Pancakes, Butter . . . and Sleepovers

About author / Christine Gable

Culinary enthusiast; kids cuisine and slow cooking; magazine recipe developer; professional writer. Her simple recipes are great for family dinners.

“There is nothing better than waking to sunshine streaming in the windows, and the smell of pancakes and bacon in the kitchen. Hurry! Climb out of bed, slip on your bunny slippers, and join your family at the breakfast table …”

That’s the jacket introduction from the book Like Butter on Pancakes, written by Jonathan London and illustrated by G. Brian Karas. Simple and poetic, it’s a book that captures the beauty of breakfast in the most delightful of ways.

It’s all about pancakes and kids. The perfect combination. The ideal breakfast, really. And that’s just what my daughter and her friends like to munch on the morning after a sleepover. And what makes them even more special is that it’s often a do-it-themselves breakfast. From the mixing, pouring, and even flipping them on the griddle, pancakes make a stellar kids-can-do-it meal. Oh, sure, I’m there to provide assistance as needed, but very rarely is much assistance needed at all! Who can complain about a hot pile of pancakes with that first coffee to kick off the day?

After all, what’s not to love about pancakes? They’re quick, easy and speak to the cake-loving dessert junkie inside all of us. And versatile: they can be adapted to incorporate fruit and berries, spices or even whole grain flours. I even have a few cookbooks that are dedicated in their entirety just to pancakes. Yes, there sure are a lot of recipes out there. Yet don’t we often fall back to the tried-and-true? Sure enough, it’s super-handy to have a box of mix on the cupboard or pantry shelf.

No, baking and cooking doesn’t have to be all from scratch to be legit. Haven’t times changed? Baking a cake is still baking a cake if it started as a box mix, right? (Although most folks these days are sure to let you know that it’s a scratch cake!) Tacos begin as a kit. Brownies from a boxed beginning are still divine. And pancakes—well, they’re just easier when you start with a mix.

I’m all for cookin’ from scratch when you’ve got the time and energy and enthusiasm. However, box mixes can come in mighty handy in the meantime—and if that’s the helping hand that happens in your kitchen, go for it. It’s still better to eat something made at home with that added ingredient of love in it than pulling into the corner mini-mart and grabbing a coffee and tasty-cake. Anytime we can encourage our kids to make the connection with where their food comes from—and how it’s made—all the better for their life-long understanding of health and nutrition.

And it’s better to start simpler and manageable (think devil’s food cake mix) than to not do anything at all if it’s overwhelming (think 12-step two-layer cake with frosting).

Breakfast foods and kids really are the perfect combination. And that’s not just in the eating. It’s in the preparing. The mixing. The baking. The smelling. The giggles. There’s no limit to the possibilities. Half the time it just takes opening our eyes and ears to the possibilities.

My daughter’s friend, Maia, uses Bisquick’s Melt-in-Your-Mouth recipe, then adds chocolate chips or m&m's--anything involving chocolate or sugar(!), notes her Mom. Maia says to look on the left side of the back panel: “You'll see something that says, "Melt-in-Your-Mouth pancakes".... That's it! You've struck gold!!!!”

Yes, her enthusiasm shines through doesn’t it?

Look for the recipe on the back of any box of Bisquick—and remember, you and your kids can experiment with sweet delights for breakfast to make every day as special as a sleepover.

Thanks, Bisquick—sometimes you save the day!