Perfect Pancakes

We eat pancakes at any time of the day, especially at breakfast with lemon juice and (shh!) a sprinkle of icing sugar.  They taste nice with a warm topping of maple syrup and blueberries heated up until the berries fall apart.  Yummy!!  Inspired by Nigella to make up the dry ingredients in a storage container.

To make a large kilner jar of pancake mix

400g (11oz) wholemeal flour

200g (7oz) self raising flour

2 tbsps baking powder

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

20g (1tbsp) soft brown sugar (unrefined) 

To make 4 large pancakes

150g (5oz) pancake mix 

1 egg

250ml whole milk

large knob of butter

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1.  Melt the butter in a large frying pan on a medium high heat.

2.  In the meantime, mix the milk, egg and pancake mix together.

3.  Whisk in the melted butter.

4.  Let the mixture sit for a few minutes (to make the rising agents start working).

5.  Pour 1/4 mixture into frying pan and cook a few minutes each side or until golden brown.

6.  You can make in advance, separate with kitchen roll, store in the fridge and then heat up later.

Great Granola

I don't make granola very often but it is always popular.  It can be eaten as pudding, breakfast or as a snack.  

First ingredient set

400g (14oz) rolled oats (or any porridge oats, actually)

100g (3.5oz) sunflower seeds

80g (3oz) white sesame seeds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

50g (2oz) soft brown sugar

250g (9oz) whole natural almonds

a little salt

Second ingredient set

2 tbsp sunflower or rapeseed oil

4 tbsp honey

4 tbsp syrup (rice or golden)

175g (6oz) stewed apple (this is the best, I think) or apple sauce or apple juice

Last little bit

300g (10oz) raisins

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1.  Mix the first ingredient set into a big bowl (the bigger the better).

2.  Add the wet ingredients and get stuck in with your hands to mix it up.

3.  Cook in a pre-heated oven (180 degrees C) for 40-50 minutes, or until browned.

4.  Add the last little bit, cool, and store in a sealed container.  It seems to last for the same amount of time as a packet of cereal.

Anytime smoothies

Click on the link below to cook this with children!

My Mum made these smoothies for the girls on a gorgeous summer day, about three years ago.  Even the baby loves them (oops, I just forgot that and finished off the bowl myself).  Add oats to make it more packed with super foods.  Mix and hand blend the following ingredients.  The amount of juice used makes different amounts.  The following makes about 2 large glasses of smoothie.

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a handful of blueberries or strawberries (or any berry or fruit.  Kiwi is tasty)

a banana (preferably frozen with skin off - I store old bananas in the freezer - when they are cold, the smoothie tastes even better)

a couple of cups of tropical fruit juice (although Tropicana is more expensive, it seems to have the best nutritional value)

a cup of yoghurt (I always use whole yoghurt, even for myself, because it contains more nutrients.  Live yoghurt is even better)

Lynwoods seeds  - a tablespoon or so

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The girls love having competitions to see who gets the unblended blueberries!

Free download! Do you want to make this recipe with your children? Click here to download a recipe sheet especially designed for children to read and have fun with cooking.