If you had asked me two years ago to choose between waffles or pancakes, I would have chosen waffles every day of the week and twice on Sundays. I just didn’t care for pancakes. I didn’t order them in restaurants and I didn’t make them at home. WHY would anyone choose pancakes when waffles are clearly superior with their ‘pockets’ that allow for delightful pools of melted butter and maple syrup living in perfect harmony?
In some ways not much has changed. I still don’t order pancakes in restaurants and I don’t make them at home. Little pools of butter and maple syrup still give me a childlike thrill. But in one way, everything has changed. I eat pancakes every week…and I LOVE them. What changed my mind?
It turns out that I have a husband who loves pancakes. One Sunday morning about a year and a half ago, a Sunday that seemed like any other Sunday, Andy decided he wanted pancakes for breakfast. I wish I could recall the specifics but I’m sad to say I don’t. I just know Andy wanted pancakes. It’s safe to assume (given our two pint size housemates) that we were up far earlier than we would have liked. It is also safe to assume that I had not yet had my coffee, so I can only imagine the look Andy got from me until he quickly explained (and this I do remember) “I’ll make them! I wasn’t saying you need to make breakfast for us.”
Now, a few months before this Andy had come home and brought me “flours.” Not flowers, but “flours” because I like to bake! Whole wheat, all-purpose, I don’t remember what else but I do know there was a small box of Bisquick thrown in there. (Yes, that idea was from a movie, and yes, it was cheesie, but yes, I thought it was super sweet! I’m a sucker for a little cheese now and then. I admit it!) The bisquick was, as of yet, untouched. Andy decided to use it to make pancakes. He then decided it was so much fun that he would make pancakes for his girls every Sunday! That was the moment Pancake Sundays were born.
I’ll be honest with you, at first I mostly liked Pancake Sundays because it was so nice that Andy was making breakfast for us all. I just get to enjoy my coffee, wake up slowly, and right about the time I am feeling human, breakfast is served! It didn’t matter that pancakes weren’t my favorite. I was starting to like them better already!
After the Bisquick ran out I started getting various pancake mixes from the grocery store, but we were going through them so quickly that I finally just bought a big bag of mix from Costco. All you had to do was add water! This is when Andy started getting fancy. We’ve had the following flavors of pancakes: apple, banana, blueberry, blueberry-candied-pecan, peach, strawberry, pear, raspberry, pomegranate, and the occasional chocolate chip. He always finds something fun to add. Every Sunday morning is an adventure to come to the table and see what flavor he has come up with.
Since the start of Pancake Sundays I believe we have only missed two or three weeks and that was because we were travelling. Some time in between Thanksgiving and Christmas that seemingly lifetime supply of Costco pancake mix actually ran out. Andy didn’t miss a beat. He got online, found a recipe to try and…well…he ruined us for life. We don’t want no stinkin’ mix no more! These are the BEST. PANCAKES. EVER. If I had turned the corner of enjoying our weekly pancakes before this point, I am now a solid fan. Andy acknowledged the difference in quality and now makes his pancakes from scratch weekly. I don’t know where he got the recipe or what it is that makes these far superior to any other pancake I’ve eaten. I don’t even want to know. I just enjoy the labor of love that shows up on my plate every week.
Shortly after our return from Colorado we had our first pancakes of the New Year. What flavor did he surprise us with? Brace yourself. You’re going to be jealous: Milky Way Midnight Pancakes!! He chopped up miniature Milky Way Midnight candy bars and put them in our pancakes! I believe as he put them on the table he was heard saying “You know when your breakfast smells more like chocolate chip cookies than breakfast, it’s going to be good.” And they WERE! Gooey melted chocolate, melted caramel, and melted “white fluffy stuff” were literally oozing out of every bite! I had to take pictures:
In they go!
The artist at work:
That would be caramel and white fluffy candy stuff oozing out of my breakfast!
There is always a Mickey Mouse pancake for Trinity!
It is very much appreciated! (As you can see dress-up is a must before breakfast!)
Lilly gobbles down her baby sized pancakes and moves straight on to grown-up size
The Pancake King
He does dishes too! 🙂
sarahsjoys 
Sarah, you’re making us jealous.
Just tell Bob you can’t wait to see what flavors he comes up with! 😉
Yummy:-) I, somehow, need to get Matt to do this!
It’s a fun tradition! Does Matt cook?
That’s dessert!!!
Ever since I found a good recipe where you make the dry mix and just add the wet stuff when you need it, we haven’t bought the mixes. However, the Stonewall Kitchen Pancake mix is still really good but I have to resist buying it when I know we have the preservative free stuff at home! I might just have to make pancakes on Sunday with Brianna and let her put chocolate chips in them. Maybe…
That’s what Andy has started doing. He makes up big batches of the dry ingredients and stores it in an airtight container. Enough to last a few weeks at least. I say go for the Chocolate Chips this Sunday! They don’t happen very often in our house but they sure are a crowd pleaser when they make an appearance. Brianna will remember it as a very special treat! 🙂
Could we start a new tradition where every Sunday we come and have breakfast at your house?
As long as you don’t mind me in my jammies and not yet showered you’re welcome to come on over! There’s a reason there are no pictures of me in this post! 😉