Today’s Post: Our Best Pancakes, Attitude, & Mules
Today I’m bringing you our very favorite recipe for pancakes. My husband and kids have declared these the best pancakes on earth and I have to agree that they are the best I’ve personally ever had, mostly thanks to buttermilk being one of the primary ingredients! I hope you’ll get a chance to try and enjoy them soon. But first, my tangent. Sit back and get comfy, I got my soap box out for this one!
Life was hard for my ancestors, especially for my great grandmother, Lela, as a sharecropper. They awakened each day to work from sunup until sundown in the fields, kids included. Going to school was a treat not so much because they were eager to learn but because it meant they got to take a break from farming. Lela often didn’t know where the next meal was coming from and had to make do with what few staples she had on hand as any money paid to her husband seldom made it back home.
Grandmama says some days they’d come in so tired from the fields that they’d walk into the house and just fall asleep on the first spot of empty floor they came to. Lela would get a bowl of water and a rag and go around and wash the dirt off of their feet, letting them rest before waking them up and sending them to crowd into one bed for the night.
If anyone ever had a right to throw a big old pity party it was the people I came from, which makes their example all the more important to me. You see, Lela never complained. She woke up each morning with a smile on her face, humming a little tune as she went about preparing a simple breakfast of biscuits and gravy - because there was seldom any meat. But no one looked at that breakfast and said “Oh, just biscuits and gravy.” Instead their attitude was “Isn’t it wonderful that we can have biscuits and gravy.”
Their attitudes were always positive, always hopeful, and always grateful for what little they had. They had the ability to look at the cotton field as it was blazed beneath the Alabama sun and think to themselves “Aren’t we lucky that we have this field to tend and food on the table?” They could walk into the shack house and think “Isn’t it wonderful that we have this roof over our heads?”.
Their happiness was not dependent upon a set of ideal circumstances,
it was entirely dependent on their own attitudes and how they willingly chose to look at life.
I cannot think of a finer legacy to have been given or a more important one to pass on to my children.
I have always felt strongly that my attitude affects everyone I come into contact with and so I try to give each person I meet my best whenever possible. As a result, I’m often asked how I stay so positive. Folks seem to think it’s something you’re either born with or not. Usually if they’ve tended to lean towards negative thinking they dismiss the possibility of ever being positive as something that just unattainable to them. This is where I often have to sit down and give folks my “happiness is a choice” pep talk.
You see, no one is born positive, being positive takes work. Sometimes even the most positive people in the world have spells of negativity. We all have down days and I’m no different, but I’ve worked hard through the years in order to be able to see it for what it is, a phase I go through from time to time, and remain objective. Still, it’s a struggle and I’ve never had nor heard of an easy win.
Just as I looked to my parents and grandparents as examples of looking on the bright side of life during times of distress, I have spent some time studying others who have clearly battled these down swings and yet still came out to be considered positive thinkers. One of my favorite people to study for this very reason is Winston Churchill.
Churchill suffered from depressive spells so prevalent in his life that he took to calling it his little black dog. When going through a bout he’d simply say, “My little black dog is following me around “
I like that. I like how he gave it a name and set it apart from himself, it’s a way to own it, identify it, but make the statement that this is not a result of my life but rather an event within my life – a speed bump or a pothole.
I liked Mr. Churchill’s idea so much that I decided to do something similar. Rather than a little black dog, something I can’t help but see as cute and friendly, I’ve decided mine is an old gray mule and I’ve named him Abner. Now, like most mules I’ve ever heard of, to say Abner is stubborn would be an understatement. Abner is persistent, honery, and when he wants attention he’s gonna neigh and bray until he gets his way.
For me, this is part of the natural cycle of things. I think we all have times in which we need to allow our pendulum to swing the other way. I used to look at these negative spells as meaning I’d failed myself in not thinking positively enough, but now I see it as more of a recovery process, a time to heal. You see, on normal days I push myself. I try to be all things to all people and I work very hard at it. The only time I really slow down is when Abner is around. Abner and I take long walks and sleep a little more, we go to bed early and try to do things to pull me out of my funk.
When Abner is with me, it’s raining and when it’s raining my heart just naturally sets to looking for a rainbow.
Abner would like nothing more than for me to just saddle him up and parade him right down the middle of main street, but I’m not going to give him that kind of power. Instead, I keep him separate from myself and call him for what he is. Rather than say “Oh, I’m depressed, my life must be horrible.” I just say “Well, I reckon Abner needs a bit of attention.” So I let him out of the barn, walk him around the yard and spend a little time with him as needed until it comes time to send the old mule back where he belongs.
