How did this year go by so fast? ...and how is it that we are always talking about how time flies!? 

As a steady rain fell here in the Midwest for a majority of the holiday weekend, my childhood home was filled with my family. Being the second youngest of six kids, the house is now filled with not only us kids, but also spouses and grandkids. My mom leaves chocolates on the beds for us when we arrive, buys freshly ground coffee for the morning (or for all day) and then she makes breakfast... just like when we were growing up.  

Every time I come home, memories flood the walls. And most of them come straight from the kitchen. My mom has always had a certain way around her kitchen - her large, clear jars of sugar and flour line the counter, her Kitchen Aid is ready to use at any given moment and her aprons hang on hooks by the back stairs. There is always a bin of different chocolate chips and chopped nuts in the cabinet, ready for baking. 

There's dishes my mom has been making since before I was even born. Dishes that immediately remind me of home. Among them are these pancakes. Still today, my mom whips up a batch of these for my nieces, pours the batter into the same yellow pitcher she's used for years, then pours the batter onto a hot, buttered griddle. Perfect pancakes every time.

There are some food memories that will stick with me forever. Ones that are so special, words cannot describe. And this is one of them.

My Mom's Famous Buttermilk Pancakes

(Serves 3-4 people)

• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions: 

1. To a mixer, add the eggs, buttermilk and oil and mix until well combined. Add in the remaining ingredients and beat until no clumps are in the batter.
2. Tip: If you don't have buttermilk, just add about 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to regular/skim milk. If the batter seems too thin, add a bit more flour.
3. Butter a hot griddle. Pour small rounds of batter on the griddle and cook a few minutes until bubbles form on top of the pancake. Once the bottom of the pancake seems golden brown, flip the pancake and cook for 1-2 minutes on the other side.
4. Remove from griddle and place on a plate covered with a towel to keep the pancakes warm while you make the rest. Once ready to serve, top with maple syrup. You can also top with chopped bananas, strawberries and powdered sugar.

My mom has taken this recipe and broken it down depending on how many people she is serving. The original recipes serves 8. Here, it is cut in half to serve 4 (depending on the size of the pancake and hunger-level!). 

Or, she just makes a big batch and freezes any leftovers. That way, you can just warm the pancakes in the microwave as you want them.