Pumpkin Pancakes

I'm not at my best at 6AM. There, I said it. When I start to hear the thumpity-thump stirrings of little legs that will soon be sticking cold feet into my bed with me usually my brain jumps to something like "Oh, crud. Is there something for breakfast that they can get themselves?"

Our family's smallest members eat a lot of trader joes cereal bars, mozzerella cheese sticks, yogurt, and muffins for breakfast. They are quick and easy and they can help themselves while I figure out which side of my end table I left my glasses on.

Pancakes are a great make ahead food. They are inexpensive and easy to make and they can be eaten cold straight out of the fridge. Or if the kids aren't impatient, it takes me 10 seconds to heat them in the microwave (not something my oldest is ready to be using yet).

I have been using a Betty Crocker recipe for pancakes for years. I stick with them because they are super fluffy and taste like the bisquick ones. I was concerned that the addition of pumpkin would make them flat but they turned out nearly as fluffy as the original. I think we'll be making this one regularly.

Pumpkin Pancakes:

1 cup flour (I use 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat)

1 TBS sugar

1 TBS baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup pureed pumpkin

2 TBS oil or melted butter (I use oil)

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp vanilla (optional)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until desired consistency. I like a fluffy, thicker pancake so I make my batter as shown. If using whole wheat flour in part, like I do, the mixture will thicken a little as it sits. I like to let my batter rest about 10 minutes before I begin using it.