Before I became a parent, I swore I wasn’t going to feed my kids “kid food.” No hot dogs, nuggets, or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for my kid! My child was going to eat what we ate and any parent who didn’t expect their kid to do the same were suckers. <insert eye roll> I also swore my kid would never look at a screen until the APA approved age of 2 and that I would never be that parent who let their kid sleep in their bed (or that parent who fell asleep in their child’s bed while putting them to sleep). <insert eye roll>
Well, 128 PBJ sandwiches, 286 PBS Kids Programs, and countless nights spent in a bed shared with my son and now daughter, I’m here to say I was clueless. Now granted, we aren’t total pushovers. River probably eats one or two “kid meals” a week and he has healthy limits on screen time. But I’ve seriously had to learn how to relax my standards, especially as a full time working mom. We sometimes supplement our from-scratch meals with some Trader Joe’s hacks. I’m as guilty as any parent of sometimes sticking our little guy in front of the television so I can take a shower without constant interruption. And we do rely on our fair share of fish sticks and PBJ sandwiches for quick lunches. One way I try to assuage the mom guilt of too many PBJ sandwiches is by taking old kid favorites and switching up the formula. Sometimes we’ll do a peanut butter and banana sandwich on sprouted bread and that’s a big hit. Or I’ll add nutritional yeast to mac n’ cheese for a little bit of a boost.
Another thing I do try to do is make sure that we aren’t making a separate meal for our son. I am not a short order cook! And that is the beauty of crepes. They are super kid friendly but they look so adult and fancy! For dinner, my husband and I will eat ours with asparagus, mushrooms, and gruyere while River happily munches away on his PBJ or PBB(anana) crepe. Everyone is still eating crepes, everyone gets what they want, and everyone is happy. And guys! They are so easy! If you know how to make pancakes, you know how to make crepes.
I recommend making a double batch of these crepes on the weekend – they keep very well in the fridge for a few days and with less than a minute in the pan, they are ready to go. Perfect for mornings when everyone is just trying to get out the door. You can even simply make extra batter to keep in the fridge for 5 minute weekday breakfasts.
Here are some favorite ways to serve our crepes:
- Yogurt with berries and a drizzle of honey
- A squeeze of lemon with maple syrup or a sprinkling of powdered sugar
- Cooked apples or pears with cinnamon and maple syrup
- Peanut butter and banana with honey
- Peanut butter and jam
- Asparagus and mushroom with gruyere
How do you like yours? Would love to hear your favorite fillings in the comments!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 cup cow or nut milk
- 1.5 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tsp sugar or honey
- a pinch of salt
- Extra butter for the pan
Instructions
- To prepare the crepes, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Heat a buttered 12 inch nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Scoop 1/4 cup batter into the middle of the pan and very quickly tilt the pan until the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan. Cook for 30 seconds then grab the edges with your fingers (or use a large, thin edged spatula) and flip. Cook for another 30 seconds and then you're done with your first crepe! Place on a plate and fold in half, then one time more for a triangle shape. Or fill and roll for a long, filled crepe. Repeat for the remaining crepes.
Zahara and I made this recipe together. I substituted the butter for coconut oil and was surprised at how delicious they were. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
It makes me happy to picture us making the same recipe – thanks for reading and cooking along with me. xo