Mmmmm......pancakes.......

How many of us will still be recording our thoughts through words, pictures and sounds when the next leap year comes along? Will world and/or personal events interrupt our Internet foraging and blogging? Hopefully we'll still be learning, sharing and enriching ourselves and others for many years to come.

So today I want to share one of our favorite comfort foods-the pancake. The dry mix stores well, making it easy to whip together a batch of pancakes for a quick treat anytime.

Basic Pancake Mix

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 TBSP. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder (a little less for high altitude)
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 ¼-1 ½ cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla (optional but yummy)
2 TBSP. vegetable oil (or melted butter-also yummy)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add wet ingredients and whisk until mixed but still a little lumpy. Make a test pancake first-batter should be not too clumpy and not too smooth & runny-somewhere in between.).

Heat frying pan to medium (a sprinkle of water should skitter) (use a little oil or butter if not using a non-stick pan) and when hot, pour in anywhere from about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pancake batter depending upon size wanted for finished product. When the pancake starts to bubble on the top and is golden brown on the bottom, flip and cook until the other side is also golden brown. Continue cooking until batter is gone. Cooked pancakes can be frozen and reheated if desired but won't taste as good as fresh made pancakes.

Add a little more milk or flour to make thicker or thinner pancakes.

Dry mix will store for several months in a cool, dry place. (Be sure to label before you store!)