Little House on the Prairie: Flapjacks and Syrup

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 "There is a big bonfire under the kettle, and the sap boils, and Grandpa watches it carefully.  The fire must be hot enough to keep the sap boiling, but not hot enough to make it boil over. . . . When the sap has boiled down just enough, he fills the buckets with the syrup."

Laura Ingalls Wilder, Little House in the Big Woods

 

I've always found it ironic that Sundays are supposed to be a day of rest because I can't think of a busier day around here.  Take today, for instance.  I woke up, watered the garden, bathed the children, made a bottle for the baby, ironed some clothes, edited a document for my son on the computer, combed through the mismatched sock basket in hopes of finding anything other than soccer socks for my kids to put on their feet, rotated a load of laundry, made breakfast, fed the dog, checked email, and cleaned some mysterious substance off of the kitchen floor.  Day of rest?  Hardly.  And that was all before our exodus to morning church where I spent my time wrangling a toddler between the pews.  I thought marshmallows and crayons would keep him happy.  Boy, was I wrong.

Rather than thinking of Sunday as a day of traditional "rest" (like sitting, lounging, napping, and/or enjoying a quiet house full of well-behaved children and other things that never happen), I like to think of Sunday as a day to do the "rest" of the things that I don't always have time for during the week: playing board games with my little ones, writing letters, taking night walks, looking at old picture albums, making cookies, reading magazines, and forcing my kids to watch movies from my childhood.  (Last Sunday I made them watch Disney's Candleshoe.  Jeepers, I love that movie.)

Sunday has also become our family's day of "rest" from traditional lunchtime fare.  Instead of serving my children a well-balanced meal that would make the food pyramid proud, I break out the skillet and the saucepan and we push our blood sugars to the limit with tall stacks of pancakes smothered with warm syrup.  No, it's not the healthiest lunch, but my kids love it.  And after all, it only happens once a week.  

Miriam and I wanted to share with you some of our most beloved Sunday recipes, including our mom's light and moist pancakes, a sweet and fresh strawberry syrup, and that holy grail of all pancake toppings---buttermilk syrup.  After one taste of this syrup, you'll start finding new things to put it on, including cake, ice cream, and anything that isn't moving.  I've never met anyone who didn't LOVE this syrup.  Beware, if you cook up a batch, your family will not only want a spoonful more, they'll want the "rest" of it.  And if that isn't an appropriate food for Sunday, then I don't know what is . . .

Our Ma's Pancakes

By BeBookBound

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

1 egg

1 1/2 cups milk

Whisk all dry ingredients into a bowl. Throw all the wet ingredients in an whisk for about 10 seconds. Pour onto a 350-375 degree griddle, flip em, and eat!

Syrup becomes even more magical when kids can ladle it out themselves from individual jars.  I found this little caddy on a lonely shelf in a last chance store.  It was supposed to hold candles, but I've found it works just as well, if not better, for pancake syrups.  Besides, who can resist that "Little House" charm of chicken wire, especially when accompanied with homespun syrup labels?

Strawberry Syrup

By BeBookBound

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

3 1/2 cups strawberry puree

Heat the water and sugar til dissolved, add the strawberries. Bring to a gentle boil (Watch, because BELIEVE ME, it can boil over and make a sticky mess!) and let cook for 10 minutes. Serve warm or cold :)

Buttermilk Syrup

By BeBookBound

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Place butter, sugar, and buttermilk in a large saucepan and heat on low until butter melts.  Stir occasionally to dissolve sugar.  Once butter is dissolved, bring to a boil and add baking soda.  (The baking soda will make the syrup expand and become frothy for a while.  Don't panic!  It will boil down after a few minutes).  Let syrup boil on medium heat for 5 minutes.  Continue to stir so syrup doesn't burn on sides of the pan.  After 5 minutes, remove from heat and add vanilla.  Enjoy!

Many "rest" full moments to you and yours this Sunday!

Sharing with . . .
On the Menu Monday @ StoneGable
Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Cowgirl Up Linky Party @ Cedar Hill Ranch
Mopping It Up Party @ I Should Be Mopping the Floor
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Tip Me Tuesday @ Tip Junkie
Tips and Tutorials @ Home Stories A to Z
Tabletop Tuesday @ A Stroll Thru Life 
Home and Garden Thursday @ A Delightsome Life