I used the pancake batter mix to make bacon pancakes and let me tell you... 

I had to start out with cooked bacon, so I threw some slices into the cast iron pan. 

While they cooked, I mixed together 2 cups of pancake mix with 2 eggs and 1 cup of milk.

When the bacon was cooked, I slapped it onto the electric griddle.

Around each slice of bacon, I poured pancake batter.

Flipped:

Enjoyed!

The best part (other than eating it with a little maple syrup) was the bacon-ey flavor left on the griddle.  I cooked up the rest of the pancake batter on it and they were out of this world.

This post was shared on Real Food Wednesday and Food Friday:Bacon!

In preparing for the arrival for our new baby, I have been making as many things to freeze as possible.  This pancake mix is one of them!  It can be used for waffles and biscuits, too, but I usually make pancakes with it.  

The hardest part of making the pancake mix is cutting the butter into the flour... and even that isn't that hard.  Nonetheless, I felt compelled to make it easier on myself.  I took a whole chunk (1 cup) of frozen butter and popped it into the food processor.

I let the butter go until it formed little butter balls.  In the meantime, I mixed together the dry ingredients (5 cups of flour, 1/4 cup baking powder, 2 T coconut palm sugar, and 1 t salt.

The butter was done, so I added it into the dry ingredients and stirred it together.

Now, the mix is ready to store!  The pancake recipe uses 2 cups of mix at a time, so that is the amount I freeze in each bag.

In my family, the fall is full of birthdays.  While that is super fun, it is also super busy.  It is hard to make time for everyone to feel special and to be given their own day.  This year was especially challenging, because we had my grandfather's 85th birthday celebration on the same weekend as my father's birthday.  I wanted to do something to recognize my dad's day, but there are only so many nights that everyone can get together for dinner.  My solution?

Breakfast buffet!

On Sunday morning, my parents arrived at our house. 

The granola/yogurt station was set up.  (Home made granola/yogurt, dried bananas/cranberries/pinapples/strawberries/coconut/pomegranate seeds, walnuts, pecans, local honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar)

The fruit appetizer platter was constructed. (Starfruit, kiwis, and strawberries)

I manned the electric griddle flippin' pancakes...

While John handled the eggs.

 The finished products were customized for each person!  I apologize for the shadow-ey photos.  It was very early, and very bright. 

It was such an easy (and inexpensive!) way to celebrate his birthday.  He got a delicious home-cooked breakfast customized to his tastes.  We all got to enjoy time together without having to rush home from work to make it to dinner reservations.  All in all, it was a win!

This post was featured on Midnight Maniac's Meatless Monday and Let's Do Brunch!