The Original Pancake House: Indy @ 86th & Ditch

In our Chicago vacation blog, we mentioned that we ate at a place called Walker Brothers, and we had GF pancakes. Well, the actual name of the restaurant is Walker Brothers Original Pancake House, and it’s a franchise of The Original Pancake House.

A couple of weeks ago, my parents were eating breakfast at the OPH in Noblesville, and they noticed that it had GF pancakes listed. I got super excited, because I’d been missing the GF pancakes from Chicago. I called the 86th and Ditch location in Indy, and they had the GF pancakes, too. Brandie and I met my parents, my GF sister, her husband and his daughter for breakfast for my birthday, and we (my sister and I) were very happy that we could eat the pancakes. They were very good, though I remember the ones at Walker Bros being better. Still, I got 8 good-sized GF pancakes for a price that wasn’t going to completely break the bank. I am very happy that there is a place near our house that has GF pancakes, but I’m afraid that I’ll keep bugging Brandie to take me for pancakes all the time.

Enjoy!

Review: Trader Joe's frozen pancakes

I really like these pancakes. I must admit that I enjoy taste and texture of the pancakes that Brandie makes with the Trader Joe’s Pancake Mix more, but the convenience of just popping these bad boys in the toaster straight from the box more than makes up for it.

http://www.traderjoes.com/

Product Review: Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix

Tommie and I had one of those weeks - a stressful week full of 'have to's' and 'need to's' - so we decided to treat ourselves to a yummy breakfast of pancakes in our p.j.s. Well, this weekend we searched in the pantry and decided to make some Pamela's pancakes. Now we are big fans of Pamela's brownies - they're delicious and last longer then most GF brands. Plus Pamela's is one of those staples that you can find at most local stores (including Georgetown Market, Whole Foods and some of the Krogers and Meijers among others). I can't tell you why it has taken us so long to attempt Pamela's pancakes but believe me when I say we'll be eating them again.

This weekend I made the pancake mix as directed by the package - I didn't make any of my own changes. The directions are easy to understand and you only need the basic GF additives - an egg, oil, water, etc. The pancakes cook up quickly, like gluten-ful pancakes and the texture was spot on.

There were slight (absolutely minor) details though and here are my suggestions on how to get the best pancake out of the mix:
1. add a little salt to the mix - the pancakes were a little bland and some salt would bring out the flavor of the flours more
2. the mix is pretty thick so don't just plop some batter on the griddle - you'll need to move it around; the mix will not thin out and the inside of your pancake will not be cooked while the outside is.
3. do not apply syrup and let the pancakes sit - I would wait to put syrup on them until you're ready to eat, especially if you add a bucket of syrup to your pancakes like Tommie does. The pancakes will start to dissolve and you're left more with a syrup-pancake puddle.

Other then that - I give Pamela's pancakes a 4 out of 5! They're easy and yummy. If you add some salt, I bet your breakfast guests wouldn't even know they were GF. Price: this product can run anywhere from around $4.00 - $6.00 depending on where you shop. If you would like to learn more about Pamela's brand foods you can visit their website at: http://www.pamelasproducts.com/index.html

Product Review: Trader Joe's GF Pancake & Waffle Mix

Tommie and I love Trader Joe's for many reasons but in particular, they offer great products for a great price. On our last visit we found this mix and decided to try it after we were pleasantly surprised with their brownie mix. The pancake mix is around $3.00 - making it one of the cheapest on the market - and it simple and quick to prepare. The mix makes a large amount of pancakes and they are delicious!!! Just follow the instructions and you'll have no problem - there are no tricks to this mix. Ther is a recipe for coffee cake on the side and we'll definitely have to try that next - we'll let you knowI give this product 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it. Trader Joe's hasn't let us down yet. In the case you do buy the mix and don't like it - Trader Joe's will give you your money back - just make sure you keep the receipt.