-5′ers and then had families, and of course had to feed their […]
Diane
February 16, 12:26Great 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.
Jan
March 12, 18:25Hi 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, 18:48Dear 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
My Weekstagram: April 27 – May 4 | I Am The Mama Mantra
May 05, 15:21[…] (We wound up having the baked risotto, spinach and parmesan cakes from this amazing cookbook, How To Feed A Family. I – WE – would highly recommend […]
Happy Mum
July 01, 17:54I 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, 23:31Hi! 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