No one is born happy and very few of us are naturally inclined towards optimism. It is a process, a training, and a decision we make. Some folks may have to seek medical help and that’s okay too. The fact is, I think we all have a mule.
The difference between positive and negative thinkers is who feeds their mule in the barn and who sets a place for him at the dinner table.
~steps down off her soap box and swings it over her shoulder by its little rope handle~
And now on to pancakes…
You’ll need: Buttermilk, Baking Soda, Two Eggs, Salt, Vegetable Oil (or butter), Plain Flour, and some Sugar.
The sugar isn’t pictured because you only need a smidgen of it and I didn’t want to put the whole big honking sugar canister in the pic.
I also made these a little before six this morning and five pounds of sugar weighs more before the sun comes up.
Pour enough oil in a skillet to cover the bottom.
I’m using a cast iron skillet but you can just use a regular one if you like. The oil is going to give our pancakes a nice crispy outer layer, which is delicious! You can also use melted butter or margarine in place of oil if you like.
In a large mixing bowl, place your flour. Add salt.
And baking soda.
Add sugar
Stir to combine.
Add in your eggs and buttermilk.
Here is a hint for anyone new to Southern style cooking: If it has buttermilk in the ingredients, it’s gonna be good!
You can make your own buttermilk by adding one tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a cup of whole milk. Let it sit for five minutes before using. Since this recipe calls for two cups buttermilk, you’ll need to add two tablespoons to two cups whole milk, of course.
Ooh, I just did math and it isn’t even ten yet. I’m gonna have a headache later for that…
Stir that up until well combined. It will still be lumpy but that’s normal.
I use a 1/4 Cup measuring cup to add my batter to the heated skillet.
It should sizzle really good as soon as your batter hits the oil.
Sometimes I need to spread my batter out a bit with a spatula.
See how it is sizzling around the edges and little bubbles are appearing on the top?
You want to cook it for a minute or two before flipping, wait until the edges appear dry and the top is covered in little bubbles.
Then…
FLIP and continue cooking until browned on the other side.
Serve with lots of syrup…
to the delight of young and old!
(umm, but I’m not quite sure if Ricky is young or old, but I reckon in our house he would be old. Either way, he looked hungry so I fed him)
Ingredients
- 2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 Cups Buttermilk*
- Vegetable oil, butter, or margarine for cooking pancakes in
Instructions
- Place enough oil or butter in the bottom of a skillet to coat it. Put on stove eye and heat on medium heat while you prepare the batter.
- In large mixing bowl, stir together all dry ingredients.
- Add eggs and buttermilk, stir until well combined. Batter will be lumpy.
- Drop by 1/4 cup fulls into heated oil and cook on medium heat until edges appear dry and top is covered in bubbles, flip and continue cooking until browned on both sides.
- Serve warm with syrup!
YUMM
This makes excellent waffles as well!
*To make your own buttermilk for this recipe, add two tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar to two cups whole milk. Allow to sit for five minutes before using.
Print This Recipe
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I had to share some pics of my kids today. They are just getting more and more adorable.
(Of course, I’m not the least bit biased)
This is Brady and Katy at his Boy Scouts Blue And Gold Banquet.
Katy is holding the class bear, Booker Bear, because he came to stay with us for the weekend!
Brady and I made a cake together for a cake decorating contest celebrating the 100th Birthday of Boy Scouts..
AND
HE WON!!!
~squeal~
Way to go, Braybo!
(the face painting is from a Webelo ceremony)
Katy Rose and Booker Bear at the gas station.
Well, now all we need is a photo of me and we’ll have the whole family in this post…
Here I am with my little Zoe. She’s a lab mix we adopted from the Humane Society last month.
She’s almost four years old and the sweetest baby!
~sighs~
I love my family.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry,
show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.
~Submitted by IPlayOutsideTheBox. Submit your quote here.
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Posted by Christy Jordan
on Feb 23 2010. Filed under Breakfast.
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We love pancakes around here. We’ll have to try this Sunday morning! Thanks and glad to have found your site.
Christy, thank you SO much for your words in this post. I need to hear them today ever so much.
Yes, I agree too. I love to write about my roots too, My mother grew up during the Great Depression and still tells me bits and pieces about her life.
