BANA BA SEKOLO
Iknow for a fact I am not the only one who feels like with the kids being home, their favourite past time seems to be eating. From morning its breakfast, snacks, lunch more snacks then dinner. Every single day. Most kids today know what they like and don’t like, and become involved in picking what they eat.
You will hear, “ahh but we had this food last night”, them referring to leftovers, or “we had rice the other day”. I found that putting my foot down was the only way I would stay sane.
I am the parent so I know better, right? Children need a balanced diet, and that means a little bit of everything, protein, carbs, sugars, calcium, fruit and vegetables and so on.
My kitchen rules are you Must Eat what is prepared. It took time to make, it was made with your health in mind and it was prepared with love. For the most part, this has been a winning formula.
Once in a while you will hear a complaint, but ultimately plates are cleared at the end of the day. If you don’t want to eat then, ok, put it away in the kitchen. When the hunger pangs show up, they always come back to finish.
That being said, I don’t encourage forcing children to eat, if there are specific foods you notice your child doesn’t appreciate at all, take note and perhaps substitute the food with something else. I will give you an example, my youngest son doesn’t like eggs, he doesn’t like the smell, if he has smelled that the dish has eggs in it, it is very unlikely he will eat, he would rather go to bed hungry. If the eggs are in an egg and mayo sandwich, potato salad, cakes or pancakes, for example, we have no problem. So this is a queue I have taken from him and we both appreciate this for what it is.
Take into consideration that children like variety and creativity when it comes to all things kids. I found that a big bag of flour goes a long way in the kitchen. You can serve it up in so many different ways. Freezing your bakes also comes in handy when you just don’t have time or are too lazy to make a fresh meal. It happens and it’s allowed for you to check out and take some time every now and again.
Pancakes are top on my list for a go to frozen food to prep. Last week it was all about having your partner in the kitchen. We also believe that inviting the kids into the kitchen can be beneficial for their growth and development. A pancake tower always puts a smile on everyone’s face every single time. They can be had with a side of eggs, bacon, sausages, with honey, syrup or fruit.
They are very versatile and can be served for any meal of the day or at snack time. Pancakes are generally great! Bringing the kids in and allowing them to assist with making pancakes improves a number of things including, communication, listening skills, motor skills. Finding their feet in the kitchen and it also ensures that they can be self-reliant in the kitchen and can fend for themselves.
This easy recipe makes pancakes that are light and fluffy and only calls for a few simple ingredients you probably have in your kitchen right now. The pancakes aren’t too sweet and are lightly scented with vanilla.
They are delicious AND they are easily adapted to what you have available in your kitchen. Let’s do this! We love simple, nofail recipes and this pancake recipe is just that. It’s quick to make. Visit our Facebook page Chellzkitchen for more ideas and recipes.