PUPPY’S PANCAKES

When I was a little boy, I adored my Grandfather. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't pronounce his name, “"Poppy"”, like I was supposed to. It always came out "Puppy"; and apparently I was pretty stubborn about it, so after a while it just stuck. And to tell you the truth, I think he kind of liked it. And one of the other things my Puppy liked to do was make me pancakes. As far back as I can remember, every day at my Grandparents house would start with his making me and my brother and sister pancakes. It was so much fun. And if we smiled the right way, he would even let us takes turns helping him to make the pancakes. But the fun wouldn't stop there. It seemed that every one our pancake friends had its own distinct history and story to tell. Or maybe we would ask Puppy if he ever met a pancake named "so-and-so"”, and whether he might introduce us. It was a great way to start the day, and somehow through the fun and creative process of making those pancake friends, I felt that I grew closer to my Puppy, and discovered things about him that I might otherwise never have known. So perhaps, not surprisingly, when the day came that I was blessed with my own Grandchildren, I stubbornly insisted on being called their “Puppy”. And as soon as they could utter a word, I would ask if they wanted to meet some of my pancake friends. And as soon as they could stand on a stool, I would ask if they could help their hopeless Puppy to make the pancake batter, one step at a time. And as soon as they started to flip through their fairy tales and comic books, I would ask if they’d like to meet their favorite little heroes in person. And so the tradition continued. Not that the experience is identical in every way to what it was, more than sixty years ago, when my Puppy was at the grill. Needless to say, times are ever changing. And with them, the many forms and faces of our pancake friends, and the varieties of sweetness with which they express themselves, keep changing as well. But some things never change. Whether the eyes gleaming up from the grill are blueberries or chocolate chips, or the smiles beaming up from the plate are sliced strawberries or cherry licorice, the unique opportunity of a Grandfather to bond with his Grandchildren through the joyful process of bringing these creatures into being will, I believe, always remain the same. And so, I invite all you Grandfathers out there, together with your Grandkids, to join me and my Grandkids as we make this effort to introduce you to some of the pancake friends we have made in the recent past. We will take this journey together, step by step. First, we will outline some of the basic preparatory steps (mixing of batter and gathering of utensils and other “secret ingredients”) that need to be put in place before it is possible to make any pancake friends on an individual basis. Then, after these basic first steps, we will turn to the heart of the book, by introducing you personally to some of our most favorite pancake friends. We will do this, in each case, through a short poem and a picture of the individual pancake, followed by more detailed instructions on how to make that pancake a special friend of your very own. We hope very much that these small selections of our delicious pancake friends will find their way not only into your stomachs, but also into your hearts. But make no mistake, there are many more friends where those came from, in case you may wish to meet them. And most of all we hope that by introducing you to this small group of pancake friends, we will embolden you and your Grandkids to make many new pancake friends of your own, so that our global society of pancake creations may increase and flourish into the future for many years to come.