In the spirit of celebrating moms KidLit TV produced a Mother’s Day special inspired by Josh Funk’s popular rhyming picture book, Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast. Lady Pancake and Sir French Toast are best friends who find out there is only one drop of syrup left in the refrigerator. Soon the friends embark on a hysterical and sometimes treacherous dash to get that one last drop. Of course they they both learn a valuable lesson — but the end is anything but typical.

StoryMakers host Rocco Staino and Josh Funk were joined by dad and travel blogger Jason Greene (One Good Dad). Together the trio cooked up a Mother’s Day breakfast fit for a queen … A queen who loves pancakes, French toast, strawberries and cream! If you’re still thinking about what to do for the special lady in your life — whether she be your partner, wife, or mom — we highly recommend watching this episode. If that’s not enough to keep you glued to the screen, two of Jason’s children make a special appearance.

What’s your idea of the perfect Mother’s Day? What’s your favorite breakfast dish? Let us know in the comment section below!

We’re giving away three (3) copies of Josh Funk’s picture book, Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast. The giveaway ends at 11:59 PM on May 18, 2016. Enter now!

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ABOUT LADY PANCAKE & SIR FRENCH TOAST

Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast
Written by Josh Funk; illustrated by Brendan Kearney
Published by Sterling Publishing

A thoroughly delicious picture book about the funniest “food fight!” ever! Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast have a beautiful friendship—until they discover that there’s only one drop of maple syrup left. Off they go, racing past the Orange Juice Fountain, skiing through Sauerkraut Peak, and reeling down the linguini. But who will enjoy the sweet taste of victory? And could working together be better than tearing each other apart? The action-packed rhyme makes for an adrenaline-filled breakfast … even without a drop of coffee!

ABOUT JOSH FUNK

Via Josh Funk Books
Josh Funk writes silly stories and somehow tricks people into publishing them as picture books – such as the award-winning Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast (Sterling), as well as the forthcoming picture books Pirasaurs! (Scholastic 8/30/16), Dear Dragon (Viking/Penguin 9/6/16), It’s Not Jack and the Beanstalk (Two Lions, 2017), and more.

CONNECT WITH JOSH FUNK
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

ABOUT JASON GREENE

Via One Good Dad
From the time I was a child, my dream was to become an actor and a writer. After college, I set out along with my wife to chase that dream. We arrived in New York City and I was ready to “make it.” After a few years of auditioning and bit parts here and there, my wife gave me the news that I was about to take on the biggest role imaginable — the role of a daddy. After my son was born, I became a stay-at-home dad and now I’m a proud papa of 4 children. Being a stay-at-home dad has changed the way I think about myself and the world around me. And that has lead me to become a dad blogger and travel blogger.  My blog touches on parenting challenges and rewards, faith, travel, entertainment, sports, sponsorships and reviews, or whatever else is keeping me from getting that great night of sleep I so desperately need.

CONNECT WITH JASON GREENE
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

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StoryMakers
Host: Rocco Staino | Executive Producer: Julie Gribble | Producer: Kassia Graham

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Now Playing -  Forever Young by Alphaville   RECIPE: MAY PARKER'S FAMOUS WHEATCAKES Originally made by my pal Pete's Aunt May, these wheatcakes are a great, hearty alternative to the standard pancake and will get your day off to a swinging start. INGREDIENTS: 1 cup Buckwheat Flour 1 cup Sifted Whole Wheat Flour 2 teaspoons Double Acting Baking Powder 1 teaspoon Baking Soda 1

I’m always mulling over ideas about ways to introduce new opportunities for my kids to pick up a book and read but inspiration can strike in the strangest of places: I was recently in a charity shop when I saw a humble toast rack, the sort I associate with B&Bs, and suddenly I had a lightbulb moment!

It occurred to me that I could use the toast rack to display books on the kitchen table, making it easy and alluring for my kids to pick up something to read whilst eating their toast or cereal.

This has been perfect for the holidays, encouraging lingering over a book at breakfast.

I’ve enjoyed choosing a selection of new books each morning, searching out books my kids haven’t looked at for a while, or sneaking in a new one for them to discover.

