Baking, I am.

My most halting concern about spending 8 months in Arkansas-living with and mooching off of our families: I wouldn't be in my kitchen. For it is in one's own kitchen that one can move fluidly from the pantry to the utensil drawer to the pink Kitchen Aid mixer. And it is in anyone else's kitchen that one finds oneself completely lost and flustered as to where the darn fill-in-the-blank is!

But, I am very happy to report that I only have two, new kitchens to learn. And these two kitchens have welcomed me with open arms. I spend most of my days in the kitchen of my gracious, hospitable mother-in-law, who has allowed me to turn it upside-down on several baking occasions. And I have been spending weekends at my mom's where I simply cannot not bake for her and my sisters.

So, thankfully, I have already had many opportunities to bake for the people I love. One of these opportunities was making pancakes for Grammie and Poppy, and tomorrow morning my eldest sister will be graced by their consumption as well. Seriously, y'all, they are g-o-o-d. See, I LOVE pancakes, and I spent years trying to find the perfect recipe which would yield the yummiest pancakes ever. I finally found it, made minor tweaks, and here it is!

Yummy, Fluffy Pancakes

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour*

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1-3/4 cups milk**

1/2 cup butter-flavored shortening, melted***

1) Melt the shortening in a small container in the microwave. Preheat griddle to 350-400 degrees--that depends on whether your griddle is on the hot side or cool.

2) Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium-large bowl. Then combine the eggs and milk in a separate bowl.

3) Pour the milk and eggs into the dry ingredients and stir just a bit. Then pour in the shortening and stir till most of the lumps are out. (If you put the shortening directly into cold milk and eggs it will stiffen back up.)

4) Fry 'em up, baby!

5) I always keep my pancakes warm in a 150-200 degree oven. Nothing's worse than cold pancakes! I use a dish that I can uncover and recover easily--also don't want them getting dry.

*If you absolutely HAVE to use whole wheat flour, go ahead. But they just aren't the same. Make them first with all-purpose flour, and you'll know what I'm talking about. I have a completely different recipe when I want to use whole wheat. There is a time and place for everything. And I think there is even a place in HEAVEN for these pancakes!

**Once you have everything stirred together, you might need to add a splash of milk. You don't want your batter too thin, but also not too think. There's a perfect in-between somewhere in there. (And I have been known to use half-n-half when in a pinch. ;) Even better!

***If you don't have butter-flavored shortening, use the white stuff--but add 1-2 tsp. of butter flavored extract. It makes the pancakes sing!