PANCAKE PARTY

I've always loved pancake day, but it's so much more fun when you have kids! It is acceptable to throw a whole pancake party for your kid and his gorgeous little mates!!!

I made two batters, one normal pancake batter with whole meal flour, and one exactly the same but with two big handfuls of spinach in, turning them an amazing bright green!

To make the green pancakes, throw 100g of flour, 2 eggs, 2 or more handfuls of spinach and 300ml of milk into your food processor, whizz up until smooth and lump free and pour a ladleful into a hot pan with melted butter, swirl around and cook for a minute or so each 

Now the key to flipping is confidence, but not cockiness. As I found out to my embarrassment in front of the party goers. I set up a pancake flipping contest that only I entered. So technically I won. Or lost... Luckily Milo the dog was on hand to eat half a spinach pancake off the kitchen floor.

We had a selection of grated cheese, honey roast ham, tomatoes and yoghurt for those ones. But that was just to start!

With the classic pancakes we had home

made banana ice cream, using Deliciously Ella's recipe in her first book. Please make this, it's so easy! Slice up a few ripe bananas, pop them in a container or freezer bag and into the freezer over night. Then all you do is whizz them up in the food processor for a few minutes until they turn all creamy. If you want to drown out any of your party guests' conversation, do as I did and whizz up the frozen bananas when they get there. OBVIOUSLY I regret doing this; do it before they get there and put it back in the freezer until you need it.

With this we had home made chocolate spread, I based mine on Hemsley + Hemsley's BBtella. There was no way I was peeling hazelnuts, I used half a jar of almond butter and put it in the food processor with a drained tin of canellini beans (I didn't have black beans) 3/4tablespoons of honey, a teaspoon of vanilla, a quarter teaspoon of almond extract, 3 tablespoons of coconut oil and 3 tablespoons of cocoa. It takes a while to whizz to a smooth enough consistency, maybe around 4-5 minutes, but it's so worth it. Have a taste and add more honey if it's not sweet enough. You and your little one can lick spoons and bowls etc to your hearts content at this stage! Store in a jar and it lasts for about 2 weeks in the fridge.

Along with these we had little bowls of fruit and yoghurt so we could all help ourselves. Which Teddy did to a completely disproportionate amount of cherry tomatoes. Strange child, I know.

The kids and adults loved the spread! Great fun. We are already planning our next "party", an Easter party! I'll start researching how to make my own sugar free Easter eggs......! So just Lent in the way now...

Every year I say I'm going to eat pancakes all year round. And I never do, but it makes them so much more delicious on pancake day!

Special thanks to Teddy's best mates for coming! Had the best nap time after, too!