Good to be Home

Posting has been more than a little erratic here at The Savory Notebook.....in case you haven't noticed. That's because we took a two-week trip to the wild, wild, West - mostly Montana and Wyoming, looping briefly into Idaho so that my Mom could check another state off her list. I did have occasional access to a computer and was able post a few recipes that we tried before we left - it was nice to have a little activity on the blog instead of 2 weeks of nothing. It was a great trip, but it's oh so good to be home again.

More on the trip later, but first, another pancake recipe. Knowing that we'd be gone for 2 weeks, I had to stop buying and cooking new foods and simply concentrate on using up ingredients that would likely go bad while we were away. Like eggs that were approaching their use-by date. I think I stashed a few leftover pancakes in the freezer, so at least maybe we'll have something tasty for breakfast tomorrow morning.........

Buckwheat Pancakes

I love, love, love buckwheat pancakes, but I've never made my own. That's because I've been very spoiled by a mix. Not just any mix - a great mix from an old-fashioned water-powered mill where they grind their own flour. My mom works there occasionally and is my pancake mix supplier. As good as the mix is, I need to find a good recipe to make my own for those times when we run out - after all, I'm in PA and the mill and my parents are in VA - not exactly convenient.

Time was in short supply as I got ready for our trip, so I didn't spend much time looking at recipes and pretty much went with the first one I found that did not require buttermilk. I ended up trying a recipe from AllRecipes, with modifications, of course. They turned out quite well, but not nearly as good as my favorite stand-by. It may have been partly my fault - I cut down the oil and they were just a tad bit dry. Still, I don't know that using the full amount of oil would make me love these as much as the mix.

What I really love about the Wade's Mill mix is the texture and I suspect it's because they don't grind their buckwheat super fine, leaving larger pieces that provide a pleasant, hearty mouthfeel. And speaking of texture, I think that nothing beats buttermilk for a great whole grain pancake - they seem to turn out more tender with buttermilk than with regular milk.

So, I'll continue to look for a great buckwheat pancake mix. In the meantime........Mom..........!