Cooking with Alicia & Annie--Easy Pancake Mix

I have always watched my mom being busy in the kitchen all day long to make delicacies for us...her way of showering us with love. To her food and love are synonymous.

So now after being married, whenever we visit her in Kolkata, shes' so caught up in the kitchen that she hardly gets time to relax and have a chat with me...a long mother-daughter chit-chat, alas!

And this isn't the story of my mother, but I presume all mothers around the world. The best conversations for them happen in the kitchen!

Ever since I have been looking for ways to make life easier for all the moms that toil hard in the kitchen to pass on the love with which they have prepared the food, to their beloveds who relish the fruits of their labour. I understand traditional ways of cooking should be kept alive, but with the fast paced times that we live in, a little ease and speed is most welcome; especially with working mothers and the 'jack(oops...jill)-of-all-trades' woman of today. In the end it all boils down to cooking healthy and tasty morsels in a jiffy. No harm done!

Heres' another of my cheats, (as I call them) using which you can get away without burning out yourself and yet people will think you have been slaving all day in the kitchen. :p

I found this at Alicia's recipes.

Easy Pancake Mix

Ingredients-

12 cup sifted flour ( I use a mix of whole wheat and all purpose flours, in equal proportions)
2 tbsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
4 cup dry milk powder
1 stick of vanilla pod

oil for pan frying

Method-
Mix well all ingredients and store in airtight container with the Vanilla pod.
Tip: The Vanilla bean/pod adds a lovely fragrance to this mix.

When ready to use- for each 1 1/2 cup pancake mix, use-
1 egg beaten,
1 cup water,
and 2 tablespoons melted shortening.
Mix well and fry on hot griddle.
A minute on each side.

Serve with vanilla pudding, your favourite jello/jelly and fresh fruits, for a hearty breakfast.



This goes to Cooking with Alicia and Annie's Dec. blog event.

This Pan Cake Mix is gifted to Happy Cook (My Kitchen Treasures) for Home Made Christmas Gifts event. You can find new ideas for such gifts here.