May 10, 2010

Ginger Ale Pancakes xo xo xo!!!

Mother's Day has always been a stressful day for me. I guess mostly because I have been conditioned that the day was not for me -- I thought, and still think, more of my own Mother: Marvelous Mother Martha, or MMM as we lovingly and gratefully call her in my clan :)

But I am a Mom -- I have three great kids (who are my life and breath) and I am thankful for their presence in my life every day and every hour that I live.

Why this sense of unease? Why do I feel unworthy; like I am never "enough", never worth praising or celebrating? In the past couple of years I have been trying to shake that negativity, and inside I do realize that "yes", it's okay to feel proud of my kids and that doesn't make me arrogant, and it's okay to want to celebrate my own motherhood -- and THAT doesn't make me selfish. It's okay to want to pursue the activities that bring me joy like my art, photography, time with gal pals and time outdoors.

A couple of years ago it just dawned on me that I had never really been celebrated as a Mother. The focus in my home has typically been, not even on my own Mother, but on my Mom-in-law -- who is a great gal, but she has raised her kids and has four children to honour her motherhood. Why do my kids have her as the focus of their Mother's Day? Am I wrong to want that day for myself as Mother with my children?

I don't think the whole "Mother's Day hijack" is a purposeful thing -- I think some parents just don' t want to face that the birdies have to leave the nest; nor do they even recognize that the birds have left! I think they are afraid of their own mortality.

Amateur psychoanalysis aside, I am taking back my Motherhood, piece by piece and learning that it's okay to celebrate that role and be comfortable with praise that I receive both as a Mother and more generally as a woman.

My highlight this year was my nine-year-old son's invention of Ginger Ale Pancakes -- it was his suggestion to alter the ingredients for our family recipe (from my junior high school home economics recipe book). Recipe follows, hope you will try and enjoy and that you will have the courage to celebrate your unique place in this world, whether as a Mom, daughter, Father, friend - whatever! You are important and only you can fill your shoes. Have a wonderful week xo!

K-Man's Ginger Ale Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup ginger ale
(My son wanted to substitute the milk for ginger ale, so we did it!)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. canola oil, plus 2 tsp. for frying
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. granulated white sugar

Preheat your griddle to medium-low heat, and drizzle/spread the 2 tsp. canola oil across the griddle. In a 4-cup bowl, beat the egg with 2 Tbsp. oil and stir in the ginger ale. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar and gradually stir into the wet mixture to form a smooth batter.

Drop by ladlefuls onto the preheated griddle. When bubbles begin to form on the surface of each pancake, flip over. The pancake will "sigh" -- that is rise slightly then fall slightly -- when done on the second side.

These pancakes are 50% airier than our regular recipe -- great with cinnamon and maple syrup or with butter and fruit syrup, such as raspberry.

Enjoy! Our next pancake experiment will be with cream soda to make pink, cotton-candy sweet treats xo!