Post-Party Pancakes

“OUUUEEEEAAAA”

I woke with a start, my head pounding, the room familiar but not mine, my contact lenses turned to dust on the floor.

Scribbled doodle hearts all over my knee, lipstick smeared across my face, someone else’s shirt and shorts.

What happened?

I heard a low groan somewhere nearby but I couldn’t see her. I couldn’t help her. I forgot my glasses.

“Panncakkes?”

Thank God. It was just Callie. Who else would ask for pancakes that early in the morning? And she was exactly right. We had a rough night, we needed them.

As I measured and whisked, whipped and folded, I tried to remember what led me to this state of extreme frazzlement, of tousled hair, bruised legs, sticky skin and pancake craving.

A super-tight red dress with a feather boa draped around my neck, a few too many vodka sodas, making out with a not-so-strange stranger – he was nice. Callie and I were definitely mistaken for hookers on the streets of Southeast in our Cher Horowitz costumes… ah yes.. it was all coming back to me.

Callie roused herself at the smell of melting butter and the sound of sizzling batter and began to make us some tea.

We sat crossed legged on her living room floor, not mentioning the embarrassing moments from the night before, just eating our pancakes and plucking boa feathers from our feet.

The hangover, and a few unfavorable fuzzy recollections from the night before, started to creep up on me. Thankfully, the pancakes were working their magic. The hearty whole wheat, the sticky sweet syrup, that half melted butter sliding around – all part of the remedy I desperately needed.

The light started to sneak through her blinds and create long rays of gold accented with swirling dust. It was groggy bliss.

I was immeasurably happy, probably still a little drunk and glad to split a stack of Post Party Pancakes with Callie on a lovely Sunday morning nearly two years ago.

I love the mix. You know the mix I am talking about. I grew up on it. But there comes a time in every kind-of-adult’s life when you realize making pancakes from scratch is too easy. So then you do.

Mix together whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together milk, eggs, and maple extract. Pour over dry ingredients and mix in. Some lumps in the batter are okay.

Stir in melted butter.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat. Once hot, add about 1/2 a cup of batter. When the pancake starts to bubble around the edges, flip it.

Cook for another 1 – 2 minutes on the second side until the pancake is puffed and cooked through.

PJ clad and picking up the pieces from the night before.

Just look at those flapjacks!

Just two girls, trying to remember while hoping to forget, eating pancakes and getting by. Photo credit: Cristina. Leg Credit: Callie.

Recipe/Story Credit: ME!