Family Breakfast Ideas: Greek Yogurt Pancakes

These pancakes are really really fabulous.  I'm not a pancakes eater usually but I love these and so does Birdie (18 months) and my husband.  Win, win, win.  (As I was typing that, the second "win" turned into "wine" which is exactly what I want right now on this lovely Friday afternoon.  But, back to pancakes!)

My sister turned me on to this recipe from this blog: http://www.everydaybelle.com/greek-yogurt-pancakes/ .  This blogger keeps it very simple- just 4 ingredients.  She also has lovely pictures of the pancakes and a video of how she makes them if you're interested.  In the video she uses peach flavored yogurt and suggests adding sugar if using plain yogurt but I never add sugar and always use plain yogurt and I think they are delicious like that (though certainly not very sweet).  I usually serve fruit or applesauce on top and that adds enough sweet for me.

We made them her way at first- just the 4 ingredients- and they really are just prefect.  But then I decided to health them up a bit and by adding flax seeds, chia seeds, and sesame seeds.  I think it makes them even better personally.  Also, I have totally played around with the amounts of yogurt and egg and flour (not on purpose but mainly because I go to make these gems and turns out I am down to only 1 egg or running low on yogurt, etc.) and the pancakes still seem to turn out fine.  So, don't worry if you play around with the ingredient volumes a bit.  Here is the way I usually make these:

Greek Yogurt Pancakes (Based on this recipe from http://www.everydaybelle.com/greek-yogurt-pancakes/)  Serves 2 adults and a child for breakfast with some left-overs.  Serve with sautéed bananas or fresh fruit or applesauce or anything else you like!

10oz plain greek yogurt
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1-2 tsp flax seeds
1-2 tsp black sesame seeds

1-2 tsp chia seeds

Mix yogurt and egg together in a medium sized bowl.  Mix flour, baking soda, flax, and sesame seeds in another bowl.  Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Batter will be thick and sometimes kind of almost foamy from the baking soda I think...don't worry about that.  Spoon a large dollup onto a hot buttered skillet (medium-high heat) and cook until you start to see small bubbles/holes in the batter, usually 1-2 minutes  Flip it and cook the other side until golden brown.  Serve warm with any topping you'd like.  Our favorite is sautéed bananas and blueberries. Chopped strawberries are fabulous too as is a little applesauce.

UPDATE 5.9.14

I used 1 cup of trader joes gluten free flour instead of the regular all purpose flour and they turned out just as fabulous as the original! 

These pancakes are well liked and happily consumed by this messy haired, messy sleeved, messy faced, back pack obsessed lady. 

Why babies throw food on the ground...and what to do about it!

You make a delicious looking meal, you sit down to eat it with your lovely baby, and splat!  She throws half-or all- of it on the floor.  This is a very frustrating but common issue (especially with 10-18 month olds). 

There are really a few reasons babies/toddlers throw food: 

1. They are just experimenting with gravity and cause/effect- "It's so fun to watch food fall and see what happens when it hit the floor." 

2. They are interested in the response it elicits from you- "Yay!  Mama gasped then jumped up!" or "Wow, I got a bunch of new stuff when I did that!" 

3. They are not hungry/are done with the meal- "I'm bored and full, I don't want this food in front of me anymore." 

4. They don't like that food- "Maybe if I throw this stuff on the flood, I'll get the crackers I wanted." 

5. They are frustrated about something to do with the food- "This is just too hard to eat" or "I can't figure out how to pick this up." 

Sometimes it's a combo of a few of these reasons. For all of these scenarios, the initial response will be the same: a firm redirection "food stays on the table" or a simple "no."  However, the secondary response kind of depends on why the child is doing it.

I

f it's #1 or 2, I suggest saying the "no" or the line about food staying on the table, then ignore. If they throw the food again, I'd ask if they are "all done" and let them know you won't allow them to do that: "if you throw food again you're all done." If they throw again, meal ends. You can also have them help you clean it up at that point but you must be firm on meal being all done. No snacks after, no bottle or cup of milk right after, no walking around with food in their hands- just done.  

If it's more like #3 or 4, I'd still go through the routine I just mentioned but I'd also do a few other things. 
- consider how often you're providing snacks throughout the day and possibly cut back, especially right around mealtimes. We tend to over-snack our kids and often that decreases their hunger motivation at mealtimes. Some kids do fine eating every 2-3 hours, some eat best when fed every 3-4 hours.  

-consider offering the cup of water or milk at the end of the meal so your child isn't filling up on the liquids then throwing the food 

-start with less food on the plate/tray so they don't have lots of extra to throw. It's probably better for them to ask for more than have an abundance to toss around. 

-if you suspect they are throwing because they don't like the food, remind them that "this is what we are eating at this meal and there are no other options. 

If it continues, stop the meal, clear the food, and don't offer any other foods until the next meal. You want to help them understand that they can't order up new foods from you by throwing what you already offered them on the floor.  

 If it's more likely #5, start with the "no" line, then see if your babe just needs help. Sometimes my daughter pushes the food off the table when she's frustrated that she can't easily pick it up or she keeps spilling it or it's too resistive for her to chew. In all of those instances, if I help her pick it up to feed herself or I break the food up a bit or dip the resistive food in a sauce to soften it, often that's all it takes for her to continue happily eating.

Remember, the more fuss you make over it, generally the more power it gives the behavior. The behavior will pass sooner than you think!

Feeding Readiness, Engagment, and"All Done" Signs with a Baby

This is definitely its own long topic but I am being lazy. So I thought I'd just post these two videos which I think highlight the difference between when a baby is actively interested and engaged in a feeding compared to when she or he is done. It's so important to honor those "all done" cues because it helps foster a sense of reciprocity and connectedness between parent and baby, as well as a feeling of safety around meal times that she will be listened to when she tells you she's had enough. Also, it lays the foundation of your child being able to rely on his own sense of hunger and satiety without over-eating or needing an adult to tell him when to stop or eat more.  Additionally, acknowledging those "all done" cues as just that, communication, instead of bad behavior, can help keep us parents from getting man, which ultimately prevent those behaviors from becoming power struggles.

This first video highlights feeding readiness and engagement.  Note how she leans towards the spoon and opens her mouth.  Pretty obvious that she's into the meal and wants more food:

The second video highlights the same baby (my baby!) at the end of a different meal where she is clearly disinterested in continuing feeding.  Note how she makes it perfectly clear that she is no longer interest in eating her meal:

While it can seem very frustrating to stop a meal when there is still food left, or worse, when your baby has not eaten anything, it shows respect and that he or she is heard and understood.  Start with explaining the situation, such as "it looks like you are all done." Or, if it's more behavioral than that, consider, "food stays on the table.  If you throw your food on the ground, the meal will end." If the behavior continues, most likely the child is done eating (or bored or tired but clearly not motivated to eat and therefore most likely not too hungry.)  Honor the communication and avoid getting upset or making a big deal out of it.  Just start your "all done" routine, such as you and baby wiping the table, wiping hands and face, then getting out of the high chair.  Know that your baby will get another chance to eat soon.  Move on and enjoy the next activity with your baby!