Pancakes for the Soul

The kitchen is a sacred space in our house and it falls under the delicious rule of my mother. The incredible creations that she brings to life there have long enchanted house-guests and the spoiled tummies of family members, alike. Needless to say, stepping into her culinary shoes can be intimidating, but for her birthday, that is exactly what the gentleman and I did. 

Fowler's Mill Buttermilk Pancake Mix - $6.50
Noble Handcrafted Maple Syrup - $4
Acorn Cookie Cutter - $2.50

I ransacked Pickwick's for some fun things to bring to the table, and found everything I needed short of the griddle. While my mother certainly appreciated the little acorn touch to the pancakes, I really picked it up because several pairs of little hands have recently been added to the eaters in the household. It wasn't Mickey Mouse pancakes, but they were all old enough to recognize the shapes and it made the size of the pancakes perfectly kid-sized. As for maple syrups, the adults all voted for the bourbon barrel-aged option, while the kids got vanilla-chamomile.

Action shot!

No lumps allowed

Chris D'Amore, the multi-talented,
took pictures AND flipped pancakes.

After a spirited debate over the benefits of using egg-whites over yolks, the goodness of the buttermilk mix covered a multitude of our inexperienced cooking sins. I stood way back for the flipping process, but there were few casualties of war.

The many shades of success

Baby pancakes!

One of Mr Jones' favorite maxims: "Waste not"

Chris enjoys the fruits (and nuts) of his labors.

So many choices? Banana or pancake? Banana or pancake?

The final verdict was four out of four smiles from the itty-bitties and one glowing one of approval from my mother. The entire acorn-shaped morning was one that I will always remember. In the rush and bustle of life, there is nothing that can measure up to the healing power of taking a minute to make some pancakes and sit down and enjoy them with the people you love.