Multigrain Pancakes

Last weekend, it was just Ben and I. Mom and child, with dad away for the weekend. I'm a good mom, I know this to be true, but being more accustomed to the tag-team approach to parenting, I prepared for the weekend by doing one simple thing: I cleared my schedule.

No freelance writing projects. No home improvements or pickle canning marathons. No birthday parties or play dates. It was just going to be me and my little man, giving him my full attention all weekend.  And it was awesome.

The simple practice of being an attentive parent made me realize how much time I spend not paying attention. I'm one of those women who try to "do it all" and multi-task three things at once. In the end, I'm left with that "it's good enough" feeling, having done nothing really well. And now suddenly, my child is 4 years old. When did that happen?

But this weekend, we did it up right: we ate kettle corn while watching Alvin and the Chipmunks, getting up to dance at every squeaky-voiced song. We played trains, then went to the zoo to ride on a "real" train. When we walked the dog and Ben asked if we could hike down to the river so our dog could swim, my first thought was 'Wow, this is going to take forever,' but I quickly replaced that thought with, 'Really, is there anything else more important right now?' We were the only people on that beachy patch of sand on that perfect autumn morning, throwing rocks into the river and finding twigs for our dog to fetch. It was a perfect moment that I could have easily missed.

And of course, we made pancakes, still in our pajamas, hands sticky with maple syrup by the time we were done. Ben is part of my cooking routine now. He loves cracking eggs, even though he hasn't quite mastered the art (helpful hint: it's easier to retrieve egg shell bits with another eggshell instead of your fingers) and whisking the flour, even though that means some powdery flour spills. He wants to help, and I'm more than happy to let him. After cooking with Ben, I may not have a clean kitchen, but it's worth it to spend some quality time with my favorite guy.

Multigrain Pancakes 
These are all whole grains, no white flour, but still light and delicious. I freeze the extras and warm them up again in the toaster for an easy weekday breakfast treat. To switch things up, you can use the batter in a waffle iron as well. Adapted from the amazing cookbook Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson.

1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup oat flour (or just grind some oatmeal in the blender)
½ cup rye flour
1½ tablespoons natural cane sugar (or just brown sugar)
1 tablespoon aluminium-free baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit, plus more for the skillet

Combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a seperate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs, add the butter, and whisk again.

Heat a griddle or skillet until medium-hot, brush with a bit of butter, and test the temperature. If a drop of water dances across the surface, you're in the ballpark. I always temper the skillet by cooking a smattering of batter before cooking the first round of pancakes.

When you're ready to make the pancakes, pour the wet ingredients over the dry, and stir until just combined. Pour batter into whatever size pancakes you want and cook until the bottoms are deep golden in color and the tops have set a bit, then use a spatula to flip the pancakes and cook the other sides until golden and the pancakes are cooked through. Repeat with the remaining batter. Serve warm topped with butter, and your favorite syrup. (I made some sauteed some apples for ours too.)