The toast rack works really well with picture books because they aren’t as “fat” as chapter books (though maybe if I looked around I could find other toast racks with wider slots). I’ve also learned that it’s best to take off the dust jacket, to make it easy to slip the book in and out of the rack.

Do you encourage your kids to read at meal times? Where else do you try to sneak in reading opportunities?

My friend Jamie first introduced homemade crepes to me when we used to do Thanksgiving together in Boston. Oh, those were fun times! We’d make crepes in the morning and just cook, cook, cook all day and listen to “Alice’s Restaurant,” that classic Thanksgiving tale.

Before that crepes had seemed so mysterious and fancy, but really, once you do them a couple of times, they’re no more difficult than pancakes. You just have to get the knack of how thick the batter should be (not very) and when to flip them (when the first inch or two of the edges are dry). Turns out it’s super easy to make gluten-free crepes, and they’re quite a bit faster than waffles.

Once again I used Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking with great results. A similar recipe is here on their blog (I didn’t use cinnamon). The one thing I would say is that the batter was a little bit thick, so I had to add a little more milk (I think I used almond milk). You want the batter to be just a bit thinner than regular pancake batter. The photo above is of the very first crepe, before I thinned the batter, so the shape is kinda crazy. But normally the crepes look and taste the same as regular ones. They were a big hit with the family.

Lately I’ve been making blueberry syrup with a big handful of frozen berries and just a tablespoon or so of maple syrup. I put them together in a microwaveable container, heat for a little bit (30 seconds?) and voila!

I’ve been slogging away at my novel, revising and adding new material. Also reading One Summer by Bill Bryson, a history of the summer of 1927. Very interesting. Crazy times!

Also, Wes Anderson’s new movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, is now on my must-see list. Not sure if it’s related, but I’ve been dreaming about weird European hotels lately. Hmmmm…

Coming soon: pics of a recently finished sewing project. Hope you’re having a good week!

We’ve made gluten-free waffles before with our gf oat and buckwheat pancake batter, but these waffles are more traditional and fluffy. My daughter and mother-in-law were the first to try out this recipe, and everyone agreed they were delicious, gluten eaters or no.

Once again, the recipe comes from our go-to GF cookbook, Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking. You make your own flour blend and then use it for various recipes. Waffle recipe here.

In other news, we have a snow day here. Enough snow to make the roads dangerous, but not quite enough to really play in it. The kids are making do, with gusto. Meanwhile I’m having trouble concentrating on what I should be doing. Keep checking my to-do list. I should mention that our daughter made the waffles again today, and it was surely a nice mid-week treat. Hope you are warm and cozy—-or at least, bundled appropriately and having fun.

For more of my cooking and eating adventures (many of which are gluten-free), click here. I’m about to add a new gluten-free tab so you can see all those in one place. Enjoy!

There is nothing like a nice cup of steamy hot coffee with cream and conversation with friends.  Since all my friends are working or busy, I am having coffee with my other friends.  Today it is Toola.  … and no,  she is not sharing that second cup with me.  She likes two cups of coffee at one time.  It’s kind of hard to get her to sit down (obviously), but we must love our friends no matter what!!  It takes a lot of interesting people to make a world.    Enjoy your day!

~ Leslie Ann

Yep, this is just the same pancake batter (Ben’s Friday Pancakes from Feeding the Whole Family) made into waffles. No changes at all except cooking method. They turned out really well. Great texture and flavor. Gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats. Yum!

In other news, I’m still plugging away at the character exercises on my novel. On a whim, I decided to organize all the documents related to this novel. Over a hundred documents! Seems like it should be finished by now, but there’s so much more to do.

These are another new favorite at our house.

They’re “Ben’s Friday Pancakes” from Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair. Recipe here. Great book, by the way.

I’ve been doing the (mostly) wheat-free thing for a couple of months now (long story, mostly related to my energy levels).

Three things that are great about these pancakes:

1) They’re full of flavor, with a great nuttiness from the whole grains and an almost lemony zing from the fresh nutmeg.

