Pancake revelation

I am fairly honest when it comes to admitting I don't like to cook. I can do it, but it's not my happy place, not the way a trip to Bermuda in the spring time with frilly umbrella drinks would be. But when it comes to breakfast foods, I not only don't like to cook, I just can't.

I botch scrambled eggs, my french toast is soggy, and omelettes are just plain laughable. My waffles are ok, but that's mostly due to the machine and the batter I make is pretty inconsistent. Pancakes are my real debacle, though. I have NEVER made good pancakes. I burn them or serve them raw or they come out so runny they're practically just really bad crepes.

This morning, though... oh, my.

It's been raining hard since last night, a nasty 12 hour thunderstorm. No one slept well (except Kurt, who's immune to sound at night). We have some dentist appointments today so Anna's staying home from school, since the only time I could get the kids in was mid-day. We are all out of cereal and I couldn't even offer to butcher some eggs since we only had one.

In desperation, I flew to the 'nets and found this recipe. Doubtful but with hungry kids clamoring at my heels, I threw it together. And guess what? It took about 5 minutes to make and another 10, maybe, to cook the entire batch.

I poured them into the pan and they... fluffed up. LIKE REAL PANCAKES. They browned smoothly ON BOTH SIDES. Even with my failure at timing and flipping, they didn't burn or come off raw in the inside.

And then, miracle of miracles, my children actually ate them, even Jack, with gusto, asking for more. Murmuring through full mouths that they tasted like the best banana bread ever.

I made pancakes, everyone. And they were GOOD. I even got all wild and adjusted the recipe a little bit (not that adding vanilla is an adjustment, but it made me feel adventurous). Not sure how my day could get any better. They're so easy I'm going to go ahead and make a double batch up and freeze them. The possibilities are endless: topped with peanut butter or fruit or just warmed up to eat on the go as is.

It's a sad state of affairs in the kitchen when a fluffy pancake can make me so happy, but I don't care. I'll take it!

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
(makes about 12)

1 cup flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup oatmeal

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2)

Sift together dry ingredients and stir in oats, mixing well. In a seperate bow, mix together the wet ingredients and sugar. Fold wet into dry until just combined. Let batter stand for about 5 minutes to soften the oats. Over medium-high heat, pour 1/4 cup of batter for each pancake. Cook about 1 minute or until bubbles start to appear, flip and cook another 1 minute or so on other side. Serve.

Ta-da! As my grandmother used to say, easy peasy lemon squeezy. Only there's no lemon, but whatever.

The hanging tree

Our house here in Plano has an enormous backyard, full of fruit trees, roses and open space. Now that spring has come to Texas (yes, it has! In February! Insanity!), the kids play outside pretty much every day until they get tired or start to fight. Actually, these two tend to coincide most of the time.

A favorite game is swinging. Now, we don't actually have any swings out back, but the girls are nothing if not imaginative. They take their jump ropes, secure them up over some branches and get down to business, hanging like monkeys and attempting to climb up the ropes and swing about maypole-style. All in all, it's a fairly innocent game that keeps them occupied for long periods of time.

One instance, though, resulted in one of those parenting moments where you find yourself saying (or in this case, shouting) things you never could have imagined you'd say in your whole life.

Jack was out back with the girls while I cleaned up the kitchen. The arrangement of the house is such that I can fairly easily check on the kids from inside and the yard is basically safe for the baby, especially with the girls out there playing and keeping an eye on him.

Or so I thought.

Midway through the dishes, I heard an angry scream from Jack. Sighing, I walked over to the back door expecting a tantrum because someone took away his ball.  Instead I was greeted with the sight of my daughters trying to tie Jack up with the jump ropes and heave him off the ground. The ropes were wrapped all around his waist, legs and shoulders. Yes, shoulders. As in, inches from sliding up around his neck.

I slammed out the door, hollering, "Stop it right now! Do NOT hang your brother from the tree!".

They threw me some guilty glances, lowered him down while each babbling out explanations about how it was the other one who made her do it. Jack, all the while, was wiggling free and yelling in frustration. Once free, however, as I hustled over to pick him up and save him, he grabbed one of the dangling ropes and started pulling, trying to get back up.

We now have a basic rule against tying people up. We'll see how long that lasts... before the next thing.

I'm safe with them, right?