Pancake Mountain

Tomorrow is Satchel's monthly "Favorite Food Friday." The theme this time: Round. (In honor of Pi Day.) When signing up for a favorite food to bring, it implies that it is something you (read Satchel) are going to make yourself.

Satchel reported that he wanted to make hashbrowns and broccoli. Knowing that Warren was going to be out of pocket for the Thursday night prep, I suggested Satchel make something a little easier. Like pancakes. (I made pancakes a few weeks ago, after never really having made them ever before, with pretty decent results.) He enthusiastically agreed to switch to pancakes and suggested he also take maple syrup and whipped cream.

I stopped at Schnuck's on the way home from work and bought all of our supplies. After dinner, I set up our work area and had Satchel stir the powder mixture with water while I heated up the pan. Then I had him scoop out a 1/4 cup of batter and pour it in the pan. When he went to flip the pancake, we soon had a sticky mess on our hands. After two more unsuccessful attempts, my sister who was visiting, stepped in. (Meanwhile, Satchel, Jiro, and cousin Sutton wolfed down the rejects.)

"Your batter is too thick," she said as she added milk.

"You need a non-stick pan or some cooking spray," she said as I handed her some butter, the only thing resembling cooking spray in our house.

She was right. As I started producing decent looking pancakes, Satchel patted me on the head and said, "Good job, Mommy." Once I got the system down, Tracey had to leave. I summoned Satchel back to the kitchen and soon we got into a groove. Before long, Satchel was doing all of the steps himself. ("I'm good at this!" he said.) By the time Warren got home, I had all of the pancakes on cooling racks like a real pro.

I think that the next time I am charged with making (or assisting with the making of) twenty five pancakes, I will use a larger pan and make more than one at a time! Total cooking time: 2 hours.