2) After eating them, I actually stay full, and I don’t get the awful sugar rush/ crash like with regular pancakes. Even though I still eat them with syrup.

3) The kids truly love them.

You do have to plan a bit ahead for these, because the grains require overnight soaking. For the milk, I use a combo of plain yogurt and water. You can also make them dairy-free by using a non-dairy milk. I think they’re gluten-free if you use gluten-free oats. Buckwheat is not actually wheat or even a true grain.

You’d think the whole grains would make the pancakes heavy as hockey pucks, but although they’re substantial, they’re surprisingly fluffy.

Be sure to mix up the liquid and grains before setting them in the fridge overnight. Sometimes our blender struggles a bit with the mixture. It helps if you let the mixture come to room temp (at least somewhat), and stir the mixture again before blending.

The batter cooks a little more slowly than traditional pancake batter, so we turn the temp down a little so they don’t burn.

Also, I always double the recipe. The leftover pancakes heat up nicely the next day in the toaster oven, for breakfast or for a nice snack with jam and butter. Yum!

I’ve been working on some new illustrations for my portfolio. It’s so important to  show everyday  situational pieces.  So I’ll be drawing eating and playing,  etc.

All very important of course……  but oh, I do love to sketch a goblin or two!

If any of these situational pieces or goblins for that matter, cause you to inquire about my work, please contact my delightful new agent Janet DeCarlo from Storybook Arts. Inc.

The last few months of preparing for Surtex have been grueling at times.  It is amazing to think how sitting at desk is so hard on your body.  Today we took some time off for a nice ride through the parks in town.  The roses are peaking everywhere. We passed garage sales, people walking dogs, and once in a while the smell of breakfast was in the air.  That always makes me smile.  Our bicycle built for two was a very good investment in time together many years ago.

3:00 am on a Saturday morning—Granny in her nightclothes,  repeats a welcoming ritual for our family. We’ve just arrived from Indiana to spend the weekend or a holiday.  She and Grandpa knew we were coming.

Granny had prepared for our arrival with her usual comfort feast. She knew we’d be famished by the time we stepped through her door. To stave off those awkward growling sounds that would surely keep everyone awake for the rest of the night, she loaded the groaning board with a southern breakfast. It doesn’t seem to matter to her or Grandpa that by the time we finish eating, and unwind enough to go to sleep, they will be preparing for their farm day.

My brother and I sit at that big farm kitchen table, eyeing the platters, bowls, plates, and jars that she arranges down the center of the space. Medium platter supports three different types of fried eggs: hard, soft, and scrambled.

Her infamous small square biscuit pan sits on a handmade potholder near the homemade jams, jellies, and syrup for the golden brown pancakes hoarding their own personal bowl. Sausage patties, country ham, and leftovers from last night’s fried chicken hold court on a large platter on Dad’s end of the table.

Fresh coffee perfumes the room, aided by fresh milk, and  rounds out the “impromptu” meal, along with real farm cream to use on cold cereal.

Yep, we’re down home. An hour later, family talk has dwindled enough to expose sleepy eyes and yawns. Bedtime has come at last.

If we’d come during the winter, those upstairs beds would act as ice cube trays waiting to be filled. The upstairs of that house had no heat of its own. Heck, the down stairs only had Warm-Morning stoves that could take wood or coal. Finances determined which fuel was used.

Mom and I would take one bed and Dad, with brother, would get the other one. There were so many of Granny’s homemade quilts on the beds that Mom would have to hold up the covers so that I could position myself. Once I was comfortable, she’d lower the bedclothes.

I had to be very certain of comfort in that position because once those quilts lowered; I wasn’t strong enough to shift my position under them. They were heavy and cold upon first entry to the bed. As a rule, I would try to put my back to my mom’s. Her body heat would keep me from becoming an ice cube until my own body heat took care of warming my space. Sleep was the only refuge until real heat came along.

In the summer, only those floor to ceiling windows gave relief from the sweltering upstairs heat. No quilts were required for that season. The fear then was melting into the feather beds.

