Sundays at Rancho DeDay is Pancake Day. It’s our tradition around here. What’s for breakfast Sunday? Pancakes! Only, I have to admit I’m lazy. I make my pancakes from a mix. Sometimes I go crazy and whip out the blender and mix up a batch from scratch. I used to take pride in my scratch pancakes (that you mix up in the blender, so it’s still pretty easy). But then I had an epiphany: The kids will eat the box-mix pancakes just as fast as the from-scratch 'cakes. And it’s fewer steps and less clean-up. So mostly now it’s box-mix pancakes.
Not just any box-mix though. We only use The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix. (We don’t make the waffles though. Just won’t happen.) None of that Bisquick stuff for us. No way! And you know The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix is good, it won an award. Not just any award, like for nicest box or prettiest artistic rendering of a fictional spokes model either. This is a Big Time Award. The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix won the Best of Show Taste Award from the prestigious American Tasting Institute.
You’ve heard of them, right? The American Tasting Institute? Me neither. Is this a real Institute? Of course it is because they gave The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix a big ol’ award. It says so right on the side of the box. But who the heck is The American Tasting Institute? No one knows. How do you get nominated for the Taste Award from the American Tasting Institute? It’s a mystery. These Taste Awards, are they broadcast anywhere, even on one of those way too specific cable stations (like The Sock Network, or Knitting TV)? Probably not. How do you even get into the American Tasting Institute? This one I think I can answer.
To get into the American Tasting Institute, you really have to like The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix. That’s probably the first question they ask you when you fill out an application to join up.
With The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix you don’t just have to make plain old regular pancakes either. Right under the award they got from the American Tasting Institute they have recipes for extra special pancakes. For Chunky Pecan pancakes they say to add some pecans. For Blueberry pancakes, you stick some blueberries in there. Cinnamon & Brown Sugar? Use some brown sugar and some cinnamon. Apples & Cinnamon? You use some cinnamon all-righty, but here’s the big surprise- instead of using apples you stick some applesauce in the batter. (I bet you didn’t see that one coming.) So you can make some real swank pancakes with The Original Aunt Jemima Pancake & Waffle Mix. If you want. Which we don’t. Because the boys eat the regular ones just fine.
-Rue.