Off All The Job Titles …
There were three titles I’d have never guessed I’d earn as a Mum.
“Professional Pancake Maker”
is the most significant one at the moment.
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Me: “Frankie, what would you like for breakfast?”
Frankie: “PANCAKES!”
About 99.99 percent of the time, Frankie’s response to that question is, pancakes. If it’s not pancakes then she also enjoys her oatmeal, which is a nice switch up for me. I have to admit I do have a wretched sense of guilt about feeding our toddler pancakes for breakfast every morning. I do realize that in the grand scheme of things I probably shouldn’t beat myself up over it, since she does consume a green smoothie every morning. Regardless of whatever she decides she’s in the mood for, our child will devour her green smoothies. I feel it’s important to add (if even simply for self-justification) we’ve always opted out of the less healthy common brands such as ie. Aunt Jemima, Bisquick, Hungry Jack, etc.
I started my “Professional Pancake Maker” skills with Bob’s Red Mill, and Maple Grove Farms pancake mixes. These tend to require more ingredients and time. So far, she’s not into blueberry, banana, or strawberry pancakes, so in an attempt to make them healthier I felt the need to add Trader Joe’s Raw Shelled Hemp Seed to them. I went from making two days worth of pancakes to a weeks worth of pancakes that I could freeze. Knowing my husband’s financially savvy ways, I ran into the issue of how much we were spending on these more natural brands. Because it would be one less thing for Mrs. Fix It, to fret about (or so it always seems)…I had to find a better solution for this breakfast favorite, where I felt good about what our daughter was ingesting and where I also didn’t feel trapped on spending on the higher end of the pancake mix price spectrum. This is not to say that I don’t see or respect the value and process of buying organic and all natural items. I mean, a large chunk of our business brand is based on this whole concept, but…it’s pancakes dude. No offense to pancake mix makers. We just want to make the best of our little one’s hopefully temporary phase of pancake obsession, while it’s ever so present in our morning routine.
If you’re reading this and you’ve made a family of your own, here’s a side note and opportunity to jive with me: There’s this irony I’ve found myself laughing, grinning, smirking, and mentally slapping myself in front of the mirror about. Wifehood and Motherhood has somehow possessed me with an innate desire to consistently keep both my child AND my husband happy at the SAME TIME and at ANY given time. I’m well aware this is a virtually impossible conquest. But, still I stupidly yearn for it and voluntarily set myself up to be defeated by it here and there. No guts. No glory. I suppose? Am I right or wrong? Tell me. Have you noticed yourself thinking of priorities in life differently and battling between the old and new you after family life? Are you in a weird way upset at being happy at the new you’s point of view, only because the old you feels you put yourself last more often than you’re used to? I know there are many of us who have felt this and in sharing with you, I welcome you to leave a comment of your own below. I think it’s a good thing to have this new found trait in ourselves, even if it is a bit overwhelming. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Moving forward, a while back I took a nice drive over to the nearest Trader Joe’s (about 40 minutes or so away). I found they had a Trader Joe’s Protein Pancake Mix. Let’s just say, everyone was happy at this point. It met all of our requirements, and then some. All I had to do was add water to these and they smell and taste delicious. It didn’t surprise me, as there have been but maybe one or two TJ’s items we didn’t enjoy. I used to add the same hemp to these too or I’d throw in a couple chocolate chips on each pancake as a nice surprise. I’m telling you, I’ve gotten so good at making pancakes, I could take a busy Saturday morning pancake making shift at IHOP blindfolded. Ha! Siiiike! Seriously though, I am pretty darn good at it now. I decided for my own pure amusement to make letter shaped pancakes and was serving three letter words for her breakfast (see image in gallery above). LOL. The gratification for these masterpieces lasts only a few seconds, as I end up cutting them into little pieces for her to eat. Outside of plain bread, she doesn’t like to touch her food with her hands. My uncle Manolo, would be so proud. All and all, I think they’re worth it. Her face screams pure joy when she sees them on her plate.
Going back to chocolate chips though…Have you tried Kodiak Cakes mixes? Sometimes, in between the monthly grocery runs to Trader Joe’s, we visit our local ShopRite(s). It was during one of our visits that I found these great new options for our Frankie’s pancake craze. We’ve tried all the Kodiak flavors they have to offer at our ShopRite(s). You can find them in the organic aisle. What I really like about these is that in addition to the “just add water” recipe, they also give an “add egg and/or milk” recipe option for added protein. I find this super helpful because it allows me to maintain the quality of her food intake. For instance, I’ve noticed she has an off week or streak of days where she eats less for dinner or just isn’t as hungry throughout the day. I used to worry about this until Devin told me he was the same as a child. This is when I add the egg and milk to the mix. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is something that can be done with mostly all pancake mixes. I might’ve even seen it on another box before. I can’t recall. But, I like that I can do this with these protein ones. In comparison between Trader Joe’s Pancake Mix and Kodiak’s Pancake Mixes, I would say TJ’s is slightly healthier in that it has no added sugars, more Calcium, less ingredients, and I like that I don’t see the term “natural flavor” in there. But, the Kodiak’s do pack in more protein.
For the last couple of weeks and in anticipation for the Easter Holiday, I bought a bunny cookie cutter to spruce up the old pancake making technique. Remember when I explained how she doesn’t like fruit IN her pancakes? Well, she will eat them if they are placed on the side, in a separate bowl/plate, or placed on top of her pancakes to make cute bunny faces (see image in gallery above). I’m thoroughly content now in that she still gets to enjoy pancakes almost every morning, I get to relax a little having peace of mind, and because the grocery bill doesn’t show $20 worth for 2 boxes of pancake mix, my husband remains innocently clueless as to any of this dilemma I’ve masterfully executed then delivered myself from within the last couple of months. All in the name of unrequited love. I’ll have you know, this month I’m buying them in bulk from Amazon and adding them to our Subscribe and Save cart with a delivery for every 6 months (see links below, for more info). I like that I’ll have them delivered to my home for free, I’ll be saving a few bucks, and I won’t have to worry about adding pancake mix to my grocery list for a long while. This my dearies is the kind of thing that keeps us as cool as a cucumber these days. What once would’ve been a boring conversation for me, has now turned into a interestingly funny one I felt inclined to write about just for you.
Oh! Those two other job titles I’ve acquired are “Toy Repairer” and “Stuffed Animal Ventriloquist”. There is no toy my glue gun or super glue and I can’t fix. There is no stuffed animal too small, too big, or unlikely to speak English or Spanish in real life. I can get them ALL to talk (I have a self-taught assorted list of voices and accents now) and dance for our little, Frankie Jane. It’s too bad these titles aren’t formal enough to add to my professional work resume or even on my outdated LinkedIn Profile. Ah! Shucks!
Products Mentioned
Kodiak Cakes Power Cakes, Dark Chocolate Flapjack and Waffle Mix, 18 Oz
Kodiak Cakes Pancake Power Cakes, Flapjack & Waffle Mix, Chocolate Chip, 18 Ounce (Pack of 6)
Easter Bunny Cookie Cutter Set -5 Pieces - Different Shapes Stainless Steel
XOXO, Stells
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