Hey! My grandmother made The Best sausage gravy, with big ol’ pieces of sausage in it – that’s what we put on top of our pancakes instead of syrup! Try it – you’ll LOVE it!!
:)
God Bless You! I needed that.
Thanks for the story. My son, who is a friend of your Father-in-law, sent me your website. We use bacon grease to fry our pancakes. Nothing says morning like bacon.:0))
christy, thanks so much for the story, it reminded me of my own frandparents and of just how hard they too had to work just to put food on the table. you always have such wonderful family stories. you and i could really do a lot of story sharing christy, but you do it so well. and don’t you worry, springtime will be here again soon, and we all go through the old mule days sooner or later in our lives. thanks for the great recipes, and i will be trying those great lookin pancakes! God bless.
I am new to your site-came on for your delish chicken & dumplings recipe. My family loves it!! Thanks! I just saw your pancake recipe and your post before it. I really needed to hear that today! Recently our family had a devasting fire that we lost nearly everything we owned including our business. I have been depressed and grieving material things and even though I have said ‘we have each other-thats all we need’ sometimes its hard too truly mean it. Somehow your family story puts it all into perspective. Thank you-not only for your wonderful recipes, but the wisdom as well. (Also, love the way you tell it with humor!)
Thanks!
Hey Christy,
Just wanted you to know that darling W on Brady’s nose was painted by my husband. Congratulations on Brady’s advancement. We all hope he reaches Eagle! Pack and Troop 350 are a great bunch of folks. Get ready for lots of rainy campouts in the troop! Lynne Alexander
Dear Christy,
I have this pancake recipe just where I can get it at a moments notice I added about a T. of oil to it for the waffles my hubby loves. But the pancakes are the very best just like your family says.
Keep up the good work we love this southern recipes.
Dear Christy,
Thanks for the pancake recipe. We love them! And I have a helpful hint for those who may be out there trying to cut pancakes for three little ones all at once. We use a pizza cutter, and it cuts easily through the pancakes. It’s so super fast and easy. You just roll that baby across the pancakes and you have perfect little bites.
Sheila
Thanks so much, what a great idea! I will use it for my grandson- pancakes are his favorites!
[...] I’m still a huge fan of breakfast for dinner, though, and since I have already brought you my kid’s favorite pancakes, today I thought I’d show you my favorite omelet – and the super easy way to make [...]
We also use bacon grease for our pancakes….there is nothing that bacon grease can’t improve!
[...] 7. A post you wish more people read. While this post was well received, the content is just something that I feel could benefit a lot of people and a lesson which really altered my life once I learned it. Read: Our Best Pancakes, Attitudes, and Mules [...]
My mom made the best homemade pancakes, especially when we went on camping trips. We’d get up to the smell of frying bacon, which she would use the grease to make the crispy edges. Yummy!
Hey Christy! Just wanted to share a little something I do if I don’t have buttermilk. I add sour cream and little bit of regular milk(depends on how wet the batter needs to be) and it usually turns out great! Hope you are having a great time with your family! You deserve a very long and relaxing vacation!
Hey Christy,
You have just inspired me to have breakfast for supper! These pancakes will go great with some Conecuh sausage and scrambled eggs.
I also enjoyed the post. It is so much easier to be positive. Negativity takes to much time and energy.
Thanks
I know alot of folks like Abner but try to love them too. However, I want that dog!
What a good dog she appears to be. “Lost dogs are found friends”.
I love the idea of either Churchill’s little black dog or your mule. I’ll take the mule. Don’t have a barn, but I do have a back yard. Thanks for your positive reinforcement! And, the yummy pancakes…..
Hey, I see you decided to pose with your little black dog. I agree about the attitude thing. Some people don’t understand that sometimes it’s a fight to stay positive. I don’t always win it, but I’m pretty scrappy.
Thanks so much for the tangent today. Your words were just what I needed to hear and no doubt straight from from God.
Hi Christy, I live in Wales UK & am loving your site, stories & of course recipes
I’m so glad you’ve explained how to make Buttermilk as it’s not sold over here & I’ve found quite a few recipes that call for it. Thanks Christy xx
I hope you don’t think I’m being corny–but God does work in mysterious ways. There is a close friend of mine who is suffering from depression and I’ve been having a hard time understanding and trying to find the right words to help him! Reading this post was exactly what I needed, exactly when I needed it! Thank you!
