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There's no better way to inaugurate Society Life's first food blog than with a good, and good-for-you, pancake breakfast.  This blog isn't all about health food or even cooking, for that matter.  I'm more of an eater who is informed enough to give a little cooking advice.  As in all things, moderation is key.  You'll be getting a little bit of everything: the good-for-you, the bad-for-you, the I'd-rather-not-know-one-way-or-the-other, and maybe some of the ugly.  But let's kick things off with something good.

Here's a recipe for Sweet Potato Pancakes that's light, delicately sweet, fun for the family to make together, and secretly healthy.  It's ideal for when you're training for an endurance event, which is my not-so-subtle way of telling you that I'm concurrently training for the Seattle Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon in June (my first endurance endeavor of any kind).  These pancakes are loaded with the kind of complex carbs that are supposed to sustain you for these types of distance activities.  They're also great when you just need a good pancake fix.  My kids happened to think they were yummy, too.  I like to believe they'd feel the same way even if they hadn't helped to make it, though I have to admit that a team effort turns out better pancakes. 

SWEET POTATO PANCAKES

½ cup rolled oats

½ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup coconut flour

¼ cup garbanzo flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 large eggs

1 ½ cups milk or soy milk

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large sweet potato (cooked and mashed)

Butter for greasing

Process the oats in a food processor until it resembles a fine flour.  Add the rest of the dry ingredients and process for about a minute.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs then add the milk, oil, and vanilla.  Whisk together until thoroughly mixed.  Fold in the dry ingredients until just moistened.  Fold in the mashed sweet potatoes, again without over-mixing.  The batter will be a little lumpy from the sweet potatoes.  Coat a hot skillet with butter, but be careful that the pan isn't too hot or the butter will burn.  Spoon a ¼ cup of batter and spread into small discs.  Pancakes are ready to flip as soon as they start to bubble, about 1 to 2 minutes depending on your stovetop.  Flip to cook the other side.  Pancakes are done when both sides are golden brown and springy to the touch, with the edges a deeper brown.  Butter the skillet as needed between batches.  Serve with maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, or fresh berries sweetened with a little agave nectar.

We made these pancakes the day after our first training session with The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team in Training, an amazing group that not only trains people for marathons, triathlons, and other endurance events, but also raises money and hope for people who have been affected by blood cancers.  It's a team I'm very proud to be a part of, and you'll be hearing a lot about them and our training progress in future posts.

On that first training day, I was pleased to discover a great new breakfast place in Southlake - Nelson's.  It's a family-owned restaurant serving what I like to call "destination" breakfast fare.  I'm normally too hurried in the morning to have a fully composed meal (fruit will usually do me just fine).  But some mornings I wake up thinking, "If only French toast could make itself."  Nelson's is the next best thing.  They've got a Frank-approved version of sweet potato pancakes, but everything I've tried so far is well-executed.  Check back for a preview of my full review, coming in Society Life's March issue.