Monday, July 25, 2011

Pancake memories

 Did you ever do something and it takes you back to your childhood.  Sometimes it's unexpected - like a tidal wave and other times it may come back as a gentle breeze - barely ruffling you memory - like a faint whiff of perfume. 


MN Historical Society
Tonight it was pancakes.  Sounds silly, I know, but as I was fixing Honey's favorite "Breakfast for dinner" meal, I was hit by a tidal wave memory. Youngest is at Boy Scout Camp, Only is working to earn money for the Belize mission trip she and Oldest are going on (they leave this Saturday), and Oldest is working this week to earn money for college. When there are so many gone, I go for as simple as possible.  I was suddenly taken back to my elementary school years.  While I make my pancakes from scratch, when I'm in a really BIG hurry or my kids are fixing pancakes, out comes the Bisquick.

Flickr
When I was growing up, my mom used to make pancakes (out of Bisquick)  on Saturdays for us - you know the meal: Pancakes, bacon, syrup warmed on the stove, and scrambled eggs. Sometimes she would make silly shapes - Mickey Mouse, a smiley face, cat, or just squiggly intertwined lines. It's not so much the meal, but the pancakes that take me back.  When my mom made pancakes, there were always these lumps of the mix left in each pancake, like it wasn't mixed thoroughly.  Then I'd take a big pat of butter, melting thoroughly (I'm sure it wasn't healthy, but it sure tasted good!).  You could probably press your fork on it slightly and melted butter would wet the underside.  Pouring a "bit" of Aunt Jemima Syrup until it flowed off the sides like a sweet slow,thick river. No knife needed here to cut twin stack, but I always had to dissect the outside brown layer to find those small lumps hidden among the flaky texture. I think it must have drove my mom bananas! What I really loved to do, when she wasn't looking, was dip a piece of fried bacon into the pancake batter and eat it... Sick huh?

The funny thing is, when I've used Bisquick, I can't get those lumps in my pancakes no matter how little I mix it.  Do you have a special memory of a childhood meal or something silly you used to do?  Please tell me I'm not the only one out there!  I'd love to hear your memory, no matter how silly and if you tried to recreate this for your kids. 

3 comments:

Craig said...

sorry, my mom made perfect pancakes – but she did make them with Bisquick – and until Mrs. Butterworth came on the scene, Aunt Jemima ruled. we share the same love of syrup. I used to get confused when we'd go to IHOP and there would be all those different syrups – to me syrup always meant Maple. Over time I developed a habit of putting cutting a hole in the middle of the stack - filling it up with syrup, and eating from the inside out. My sister still shrieks – my mom would roll her eyes – happy memories – job well done Lynnet- Job. Well. Done. :) God bless and keep you and all of yours.

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I cannot make a good pancake for anything. I have to make the batter and then have my husband do the rest.



Fondly,
Glenda

Anonymous said...

We used to love to play restaurant and our mom was usually in for helping us out. She would mix syrup with p-nut butter and put it in between two vanilla wafers. We pretended it was so "posh". : )