Doctored Up Pancakes

After Josh decided that it would be more fun to be a part of the clamor of Saturday morning, rather than attempting to doze through it, we decided it was time to make pancakes. I flipped through a few cookbooks,  attempted to converse with a five year old while debating between whole wheat, oat bran, cornmeal, or oatmeal pancakes and did I want to use blueberries or bananas in them...then shut the cookbooks with a bang and grabbed the pancake mix off the shelf.

Doctored Up Pancakes 

• 2 cups pancake mix ( I used Bisquick)

• 1/4 cup oat bran

• 1/4 cup cornmeal

• 2 tsp. baking soda

• 1 1/2 cups soy milk

• 1 tbl. lemon juice

• 1 tbl. vanilla

• 1/2 cup applesauce

Mix the lemon juice and vanilla in with the milk, set aside. If you're using an electric griddle ( I do) plug it in now, spray with cooking spray, and mix up your dry ingredients. Just remember that applesauce is, in fact, not dry. Pour the milk mixture into the dry, and add the applesauce in now. Mix it all together and let it sit while you go set the table or look at the new Lego motorcycle your son built. Test the griddle by dropping some water on it - if it dances, it's hot enough. If it sizzles up really quickly and looks mad, turn the griddle down. When it's just right, scoop the batter out using a measuring cup, and wait for them to look dry around the edges, with bubbles on the top - don't keep sticking your spatula under there to see how dark they are. 

Flip them over, starting with the first one you dolloped onto the griddle, and don't be scared of them - if you hesitate too much in flipping them, they might go all over the place and make a mess. Just flip 'em. Give them another minute or two to cook, while you put the maple syrup and jam on the table and pour the milk. You can stick your spatula under them to check for darkness, and when they're just right, plate them onto an oven safe platter/plate/pie plate and stick them in the oven on "Warm" until the next round is done. It should only take you about 10 minutes for two batches, and there will be enough to serve 2 adults and 2 kids...unless you're really really hungry, in which case I advise you to make that smoothie first. 

We use real maple syrup, not the fake stuff, on ours. It's more expensive, but it's better for you since it's just maple syrup and doesn't have all kinds of added grossness to it that is completely terrible for your health. So enjoy the yumminess!