Buttermilk Pancakes

Usually, during the week, I have to drop Kyra off at preschool at 8:15 a.m. - and so even on my days I don't have to go to work, we are up and rush-rush-rushing around in the morning. But, today, preschool was canceled due to foggy driving conditions... and so, standing there in the kitchen, I looked around, and realized, my god, we actually have time on our hands today. We can wear our pajamas until noon and leisurely go about our morning simply going about our morning!

This is rare.

And you see, it's little things in life like this that just make me downright giddy. This is what it's all about. And so, I opened up the refrigerator. And there it was. A leftover pint of buttermilk from a recipe I made last Sunday. A ha. Today, we shall have real, home made, buttermilk pancakes. I've never made them before, but today, we've got all the time in the world. Bliss!

No need for a super-speed breakfast of rice crispies and yogurt today... No, no, no. I am going to make a real breakfast. We are going to feed our souls.

Now, this simple thought process about a warm, fuzzy, leisurely breakfast leads me to ponder a few things. Do other normal people crave cooking things from scratch and "feeding their souls" like I do? Have I truly gone batty? It seems that many of my friends and moms my age claim they hate to cook; that it's a waste of time. Am I the only one left on this planet that things there is something therapeutic about getting out the kitchen aid mixer, hauling the flour and baking soda from the back of the pantry, cracking some nice brown eggs and goin' to town? Am I alone in my craving to slow the hell down once in a while, and on a cold, snowy, wintry Michigan day just take the time to create something wonderful and basic in the kitchen and feed my family?

Call me crazy, I guess. You wouldn't be the first!

And so we did it. The little munchkins wanted to be part of the project, so we proceeded to fight over counter space and who was going to pour what... and the magic began happening.

I bent over to get a mixing bowl out of a lower cabinet, and Niko, who was standing at the counter, dropped a pancake-mix-laden spatula on my head... Kyra fell off her step-stool and cried... Niko fell off HIS step stool and cried... both kids have colds, so while I cooked the pancakes and yelled "GODDAMMIT, I SAID KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE STOVETOP!!!", I'd wipe their little snotty noses as they cried more and coughed...

... and finally, the pancakes were done. They were PERFECT! We sat down to the table, topped them with butter, blueberry-maple syrup, and sliced bananas. I carefully cut up Niko's whole pancake into baby bite-size pieces, and we were ready to begin!

I took a bite. Better than sex, I tell you. The best damn pancake I've ever had. "Oooooooh, Kyra and Niko! These are so fabulous!!!!" I said, looking from one child to another, waiting for them to experience the orgasm of the mouth that I had.

Niko threw his fork on the floor and said "No no no no no!", picked up a handful of mapley-blueberry-buttery-bite-sized pieces of better-than-sex and also threw them on the floor.

Kyra coughed all over her food, wiped her snot on the back of her hand, and said, "I want yogurt."

So, we sat there, in our snot-smeared pajamas, Kyra eating her yogurt, Niko pitching his food across the room, and me, moaning in therapeutic bliss.

Life is good.

Motherhood makes me do strange things.

Did I mention Niko has the most adorable little curls in the back of his head? And that he is allergic to cats and dogs and dust mites? I cannot cut his hair. I cannot.

I hope you like my new look. I decided it was time for an update.

Comments

[Sarah]

I love the new look!
I absolutly have the same 'feed the soul' feelings about food. I feel disappointed for myself when dinner comes out of the freezer or a can.
If you are crazy, so am I.

[Jerri Ann]

I don't cook, but nothing thrills me more than to laze around. On the weekends though, my husband cooks and lets me sleep in. When it is just us though, I love to sit on the sofa and listen to the boys play (days when we don't go to the daycare early simply because I feel like we all need a day off now and again) and say, "do you have to go to school today?" and then cheer when I say no or not now or not til later.

We love the daycare business and are more than a little thrilled that we bought it, but the facts are...everyone needs a break. When the boys behavior gets out of hand, we can take a break and not go one day during the week and my boys snap right back into things.

But, cook? Er..no not me! I prefer sleep over cooking anyday. Usually I prefer sleep over eating too.

[Ern]

I do like the new look! And I would have enjoyed the pancakes with you. They look delicious.

[ellen]

You know how much I love to cook, Gerb. Not! However, you could have put Niko/Kyra's cakes off to the side and called me - I'm just two damn yards away, ya know.

[Catizhere]

OOOOooo, All new & shiny. Me likes.

I LOVE cooking from scratch. I went to Vo-Tech in high school for food prep, and can make a mean Dobos Torte.
Unfortunately I married a man who would eat ground beef
every.
single.
night.

He likes no seasonings, no veggies, no pork, NO fish, chicken - only if it's fried, just Beef. It's whats' for dinner.

I'm glad that you enjoyed the pancakes.

LOOK AT NIKO'S HAIR!! SQUEEEE! So damn cute!

[Kristin]

Argh! Why is it that our wonderful kids choose our favorite, home-cooked meals of bliss to spit all morsels across the room?
I, too, secretly covet the baking aisle of the grocery store during every trip. I think, "I'm going to go home and bake chocolate cookies and my son will love them and I will be the best mom in the world and we will have an immortal moment licking cookie dough together!!". But then I somehow come back to reality, grab a box of mac'n'cheese and hot dogs and head home. Sigh.

I did do the cookie thing once. And it was supreme bliss. Us crazy moms have to stick together!

[Shalini]

Love the look and wish i knew how to cook... and those pancakes... send them to meeeeeee i love them.. looks so delicious!

Glad you are back.. love reading the site!

[ellen]

Love the new look, Gerb. I thought I posted a comment the other day but it seems to have disappeared into a black hole.

[jcn]

love the new look and great story. hilarious.

[ctmommie]

LOVE the curls...oh how cute. I wouldnt cut it either. And I love baking/cooking from scratch. I went "organic/all natural" starting this year and Ive found myself baking more becasue store bought has all that crap high fructose corn syrup "stuff" everyone says is so bad for you....anyway, Im right there with ya! Abby