Holiday Countdown: Sweet Potato Latkes a la dilly-do!

I grew up on my mom's potato pancakes. We never ever ate them at the table as they never made it that far. From frying pan to the plate on the burner they would be snatched up and devoured all while they were too properly hot to eat. The kids in the neighborhood would smell them and come knocking on our door to see if I or my brother was home. They would lift their faces and sniff the air and ask if they smelled potato pancakes as they slowly eased themselves over the threshold and into the kitchen where yet another quick hand stole a pancake.

I would make these with my mom when I was still in grade school and while they are far from traditional they are ridiculously tasty. Your kidlets can do a fair amount of the work here. Just make sure they are not to use those sharp knives! Here's my grown-up spin to them.

{i really wanted to get you folks some pictures but we've got such grey skies, nothing is coming out...drats!)

What you need:
*1 sweet potato
*2 smallish taters or one large Russet
*1 onion
*1 egg
*2 Tablespoons of flour
*salt & pepper to taste
*skillet
*butter
*spatula
*1/4 cup measure
*blender
*knife
*peeler

Wash and clean your taters before peeling the skins off of them. Your child may do the peeling if they already know how. they can definitely clean the taters, just pop them into a bowl of sudsy water and give your kidlet a brush or sponge to clean them with. Rinse thoroughly and then peel.

Once peeled you will need to cut them into smallish chunks about the size of a quarter. Your child may be able to cut the Russet with a plastic or child friendly knife. The sweet potatoes are a bit more difficult to cut. I would recommend you do it.

Toss a handful or two of the pieces into the blender, yes, the blender! My mom gave up on grating them when I was a wee one. I suppose you could use a food processor for this as well but I have never done it that way. Adventure!

Chop up your onion as well. I would cut it into eights. Add half the onion to the blender along with the taters.

Add the egg, cap it off and blend a little. Keep adding onion and taters until you have a goopy mess. Pulse in your flour as well. If the goop is too sticky, at a little olive oil to the mix.

Melt your butter (or drizzle some olive oil) onto your skillet and get it hot. Transfer your batter to a bowl and allow your child to use the measuring cup to pour the cakes. This goes without saying but if yer tot is too small to be near the hot stove, give them some paper and art supplies and let them create while you cook. (Perhaps they can make potato stamped gift wrap?)

Cook your latkes until golden and crispy. Serve them up with your favorite side. Enjoy!