Oh by the way, the pyrex bowl that you have with the tulips in the picture–I have one EXACTLY like it. It was given to my mom by her aunt, and was one of the things that I got after my mom passed away. It is on display in my kitchen on top of the upper kitchen cabinets along with all my other treasures from family members gone before.
We love pancakes and waffles! Thanks for the buttermilk tip!
Hope you enjoy!!
“Their happiness was not dependent upon a set of ideal circumstances, it was entirely dependent on their own attitudes and how they willingly chose to look at life.”
Beautiful Quote… God is really trying to tell me to “be happy” this year!!! Thanks for the reminder!!!
I tried these pancakes when you posted the recipe the first time and I can honestly say, they are the greatest. The only thing I modified was the flour. To cut steps and time, I used self rising flour. My oldest granddaughter, 9 yrs. old, loves them as much or more than I. Love the family stories you share because my mother, 92 yrs. young, shares stories from her youth and they are a lot like your grandparents and great-grands. To anyone that reads this comment, write down any stories that your parents, grandparents, etc. tells you. One day they won’t be around and at least you’ll have something of their memories to pass down and to look back on.
Juanita, I am so glad to hear that ya’ll love the pancakes!!!
These pancakes is best with ALAGA syrup. I am from Birmingham but my family and I are living near Fort Hood, Texas because my husband is Active Duty military. I would always have my mom mail me bottles of ALAGA syrup when we got low. Now our local Wal-mart started carrying this syrup so I buy it very often just in case they stop selling it. My kids want eat any other pancake unless they are homemade and fried in a cast iron skillet and then topped with you know what, ALAGA syrup with a side of fresh cooked bacon and some fresh OJ. Now I am hungry. Mmmm!
You made me hungry too! LOL
Thank you for the recipe and the words of wisdom! I’ve always wondered how to make pancakes without the mix, and these look wonderful! And today I really needed to hear what you had to say about your mule – thank you so much for helping me get my mule back into its barn!!!
I hope you enjoy the pancakes Kat!
Christy, thank you for the attitude adjustment. I have been having a pity party over current and past situations long enough so time to kick that mule in the @*s and get him moving on out of here!
I’ve used your buttermilk trick for many years. Learned this in home ec classes back…well, I won’t say. It works beautifully:) You make pancakes the same way I learned to make pancakes and they are so very good. Now what I need is a good low sugar ‘syrup” recipe since I am now an insulin dependent diabetic. I know I can buy a sugar free syrup but have you seen all the chemicals in that stuff? I’d rather eat the real thing and take a little more insulin that put that stuff in my system. Got to tell you that your crockpot dressing is incredible:) I made it for Christmas and it was the easiest and best tasting dressing I’v had since my dearly departed Momma’s. It was a big hit with everyone and, for once, I had none to discard. Nothing like good home cooking:)
Christy, thank you so much for your wisdom and uplifting message! If we could all have this attitude in 2011 the world would be a better place!
Happy New Year to you and yours!
Christy, Thank you not only for your words of wisdom and the great timing, but also for having such awesome humor to attract and entertain all your wonderful friends and fans. Misery may love company, but Happy folks love company too! My mule is sent back to the barn!! Cheers with my sweet tea to all ya’ll!
Miss Christy, why, y’ur just too smart for a girl from Alabama
(Yes, I am teasing! that was just a lil’ rivalry left over from when I lived in Georgia. Now that I’ve moved back to TN, we talk about the people from KY, haha)
If you don’t mind sharing, I think I’ll name Abner’s cousin that lives at MY house and see if I can’t get him moved into his rightful place…back in the barn! He’s been my shadow too long!
thanks for keep us grounded.
we’ll have to try the recipe, but thanks so much for your soapbox stump — we printed it off and read it around the supper table…Lela’s washing their feet brings tears to our eyes…
Best and easiest pancake recipe I have ever had. These were the lightest, fluffiest things I have ever put in my mouth. Hubby and kids loved them, ate the entire batch. Thanks so much.
My mom has always “fried” our pancakes..now I do fo my husband and he loves them!
I stayed home from work today with a sick child (16) so I thought maybe some pancakes would make her feel better.. OMGoodness!! These pancakes are wonderful!! Thanks Christy for sharing!!
Marian
still got snow on the ground..sick of it!!
These sound yummy. Can’t wait to try them. I just became aware of you and your wonderful recipes and stories. I have asked my son for your cookbook for Mother’s Day. Have a great day.
