Wild Card Wednesday: A Cure for The Grandparent Hangover

Have you ever heard of the Grandparent Hangover? Probably not because I just made it up.

The Grandparent Hangover is the condition I find children in after spending over 2 weeks at their grandparents’ house eating and doing anything their sweet little hearts desire, only to return home to reality and rules and non-sugar cereal. There’s a lot of whining when their requests aren’t met immediately, continual cries of “that’s not fair”, and shaking fits from the sudden lack of dyes, artificial flavoring, and sugar in their diets.

When we visit with my parents, I make a commitment to pause my label-reading tendencies and allow my mom and dad to spoil my children as they please. I feel they’ve earned the right since they brought me into the world, fed and clothed me for 18 years, and then paid thousands of dollars for my college education. This is the very least that I can do in return. So I turn a blind eye as my children consume a vast array of unhealthy foods, from potted meats to Krispie Kreme Doughnuts because I know I have an ace in the hole when we get home and detox begins: Oatmeal Pancakes.

Just the thought of these pancakes makes me feel good, and their tastiness has an amazing ability to ease the effects of The Grandparent Hangover because the kids don’t notice that they’ve gone from eating Meme and Pawpaw’s food to eating mine. Better yet, they’re easy and healthy enough to add to your normal breakfast rotation. Best of all, they’ll keep you “regular”, if you know what I mean.

Alright, on that note, let’s get to the recipe. But first a quick note about pancake syrup. Our family made the transition from pancake syrup to pure Maple syrup about a year ago and I haven’t looked back since. I know it’s more expensive, but if you read the label on pancake syrup, it’s disturbing, and besides, maple syrup just tastes better and real. Disagree with me if you like, but I’ll stick to my guns on this one.

Okay, now the recipe:

Oatmeal Pancake

2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk (If you don’t have buttermilk, relax; there are alternatives. Just pour about a tablespoon of vinegar in the bottom of your measuring jug and then add enough regular milk to reach the 2 cup mark. Let it set for about 5 minutes, and ta-dah, homemade buttermilk.)
1 cup quick-cooking oats (not instant)
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tbsp. molasses or honey
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Maple Syrup and/or butter

In a large bowl, mix eggs and buttermilk. Add oatmeal, oil, and molasses/honey, and mix. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and mix till combined. I cook these on my trusty little countertop griddle, and they come out beautifully golden brown every time, and the aroma is simply sensational. Go ahead and up the healthy rating of these by throwing some fresh fruit on top. Good-bye Grandparent Hangover…for now.