Pancakes

Totally basic, right? Everyone knows how to make pancakes, right? Well, just in case you need a good, simple recipe, here's my favorite. I taped it to the inside of the cabinet so the kids can make pancakes by themselves whenever I'm too lazy to get out of bed and make Mother's Day breakfast.

You have to know that I feed an army, so yes, we make and eat this whole recipe.

You also have to know I am obsessed with modifying recipes. I can't look at a recipe without seeing how I'll change it or add to it. So here's the plan: read the recipe and tell us how your family likes to get creative with pancakes!

Pancakes or Waffles -- from the King Aurthur Flour Cookbook
4 cups flour
4 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
4 cups buttermilk, yogurt or sour milk
1/2 c melted butter

• if you want smooth, fluffy, diner-style pancakes, use all white flour
• if you like crunchy, hippy pancakes like I do, use 2 cups white, 1 cup wheat, 1 cup oats. you could also add in some flax or other seeds for nutty, hippy goodness.
• if you want really airy, puffy pancakes no matter what, separate the eggs, whip the whites and loosely fold them in as the last ingredient
• who has buttermilk on hand? I always do 2 cups plain yogurt and 2 cups sour milk (2 cups minus about 2 Tbs milk, then fill that 2 Tbs with lemon juice to make 2 cups. Let sit for 5-15 minutes to get lumpy and "sour")
• for that matter, lemon zest is always a bonus special feature treat secret goodness
  
• for that matter, orange liqueur is always a bonus special feature treat secret goodness
  
• my favorite add-in: grated zucchini. I have never had a single vegetable-related complaint about this, and the moisture in the zuch makes up for the dryness that wheat flour adds
• chocolate chips make any pancake better
• bananas and other fruit (hello mango!)
• ...what else? Who knows a good substitute for sugar (proportions included)?
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