Today, the twins are twelve years old. The greatest blessing in my life is that I get to watch these two amazing human beings grow and develop and become more and more amazing. Maxwell and Sophia are both so intelligent and kind-hearted and just all-around good people, and it is a pleasure just to know them, let alone be part of their family.
Their personalities are so different. Maxwell enjoys being dramatic but retains the funniest, zaniest sense of humor I've ever seen in a kid. One of my first conversations with him went like this: Max, age 8 (a huge Twilight fan): "I can smell your blood." Me: "Oh yeah?" Max: "Don't worry, though. I won't drink your blood or anything because I'm vegetarian." Me: "Well, that's cool. Thank you." Sophia is on the complete other end of the spectrum, being the most grounded, self-confident, and down-to-earth female I have ever met. I recently had the pleasure of chaperoning her class on a field trip to LACMA. It was such a delight to watch Sophie in her own element, standing back from the hyper, loud, very dramatic, very cliquish girls and just smiling. I told her she didn't have to stay with me, that she could go hang-out with her friends, and she said "They're so dramatic and they gossip a lot. I don't think it's right so I don't hang out with them." I can't even express how proud I was of her. While Max is totally "goth" (but a "happy goth," as he says), Sophia prides herself on being a "hippie." Max listens to Adele, Carrie Underwood, and celtic goth music, while Sophia prefers Jon Bon Jovi, the Clash, and the Beatles. Sophia is always reading, whereas Max would prefer to be playing video games. You would think that two people who are so different wouldn't be that close, but they are inseparable and always whispering to each other. When we ask what they're whispering about, their response is always "Oh don't worry, it's just a pre-teen thing."
Because I'm not working at the moment, it seemed like the logical choice for the twins to hang with me during the week, while their mom and Chris are working. With their birthday approaching, I wanted to make them something special to have for breakfast during their birthday week. I've discussed before the twins differing tastes when it comes to food, so I had to come up with something they would both like, but could easily be tailored to each of their tastes. After much pondering, I came up with Peanut Butter Pancakes. This is a recipe from the super-old recipe binder, revamped with whole wheat pastry flour (to make the fluffiest pancakes of all time) and veganized for this occasion. Maxwell hates peanut butter, but since the peanut butter content is so low, I thought I could easily disguise it as a different type of pancake with a couple extra ingredients. Sophia loves peanut butter (naturally, since Max doesn't), but I wanted to dress hers up a bit too so they could each have special pancakes.
The two pancakes are dressed up as their favorite treats. Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pancakes for Sophia and Peanut Butter Snickerdoodle Pancakes for Max (though he just thinks they are just snickerdoodle pancakes). The results? Two different types of gorgeous pancakes and two very happy 12 year olds.
PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKES: 2 WAYS
makes 8 4-5 inch pancakes ( I doubled this recipe so there would be leftovers for the week)
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 T peanut butter
- 1 ½ cups soy milk
- 1 T maple syrup
- 1 tsp almond extract
- canola oil spray
for PB Snickerdoodle Pancakes:
- 1 T vegan sugar
- ½ T cinnamon
for PB Chocolate Chip Pancakes:
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
- In a large bowl, mix together your dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix together your wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix until just combined. If making the PB Chocolate Chip Pancakes, fold in the chocolate chips at this point.
- If making the PB Snickerdoodle Pancakes, mix together the cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes. Spray with canola oil.
- Using a 1/3 cup, pour the batter onto the pan. If making the PB Snickerdoodle Pancakes, sprinkle the tops of the pancakes with cinnamon/sugar mix, before flipping. Once bubbles form on top, and the edges lift up and look a little dry, use a large spatula to carefully flip the pancake. Cook for another minute or two, check to see if the bottom is fully cooked, then remove from heat, re-spray the pan with canola oil, and repeat with the rest of the batter. Serve warm with syrup or preferred pancake topping (the twins like theirs plain). Enjoy!
Happy, happy, happy birthday to Maxwell and Sophia!