Dawn and downstairs activity led to anxious dreams and disrupted, food-induced sleep. Grandpa had milking to do. Granny had to get lunch on the stove so that she could take a bit of socializing time once all the kin arrived for that meal. These things didn’t take care of themselves.

Throughout our visit, for however long it lasted, that lady of the South, cared for the feeding and comfort of her quests. She prided herself in always having enough for anyone who happened to drop by on any given day. No one left he home without taking a meal with them.

A weekend lunch would supply victuals for a minimum of sixteen to twenty people, depending on family sched

I really do love summer.  What I love the most is being outside and doing those things that cannot be done in the cold of winter.  I may be take a long hike, ride my bicycle, sleep with the windows wide open, garden, having picnics, eat my morning breakfasts in the backyard, read a book in the shade of the tree, drive with the windows down…. the list goes on.  We simply must pack it all in before the snow flies!  Today I am sketching. No t.v. … no radio… just listening to the birds and the bees fly by.  I think I better get another glass of ice cold water and lemons!  I love you summer!!

I’ve been thinking more about crafting/sewing and I might embark on a new project soon since it’s been ever so long; a nice long break with no real pressure to create has been helpful in putting things back into perspective.   So what am I doing if I’m not scheming up a new project?  Well, for one, breakfast!  And I don’t mean eating a granola bar in front of the computer, thank you kindly.  An actual, for reals and healthy breakfast where I sit at the table and use dishes and pretty napkins that I’m usually afraid of getting dirty.  (How illogical is that?)

Yes, breakfast for one. (The husband and I have different schedules so mornings are my quiet time.)  Raspberries + oatmeal is so very good.  As are eggs + fresh tarragon - did you know?

I’m also purging again - as in sifting through the accumulated odds and ends that find their way to each nook and cranny of our home, and determining whether they should stay - or be hauled off to the Goodwill.   This process also entails learning more about my spending habits, be they good or bad.  I must say, getting rid of stuff is almost as fun and scavenging for the perfect vintage find!

Thank you for your continued visits while I’ve posting more sporadically and haven’t been so focused on art and crafting.  With fall on summer’s heels, and the holiday season to follow, I think many of us will be inspired to make things again.  I can’t wait!

On Monday night, I came across a recipe for bran muffins that I had been staring at for the past few years. As I sat there, blinking at the sample picture of these gorgeous, plump muffins, I wondered, “Why didn’t I ever make these?” Perhaps it’s because my mother has an aversion to muffins (she thinks they’re the butch version of cupcakes) or because my brothers tend to dislike anything with the word “bran” in them, I’ve successfully avoided them for the past couple of years. I had never tasted a bran muffin before in my life.

So I decided to bake them. I ran out, purchased this toaster oven bake set that fit perfectly into my new Breville oven and returned home, excited to flour up the kitchen island. I substituted several ingredients in the recipe. In lieu of vegetable oil, I used applesauce (which was undetectable in the finished product); swapped buttermilk for almond milk plus 1 T of lemon; and used 1/3 c of raw sugar and 1/3 c of stevia in place of the 2/3 c of brown sugar.

Even without the oil and buttermilk, the muffins were moist, delicious and nutty. The cranberries added a nice tangy splash to the subtly sweet, woodsy texture and the muffins formed perfectly in the toaster oven. When the muffins were cooled, I cut one into fourths, and fed a piece to my brother.

“It’s oil free,” I explained. He opened his mouth hesitantly, with an “I’m-preparing-for-the-worst” look on his face. However, he soon  brightened up and exclaimed in surprise, “It’s good!”

He ate a whole one later that night.

Smeared with nut butter or just plain butter, these muffins make a healthful breakfast-on-the-go or dessert.

Healthful Bran Muffins

• 1 1/2 cups wheat bran
• 1 cup almond milk + 1 T lemon juice
• 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup stevia; 1/3 cup raw sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Mix together wheat bran and almond milk + 1 T lemon juice; let stand for 10 minutes.
3. Beat together oil, egg, sugar and vanilla and add to milk/bran mixture. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Stir flour mixture into milk mixture, until just blended. Fold in dried cranberries and spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool and enjoy!