Cub Scout Sous Chef

He needed to plan some meals, and make some meals (dinner... coming up tonight). He enjoys it, and both of the kids have become boastfully proud of "Great Gramma Irene's Pancakes" which is awesome.

Gramma Irene's Pancakes

Thanks to Anna for posting this today, we had a delicious breakfast of buttermilk pancakes this morning. Yes, there is no sugar in these at all. I'm so glad that I had a quart of buttermilk in the fridge for a muffin recipe that I was planning to make.

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 cup oil


It makes "the right amount for two people" (which means 6 generously-sized 4-inch pancakes), and they are fabulous. 

Or, the 12-cake version:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil 

You can also add pureed, steamed sweet potato or beet for orange or pink pancakes (just add some cinnamon too). 

Happy Pancake Day!!!

Tomorrow is Pancake Day, Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, so...  eat pancakes for every single meal. Go ahead! You only live once.

This recipe is delicious and simple for any meal... vary toppings and enjoy!

Saturday Morning Puff Pancake
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup milk
dash of salt
2 Tbsp. butter

Heat the oven to 450F and put a large cast-iron skillet in to heat. In a bowl, beat the eggs, flour, milk, and salt together. It's important to mix all the ingredients together at once, otherwise your pancake won't puff. The more air you beat into the batter, the higher it will rise in the oven.

When the oven is hot, toss the butter into the hot skillet and let it melt. Pour the batter into the skillet and return it to the oven. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the pancake is puffed and golden. Cut it in half and serve immediately with warm maple syrup, or whatever else strikes your fancy.

I've been searching for a great pancake recipe for a long time. In high school, in South Africa, I found a wonderful recipe in a library book about Au Pairing. But, of course I lost that recipe long ago, and the source is a bit far away. And mixes really don't do it for me. I mean, I've used mixes and they are okay, but... I think I must've been spoiled in my formative years with awesome pancakes.

About six years ago, Miki made her mom's recipe at the office when different teams were planning breakfast for everyone. They were divine, and she gave me the recipe. But, when I made them, they weren't the same. However, last Fall when she made them at my house, again, they were heaven. So, I thought maybe it's just me and pancakes – bad luck. Or, maybe it's the fact that food is nearly always better when someone cooks for you!  I do feel the need to tackle Miki's mom's recipe again though... clearly, there's something I'm missing there.

But thankfully, I finally found a new recipe for pancakes that is easy, makes light and moist pancakes, and they are utterly delicious. The trifecta of perfection. This is my new recipe. Mmm...  And, a good thing too, since Madeline adores pancakes. Seriously, she's always begging me to make them, and would eat them for every meal if she could.

The Best Pancakes Ever
(AKA Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes, not adapted at all from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond)
Makes a dozen 4-inch pancakes

1 c. sour cream (I used light, they were fab)
7 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Butter and real maple syrup

Heat a cast iron pan over medium low while you make the batter. Do not be impatient (like me) and turn the heat up, although these cakes are good even if they do get a little charred. Anyway, in a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, flour, sugar, soda and salt. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. 

In a separate bowl, mix eggs and vanilla, and then pour this into the sour cream mixture. Again, mix until just combined.

Melt about 1 Tbs. of butter in the pan, and then cook the pancakes. Be patient. They are worth the wait. Delicious!

Crepes? Oui, Merci!!

You really can't beat a piled-high platter of crepes for brunch. Add a buffet of topping/filling choices like lemon or lime slices to squeeze, powdered sugar to sprinkle, lingonberries, whipped cream to top, butter, syrups, Nutella, bananas, berries, peaches, sauteed apples, yogurt, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or savories like cheeses, sliced ham, and chopped fresh herbs... use your imagination! Add a plate o' bacon, or a platter of sausage, and some tasty beverages and you are set.

So, the best advice for crepes? Mix them up in a blender! Pour directly from your blender into your pan. Use whatever sized pan you want, but a lighter pan is easier to manage when you're tilting and swirling the pan to coat the bottom with your batter. Especially if you are working two pans at once (and feeding a crowd). Brush the bottom of your pan with a tiny bit of melted butter as needed to prevent sticking too.