All Photos taken by Chris Miller
© Kristy Turner and Keepin' It Kind, 2012. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material (content and images) without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Kristy Turner and Keepin' It Kind with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Caitlin
happy birthday to max and sophie! they sound like really cool kids and kind of remind me of me and my brother. i love that max said he wouldn't drink your blood because he's a vegetarian. so cute!
i also love that you made two different types of pancakes 😉 you are one amazing step-mom. they are very lucky children, indeed.
keepinitkind
Awww! Thanks, Caitlin! I'm really the lucky one, though. 🙂
Cadry
Happy birthday to Maxwell and Sophia! What a blessing to you to have such interesting and unique children in your life. It's an amazing delight to watch the transition that children make into their adulthoods. I trust they'll only get better with age! 🙂 As I recall, we're getting close to your birthday as well. I wonder what variation of pancakes you'll be getting!
keepinitkind
They are such a blessing, and it has been amazing just watching them from age 8 to age 12. I can't wait to see them as teenagers and adults (Well, I can wait, but I'm very eager)! As for my birthday, we will be twinless, and Chris is not the cooking type, so I'm sure there will be a nice restaurant in my future. 🙂
Michelle
Happy Birthday to them!!!! We have pancakes on Sundays, my kids have to have chocolate chips, I leave them out for my husband... I put them on before flipping... Hope they had a great day!!
keepinitkind
Pancakes are a very new thing in our household. Up until about 3 weeks ago, the twins disliked pancakes and preferred waffles. When I'm making pancakes for all of us, I'll sprinkle the chips on before flipping as well, since Sophie is the only one who wants them. But, with age, they are starting to like more foods, and they just told me this week that they like quinoa now! I'm very excited (probably not as excited as they are) for year 12. 🙂
Richa@HobbyandMore
Happy Birthday to Max and Sophie! Those pancakes are plated beautifully and i am sure were loved by them.:) thats what my mom used to tell us 3 kids growing up.. we all had 3 very different personalities, different taste preferences and different interests. last weekend one of my friends who has a 4 year old and a 1 year old visited. the 1 year old was all over chewie, totally fearless. the 4 year old needed a lot of treats to even touch him.:)
keepinitkind
Thank you, Richa! It is always so interesting to me how kids develop different personality quirks and different tastes. What is learned and what is just genetics? It is definitely an amazing thing to watch. I love that the 4 year old needed treats just to touch Chewie! Kids are a riot!
Caralyn @ glutenfreehappytummy
Oh Kristy! Those are outrageous! What fabulous flavors! PB Snickdoodles -- AMAZING!! these are definitely going on my "must make" list!
keepinitkind
Yay! I'm so glad you like them! I taste-tested each of them (quality control), and the Snickerdoodle was my fave too. 🙂
veganfling
Wow, Those pancakes look amazing. I love that you made them each their own special version! I'm sure they loved it!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Melissa! They were both pretty stoked about it. 🙂
Ashlae | oh, ladycakes
Happy birthday to Max and Sophie! They sound like great kids. And remind me of my brothers and I - we're all so close, but so very different. Also, I adore that you made them each their own batch of pancakes. So sweet!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Ashlae! Have a great weekend! 🙂
Richgail @AstigVegan
Happy Happy Birthday to Max & Sophie!!! The recipe seemed very appropriate for the occasion hehe. The pancakes look gorgeous indeed, I can't wait for Chris and I to try em.
keepinitkind
I temporarily forgot that you have a Chris too, and I was thinking "why is she waiting for my husband to try them?" Then I remembered and had a nice little giggle. Thanks, Richgail!
Courtney Jones
Sophie sounds like my kind of kid! I love The Clash. My fav band 🙂 *hehe*
These pancakes look fantastic! I often add a sprinkle of chocolate chips to pancakes, but never thought to add peanut butter. Genius! :0)
keepinitkind
Thanks, Courtney! And I know- Sophie is such a cool girl! She and I have much more in common than Max and I, but nobody makes me laugh the way Max does. 🙂
Somer
Kristy, what a lovely ode to the twins! Happy birthday to them! I have one turning 9 this weekend. It flies by too fast! And those pancakes, I might have to do peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-snickerdoodle version since I can't choose which I like better!
keepinitkind
What day is his/her birthday? My birthday is this weekend as well!
I love the idea of doing PB-chocolate-chip-snickerdoodle all at once! Sounds soooo good!
Gabby @ the veggie nook
Awww happy birthday to the twins 🙂 I wish I was as awesome as they are lol.This post was actually so sweet, it made me feel all warm and fuzzy!
So nice of you to make them their own pancakes. They sounds delicious- I especially like the sounds of those snickerdoodle ones.
keepinitkind
Thank you, Gabby! You are as awesome as they are! I feel the same way about your comments as you do about this post- you are always so incredibly sweet!
Heather
What a great way to celebrate a Birthday Morning! Both of these versions would be gobbled up in minutes at our house 🙂
keepinitkind
Yeah, they didn't last too long at our house either, with two growing pre-teens. 🙂
Bex @ Vegan Sparkles
YUMMMM!! Sounds like a beautiful day was had by all. 🙂
keepinitkind
So true. 🙂