A must have recipe

The two things I remember about going up to Santa Maria for Thanksgiving every year are not the turkey or the stuffing or Uncle Gary's Famous Pumpkin Pie stuff (though I have instituted that in my own family tradition over Thanksgiving), but Grandma Lois' Thursday morning pancakes and her chocolate chip cookies.

As a kid we went from driving the station wagon up north to driving the suburban, from the suburban to the suburban with tent trailer and finally from the suburban with tent trailer to the motorhome (the family just kept growing).

We had some epic adventures on that road to Grandma's and always when we got there we were sure to find, in the pantry, a surplus of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. In the morning, as we lay scattered in sleeping bags across the living room floor the delicious aroma of oatmeal pancakes would waft in a tangible cloud from the kitchen to our nostrils letting us know it was time to get up.

It has been a number of years since going up north for that blessed holiday and though my daughter was yet unborn when my Grandma passed away, there is her immortalized memory weekly visited in the pancakes my children love and the stories of her and Grandma the Great up in Santa Maria.

Make them, eat them, love them.

Grandma Lois' Oatmeal Pancakes

 

1 cup oats

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 eggs

Find a nice temperature on the griddle, butter that baby up and ladle on. Butter and pure maple syrup make this just about the perfect breakfast and an outstanding comfort food as well.

Side note: whole wheat flour creates the best consistency, however, because flour is a small part of the recipe I have used whatever flours I have on hand with good results. Spelt flour, almond flour or buckwheat are solid alternatives and make a good sturdy batter. Rice flour makes a thinner batter so use a little less buttermilk. If I have no flour I just blend up some oats in my Vitamix because oats are something I never run out of. If you have ever bought a specific item at the grocery store every time you shop just to be sure you don't run out then you understand what oats are to me.

 Thank you Grandma Lois for all the memories.