This morning at church I got a pancake hug from my youngest (aka "Snip"). I'm sure you don't know what that means because I just made it up. Sometime last year I told the kids that Sunday would be a special breakfast day. I'd make sure to get up and make a breakfast for everyone before church. It sounded like a good idea at the time...because it was. Of course, I stopped doing it. Kids don't remember things like that anyway, right? Right? Duhhh. You betcher darn tootin' they remember. They don't have a lot going on in their lives to keep track of, so it's easy for them to memorize entire levels of video games and remember "promises" we make to them.
So, last night I was reminded of my Sunday breakfast idea from little Snip. She said something like, "Daddy, remember when you said you were going to make breakfast for us on Sundays? You don't do that anymore? Are you still going to do it?"
How am I supposed to dodge that one? I felt pretty bad about it and decided to bring it back. So, this morning I got up and made a batch of homemade pancakes. All of the kids were pleased to have a nice hot breakfast, but little Snip was especially happy and thankful. Later on at church she gave me a BIG HUG (what I now refer to as the "pancake hug") and bragged about me to her cousin Snap.
Have you ever made homemade pancakes? It's really not that difficult and they taste so much better than the kind from the box. If you have leftovers you can throw them in the freezer and they will be obliterated in the next week by your hungry kids--or anyone else that you have in the house. Here's the recipe I use (below). This is actually a double recipe of the original. It's supposed to make 24 pancakes, but they'd have to be very little. Suffice it to say, this is usually enough for my family of five.
DRY INGREDIENTS (bowl #1)
Throw the following into your SIFTER* and then into a big bowl:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder
WET INGREDIENTS (bowl #2)
2 Eggs (slightly beaten)
4 Tablespoons Sugar (Sugar is a wet ingredient. Ask Alton Brown)
1 1/2 Cups milk
4 Tablespoons cooking oil (I use canola oil)
1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract (if you want--I do)
Slowly add the sugar and beat into eggs. Then you can add the milk and oil.
Mix the WET INGREDIENTS (bowl #2) into the DRY INGREDIENTS (bowl #1). Mix just enough to get everything wet. Don't stir too much and don't worry about lumps.
Pour pancake sized amounts onto a medium high electric skillet (or whatever you use). Leave room for them to expand and if you want you can even pick up the pan and let them move around a bit. If you want to add something like blueberries or chocolate chips now is the time. Just plop them onto the pancakes.
When you see bubbles throughout the pancakes, they are ready to be turned. Then, just keep an eye on them until they are done.
For best results set them on a wire rack when you take them out.
Now eat them and wait for your pancake hugs. They are worth it (i.e. the pancakes and the hugs.)
*If you don't have a sifter, get one. They're cheap.
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10 comments:
YUM! You've inspired me to break my Krustease habit and make actual home made pancakes :) I want those pancake hugs! Thanks for the recipe, gonna try it soon.
~Rose
Rog,
Your kids will always remember the thoughtfulness of a dad! More parents should be like you. When the children grow up, believe me, they won't forget those special times you created for them.
Randy
I'm just happy my hubby is awake for church - trying to sit down and eat beforehand is too much to ask of him. It sounds like a really sweet tradition! Keep it up!
Cheaters-tip: Pancakes freeze really well. Make up a huge pile, from scratch, of course. Freeze in stacks with waxed paper between them and thaw in toaster.
the vanilla is an interesting tip, I will have to try it
Thanks for the homemade recipe. We like having pancakes together as a family too.
To Rose Star: Krustease will be a hard habit to break.
Our family also waits for the free shortstack day at I-Hop as well.
I'm glad you are trying to bring back that family tradition. I bet that hug was one the best hugs you have had in a while.
Also good is homemade sausage. Not that I'm trying to top you but every Sunday I get up at 3 A.M. to slaughter the pig and hang him up to bleed. After preparing the natural casings it's back to bed for two hours (I'm no fool!). At 6 A.M. I wake the kids and they all rush down with their cleavers and ice picks and arguments invariably begin about who gets to feed the first hoof into the grinder and who gets to . I remind them to ask them selves "What would Jesus do?" and this usually solves the problem instantly. By 8 AM the sausages are sizzling on the griddle and the frozen waffles are in the toaster. Ah, sweet, sweet memories.
I admit I make mine from the box. But I add baking powder and lemon juice and extra sugar which makes them more special, in my own mind at least. I think the lemon juice somehow magically makes the milk like buttermilk and the baking powder makes them more fluffy. If I get ambitious (unlikely) I may give yours a try. Qustion: Do you use real maple syrup or the fake stuff? I just switched this year over to the real stuff. That with some real butter and hot pancakes and coffee is the best!
I'm hungry.
Our pancake breakfast morning is Saturday - there's just not enough time to make a warm breakfast. I make 'em from scratch too, though the recipe is slightly different from yours. Usually I put chocolate chips in them. For variety, I break out the waffle maker. I use the same recipe except that I add an extra egg. The kids all look forward to pancake day.
mmm, I may just have to try your recipe, sounds great! Mine is way more plain and only makes 9.
Oh, if you don't have a sifter (I don't) you can just wisk your dry ingredients with a wire wisk. ( I saw that on Martha Stuart last week and felt so good, since I had been doing it for years!)
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