Pancake Day

Pancakes have been a popular food for breakfast or supper at our house for years. When our kids were in 4-H, preparing for foods demonstrations at   4-H day occupied much of the weekends and evenings in January and February. It was important to find a food for the demonstration that would show the      4-H'ers skill, be easy to demonstrate, be unique in some way - and because there were lots of practices - be tasty. We often ate the demonstrated food several times a week! One year Clint chose "Good Morning Pancake Mix" for his demonstration, and we still like it - 20+ years later.
Pancakes are traditionally a mixture of flour, milk, and eggs, and cooked on a griddle of a hot skillet. They may be called flapjacks, crepes, silver dollars, poffertjes (see blog Pancakes and Petals April 20, 2011) or blini, depending on your culture and country.
Often pancakes are eaten on Shrove Tuesday (also called Fat Tuesday), the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. Pancakes were a traditional food to use the rich ingredients of eggs, milk and sugar before the fasting of Lent begin.
Aunt Jemima made the first pancake ready mix in 1889 in Missouri, but we think this one with cinnamon, oatmeal and whole wheat flour is as good and even more nutritious.

Cinnamon Oat Pancake Mix
4 cups quick-cooking oats
4 cups whole wheat blend flour
(or 2 cups whole wheat flour + 2 cups white all-purpose flour)
1 cup nonfat dry milk
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, stir well. Yield is about 8 cups of mix, enough for 4
 batches of pancakes. Store in an airtight container. A bag of the mix also makes a nice gift with a special syrup and a pretty kitchen towel.


To make the pancakes: In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs. Gradually beat in 1/3 cup vegetable oil. Alternately beat in 2 cups of pancake mix and 1 cup of water. Heat a lightly greased skillet over medium-high heat. Pour a heaping spoonful of batter onto the hot skillet. Cook pancakes until bubbles appear on the surface and begin to break (about 2 - 3 minutes). Turn and cook 2 - 3 minutes more or until golden brown. Makes about twelve 5-inch pancakes.

Shrove Tuesday (or Fat Tuesday) is next week, February 12, a good time to try these light but satisfying pancakes.