:)
The comments before the recipe certainly cheered me. I thought older women were to teach the younger, but in this case I was on the learning end. Your words have set me on a new path to happiness.
I could hardly believe it when I read your recipe. It brought back memories of the one that my single dad on occasion prepared for my brother and me. He didn’t use a recipe, but the ingredients are identical. There was no added oil, and they were fried with grease in an iron skillet. He called them “hot cakes.” Maybe that’s what they were called back then in the “hills of Oklahoma.” The memory is so vivid that I can just about taste them now. We poured either Blackburn or Griffin’s syrup over them. I love recipes that incorporate buttermilk and enjoy drinking it also. Gotta drag out that iron skillet soon…
I tried the “make your own buttermilk” with lemon juice and milk- worked great! I made the waffle version of this and used some apple pie filling with chunks of apple for 1/2 cup of the liquid. They turned out light and delicious!!! Thanks Christy….I WILL make this one again. So much better than box mixes, and I feel soo much better not serving my family preservatives for breakfast!
My granddaughter and I made these buttermilk pancakes one Sat,. and they were a hit. Abigail and I both agree this will be our recipe for pancakes from now on. Thank you!
[...] Our Best Pancakes {Southern Plate} [...]
I’m wondering if these are freezer friendly? I am wanting to put them up so my children will stop waking me up on Saturday mornings! LOL Thanks!
my daddy used to make “hot cakes” when i was little. they were so easy i could never grasp why anyone would buy a mix. he would put 2 cups sr flour in a bowl, pour in buttermilk, a beaten egg and 1/4 cup melted butter. stir just till mixed- oh the buttermilk was added until the hot cake batter was to your liking. the melted butter and the appropriate cast iron griddle made sure they never stuck. i still make them this way but sometimes add berries or a little vanilla
Christy! These pancakes are a HUGE hit with me! LOOOOVE THEM! I tried them the other night, and they came out so well that I’m gonna try even more of your recipes since I have about a hair more courage now. I made some minor changes to the recipe, cus I wanted them to taste sinful! I added about a tablespoon of vanilla to the batter and a cup of powdered sugar. Talkin’ bout Heavenly! Mmmmmm…… Oh, and I made a vanilla glaze as a dipping icing instead of using syrup. Oh. My. Gosh. This recipe alone will render me a great wife someday
Thank you so much for the amazing pancake/waffle recipe! It’s delicious and has now become my “go to” pancake recipe. More importantly, thank you for the story about Winston Churchill – I really needed that! I have fought with my depression off and on for 6 years now. I do have prescribed chemical help, but it isn’t a cure all and some days my “little black dog” is at my heels. It’s just helpful and comforting to know that others can sympathize. As I like to say, “we’re all in this together.”
Thank you so much for this post!! I think I’m gonna print this one out and hand it to some friends!! I’m here with tears standing in my eyes, just thankful as I can be for what you had to say. Just like I’ve been trying to teach my girls, if it’s seems like the easy way out, it’s probably the wrong way. Thanks for the reminder in teaching them to be grateful, that the *decision* to be grateful will bring on the feelings, and the more we practice, the better we’ll get!
i just loved your story of your grandparents. My mother and her family were share cropers in Georgia too picking cotton. She used to tell me stories of picking cotton until her fingers bleed and of eating biscuits for breakfast then tucking one in her pocket for lunch. Love your stories Christy keep them up. Also love the hint about buttermilk.
My husband and i jut made these awsome pancakes….thank you for the awsome recipe…we love everything i have made so ..u rock girl.keep up the good work.nlots of love from texas..
I am so glad to hear that you liked them Tammy!! ~HUGS~
Another Tammy on your bandwagon! My life was forever changed the day I found your blog!!! You are sweet, funny, open and honest! And, I love your positive attitude! I have been dealt a lot in my adult life, too (raising 3 teenage daughters alone, currently. Enough said.) ~ so, believe me when I say, I had to chuckle a bit about Abner! I never thought of negative feelings/thoughts/moods that way, but I love it!!! The faster we address them, the faster we are back to our ol’ perky selves! Love it!! Thanks for all you do ~ you always make me smile!! =)
[...] really haven’t ever had a pancake until you have had a traditional buttermilk pancake. My friend Christy Jordan over at Southern Plate declares (and if you are a southerner, you [...]
Set a plate for me I will be there lickity split!