*This is a paid post in partnership with Arla.*
Good morning! The lovely people at Arla Organic Free Range milk challenged us to film a whole Saturday, from sunrise to sunset. Wriggly, who’s been suffering with cramps and growing pains, screamed in pain for most of the night, but when she woke up, she was as fresh as a daisy. As for me, I had to be dragged out of bed rather (no getting up gracefully for this mama), and I might (or might not) have fallen asleep whilst Beanie was reading to me mid-afternoon… Making our quick and easy blender pancakes for dinner & was the best way to end the day.
Overall, Saturday was a really good day. We didn’t have much planned and a quiet day was much needed for all of us. My best friend and her two girls had spent the night at home and despite a restless night, we were all pretty chirpy in the morning. Crevette made ‘Poppy porridge’ (apparently, no porridge can ever be as good as grandad’s porridge!) using oats, Arla Organic Free Range milk and a chopped banana, topped with a drizzle of honey.
I had a much-needed latte and the children went for Arla organic semi-skimmed milk (little man) and orange juice (girls). After breakfast, Wriggly and Jumpy went to ballet with their dad whilst the big ones and I went to Art club on our bikes. Lunch was a casual affair (pitta, houmous, crudités, crispy bacon). I fell asleep for a few minutes whilst Beanie was reading to me (oops!) and helped Crevette pack his suitcase for his school trip.
We had pains au chocolat in the freezer so afternoon snack was a real treat, and we made hot chocolate to go with the warm pastries. Dinner was savoury pancakes (grated cheddar, ham, crème fraîche and pepper all round), followed by sweet pancakes. Check our 50 ideas for pancake toppings here!
Jumpy had our favourite ‘free from’ pancakes and the rest of us had the 5-ingredient pancakes I’ve made all my life. Check out our recipe:
5-ingredient Blender Pancakes
Ingredients
- 1 l milk
- 4 free range organic eggs
- pinch salt
- 4 tablespoons sunflower oil
- 320 g plain flour
Instructions
- Place all wet ingredients in the blender, then add in the dry ingredients.
- Blend until smooth (approximately 20 seconds).
- Warm a pan over a medium heat. Grease with a drop of sunflower oil (spread with kitchen paper to absorb excess oil).
- Using a ladle, pour enough of the liquid to thinly coat the pan. Rotate the pan to distribute the batter evenly.
- Cook for a couple of minutes, until bubbles have formed on the surface and it is dry underneath. It should be easy to turn over with a wooden spatula or flip.
- Cook the other side for another minute. Add your filling now or pile up your crêpes on a plate for later.
- Repeat until you have used all the batter. Do not forget to grease the pan when needed using your oiled kitchen paper.
I challenged Crevette to flip pancakes,
and he challenged me to balance our plate of pancakes onto a milk bottle.
I think he won! He was flipping pancakes like an Olympic gold medallist!
Why Go Organic?
I know, I know, organic produce tends to be more expensive than the non-organic alternative, but I love organic produce and try to buy organic when I can… My mum grows her own fruit and vegetables without chemicals at all and although she has to work really hard, the difference in taste is astounding!
I visited one of Arla’s 89 British organic farms a few months ago, and I was as impressed as could be. The farmer-owners are devoted to looking after their cows and their welfare, creating the highest quality milk possible. It looked like the cows were part of the family and it made me think of my mum with her chickens, just on a much larger scale.
The free range cows in Arla farms are free to graze on organic grass that is completely free from herbicides and artificial fertilisers. They are never fed genetically modified animal feed. Antibiotics are not used routinely and the cows are grazed outside whenever possible.
As Beanie said in our little video, milk is nutritious. In a 200ml glass of semi-skimmed milk, you get almost a third of your recommended daily calcium as well as phosphorus (28% RDA), which help maintain your teeth and bones. That same glass of milk also helps you feel less tired, benefits your immune system (74% RDA Vitamin B12) and gives you protein (14% RDA). Arla Organic Milk is available as whole milk or semi-skimmed in 2l bottles. Last but not least, Arla Organic Free Range milk has been awarded Product of the Year in 2018.
Disclosure: This blog post is sponsored by Arla Organic, but I buy the organic free range milk on a regular basis and love it! All opinions and photos are my own. #ArlaOrganic
Crevette looks as pleased as punch with his creation! And he’s definitely an olympic pancake flipper there – wow! I often buy organic foods actually but milk isn’t something I’ve tried, mainly because I don’t like milk at the best of times so try to not *actually* taste it if that makes sense? Obviously we have it on cereals and I’m sure it’s far better for the whole family.
My little man really loves spending time in the kitchen, bless him!
We adore pancakes but never make them at home! You have inspired me to get in the kitchen with my boy this weekend!
Enjoy! I could make them every week 🙂