I used to hate these...

Literally.

I would smell my mom cooking potato pancakes from my bedroom, and literally start gagging. Oh, how much I hated potato pancakes! I don't know what it was about them, maybe simply because they were called pancakes, and in my mind pancakes were sweet and meant to be eaten with syrup. Maybe it was the onions, I didn't think they belonged there either. Or maybe, it was the fact that they were the very last thing eaten on my plate, so they were stone cold by the time I got to them. No matter what the reason, I used to loathe potato pancakes.

But somewhere, that all changed. I don't know exactly what, but in my adult life, I love potato pancakes. The only problem being that I never think to make them! I need to correct that, and did just that the other day. I know that Andy loves potato pancakes, so as I was mixing them together and thawing some homemade applesauce, I was thinking about how well this simple dinner was going to be received. Then the kids came to mind, and I just knew that they were going to hate these potato pancakes. I mean, I did when I was young. I contemplated making plain pancakes for them, but then Abigail walked into the kitchen.

She asked what I was doing, and I told her. She lit up- they make these at school and they're really good! I was confused- they make potato pancakes at school? I seriously doubt that. But then she went on to describe what I determined was a hash brown square- not quite the same. Either way though, she was open to trying them, so dinner progressed without regular pancakes. With a dollop of homemade applesauce, the potato pancakes were approved by all. Both Zander and Abigail enjoyed theirs- surprising me to no end. Just when I think I have my kids figured out, they go out and surprise me. If you want to hear about a surprising conversation Zander and I had about vegetables, you'll need to head over to Kids Cuisine this morning to check out my article there. I promise- it's worth the click.

Here's the recipe I used for Potato Pancakes. Very easy, and very delicious, I couldn't decide if they were better with sour cream or with applesauce, but either way, they made a great economical dinner.

Potato Pancakes
adapted from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook

4 medium potatoes
4 large eggs, beaten
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for cooking

Wash, peel, and shred potatoes. Place them in a colander and rinse them off. Pat dry.

Mix potatoes, eggs, onions, flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or griddle.

Pour about 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet for each pancake. Flatten and spread out with a spatula if necessary to evenly distribute the pancakes.

Cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Keep warm in a 200º oven while cooking the remaining pancakes. Serve warm with butter, sour cream, and applesauce.

Makes about 16 pancakes.