September 15, 2011 started out a lot like September 15, 2006.

Everyone asleep.  Everyone but me.

Waking up Zak and telling him it was time to go.

Getting dressed and moving around with hushed voices, get ready to leave the house in the wee hours of the morning.

The cat meowing and meowing and meowing as I tried to make my way to the door.

Except this year it was 5:55 AM, not 1:45 AM.  And this year we weren’t headed to the hospital, I was headed to the grocery store.  (The cat was still meowing and meowing and meowing though.)

But this year, instead bringing home our new baby,

I would be bringing home white flour for birthday pancakes.

(plus cat food.)

Because if it’s birthday pancakes the birthday girl wants, it’s birthday pancakes the birthday girl gets!  And if it’s flour that mom forgot at the store yesterday, it’s flour that mom goes back to get.

So here’s how to do a Birthday Pancake Breakfast for anyone who sweetly requests it.

Start with your tried and true pancake recipe. (Throw the word “birthday” in as needed.)

Homemade (Birthday) Pancakes

1 1/2 c flour (sometimes I’ll use a 50/50 blend, but white flour makes the fluffiest pancakes!)
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar (I subbed 1 Tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce)
1 1/4 c milk (I used almond)
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp butter, melted

Plus the addition of a little cinnamon and vanilla today too.

You could even throw in some canned pumpkin if you like,

but just skip it if that idea scares you.

Maybe you’ve got some little hands around that like to help,

cause we all know how little hands love to “help”.

Combine wet ingredients and dry ingredients, pour batter into a lightly oiled and already hot skillet. (medium heat).

Flip when they start to bubble.

And they sure do get bubbly.

Stick five candles in when the pancakes are ready – (or one candle for however many years old they are now).

And don’t let them pretend to be younger than they really are!

(You can always tell.)

Feel free to adorn your personal pile of birthday pancakes however you see fit.

(Bananas and almond butter are how I see fit.)

Try to act normal when you realize they’re another year older.

And don’t forget to give your birthday girl (or boy. or woman. or man.) a giant kiss.

Yup, not a whole lot has changed in five years – even when it seems like so very much has.