I've made this recipe for years, and it is a favorite of my best bud, Jamie, whose birthday it is today! Happy Day Jame!!

Jamie's Favorite Crepes

2 c. milk
3 large eggs (or 4 smaller ones)
1 Tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. melted butter
1.5 c. flour

Add the ingredients to your blender, wet first, then dry, and blend until smooth (scrape down if needed). You can chill mixture in fridge briefly, or even overnight if making it ahead of time, or just get cooking. Blend the batter briefly right before you start pouring. 

I usually use about 1/4-cup of batter per crepe so the 9-inch pans I use, but adjust as you go to get thin, but sturdy crepes. Cook over medium heat, but adjust temperature as you go if they're browning too fast. 

This makes about a dozen crepes, and I often double the recipe. They freeze wonderfully, just stack them on a plate with a piece of waxed paper between each crepe. Enjoy!! 

Hot Pink!

The kids adore pancakes, and I love them to eat as many veggies as possible, so... this past week I made Beet Pancakes and Sweet Potato Pancakes for breakfasts. They loved 'em all... the heart shapes didn't hurt either (they're free-hand, using a muffin scoop). 

I love the bright pink of the beet ones, they were delicious (I didn't even use syrup for mine, but the kids swear by the raspberry syrup with these babies). The recipe is from Weelicious, right here. 

The Sweet Potato Pancakes is a family-favorite recipe, from a spot in Atlanta... Highland Bakery. I'll post it when I get a chance.

I look forward to trying Carrot Cake Pancakes and Zucchini Bread Pancakes, plus, latkes over the holidays (or before) because the kids love them. And... Spinach Muffins from Weelicious too. I'm not a big fan of hiding veggies in other things, because I think kids should learn to love and appreciate whole foods that fuel their bodies, but, hey... if I can healthy-up their favorite breakfast and keep them guessing on how I get them to be such cool colors and so darn delicious?? That works for me. Madeline even said, "Wow! Mama is magical!!"

Holy Flapjacks, Batman!

I've been searching for a great pancake recipe for a long time. In high school, in South Africa, I found a wonderful recipe in a library book about Au Pairing. But, of course I lost that recipe long ago, and the source is a bit far away. And mixes really don't do it for me. I mean, I've used mixes and they are okay, but... I think I must've been spoiled in my formative years with awesome pancakes.

About six years ago, Miki made her mom's recipe at the office when different teams were planning breakfast for everyone. They were divine, and she gave me the recipe. But, when I made them, they weren't the same. However, last Fall when she made them at my house, again, they were heaven. So, I thought maybe it's just me and pancakes – bad luck. Or, maybe it's the fact that food is nearly always better when someone cooks for you!  I do feel the need to tackle Miki's mom's recipe again though... clearly, there's something I'm missing there.

But thankfully, this morning, I tried a new recipe for pancakes that is easy, makes light and moist pancakes, and they are utterly delicious. The trifecta of perfection. This is my new recipe. Mmm...  And, a good thing too, since Madeline adores pancakes. Seriously, she's always begging me to make them, and would eat them for every meal if she could.

The Best Pancakes Ever
(AKA Edna Mae's Sour Cream Pancakes, not adapted at all from The Pioneer Woman Cooks by Ree Drummond)
Makes a dozen 4-inch pancakes


1 c. sour cream (I used light, they were fab)
7 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Butter and real maple syrup


Heat a cast iron pan over medium low while you make the batter. Do not be impatient (like me) and turn the heat up, although these cakes are good even if they do get a little charred. Anyway, in a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream, flour, sugar, soda and salt. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. 


In a separate bowl, mix eggs and vanilla, and then pour this into the sour cream mixture. Again, mix until just combined.


Melt about 1 Tbs. of butter in the pan, and then cook the pancakes. Be patient. They are worth the wait. Delicious!