Whole Lotta Pancake Love

Pancakes are probably my favorite breakfast food. Today, my husband and I had pancakes at 11:30, so I suppose they are a decent lunch food, too, although that time slot is occupied by many other favorite, more traditional lunch foods, and pancakes have a lot more competition if consumed after 10am. Either way, I have invented a version of pancakes that will knock your socks off, and aren't all that bad in the health department, either.

Lots and lots of pancake mixes exist-so many, it astounds me. Using a boxed pancake mix is silly, because you still have to pour dry ingredients in a bowl and then add eggs and liquid and mix it all together. I don't see how using a box saves anyone any time, and if you take a peek at the labels on those things, they're a mile long with bizarre chemicals and preservatives. Just make pancakes at home- they taste better, make great leftovers, and they're super easy.

A mistake many people also make, besides using boxed pancakes, is buying mega-sugar-loaded commercial syrups. This might arguably be even sillier, considering Michigan has a TON of pure maple syrup suppliers, and you can find the stuff everywhere from local farmer's markets to Horrock's, all straight from our own homegrown farmers and producers. You can also get pure, local maple syrup year-round, so winter time is no excuse for having 'Log Cabin' or (shudder) 'Mrs. Butterworth's' on your breakfast table.

You can boost the nutritional value of a hearty pancake breakfast by simply omitting high-calorie syrups, using a from-scratch recipe, and trading some traditional, bleached wheat flour for some whole-grain flours to increase fiber, protein, and give a delicious wholesome texture. Here's a recipe I devised just last week, and has quickly become our favorite way to eat pancakes, and just might become your favorite, too.

2 C cornmeal                                                                                                                                              

1/2 C sorghum flour

1/2 C potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder

4 Tbsp oil

2 eggs, room temp

2 c milk, juice, or non-dairy liquid

mix dry ingredients in a bowl while you heat a skillet to med-hi heat, or 325 degrees. Beat eggs, oil, and liquid in a separate bowl and add to dry, using a wooden spoon to gently beat until thoroughly mixed. Drop or pour onto hot skillet, turning when golden brown. Serve with fresh fruit, cream, applesauce, honey, and/or pure maple syrup. Leftovers freeze well or keep refrigerated for a week in an airtight container.

**Gluten-Eaters Version** omit the potato starch and xanthan gum, and simply substitute 1/2 c whole wheat flour.