Everyone knows that a romantic dinner is the classic choice for a Valentine’s Day date, but what some don’t know is that an at-home dinner can be even more memorable and special than a fancy restaurant. This article will provide you with the best cooking option that is bound to impress your significant other… with a little twist. Instead of an at-home dinner, surprise them with a breakfast in bed!

Over winter break I visited my grandparents in Minnesota, and I came across a laminated piece of paper that looked pretty old. After close examination, I realized that it was a family pancake recipe dating back to 1936! It was titled: “My father’s personal recipe for delicate, delicious, dainty, tasty, tender, tidy, pancakes”. In addition to the elaborate title, the recipe had a P.S. at the bottom reading: “If the above is followed carefully and conscientiously, the result is warranted to win the heart of the prospect and cement the ties of matrimony firmly from day to day – week to week, month to month, and year to year.”  

So obviously this is the perfect recipe for the occasion! Keep in mind it’s from a completely different generation, so there is some old jargon.

1- Buy a quart of good buttermilk.

2- Use a dish that is deep and will hold 2 quarts – bowl, stew, kettle or what-have-you.

3- Dump buttermilk into the dish.

4- Put in 1 – 1 ½ teaspoonfuls of soda – Arm and Hammer brand. 

5- Put in a good heaping of salt – not rock salt.

6- Break in two fresh laid eggs – any size between pigeon (1”) and goose egg (3”) measure. 

7- Butter – if you can afford it, melt Land O’ Lakes butter – a 1 ½ square inch hunk, or if you wish, take corn oil – about 1 heaping tablespoon full, when sizzling hot, pour into concoction.

8- Stir quick with egg beater ‘till thoroughly mixed. Put the griddle on to be warming up.

9- Now for the flour – use scoop (not shovel) or cup or what-have-you? Put in a double handful -use egg beater ‘till well mixed. Put in more flout and beat her smore. Keep going cautiously; put in more flour ‘till too thick for egg beater. Pitch the egg beater and grab big spoon with handle 10 to 12” long.Keep adding more flour – a little at a time and stir with big spoon ‘till batter is ‘bout like half-cool syrup in thickness and when lifted with big spoon and poured out 12” from dish it doesn’t go plop – but flows off smooth-like and evenly. If you know how thick enamel paint should be, that’s about the consistency the batter should be – maybe a trifle thicker.

10- Now you should have a smooth, fine-grained (no lumps) goo, so put in 3 heaping teaspoons full of baker powder.

11- Now stir with big spoon again, until baking powder is well scattered through the mess.

12- When you have arrived at this point, the griddle should be hot ‘nuff; just right – not too hot nor hot ‘nuff. Test it. Put a drop or 2 of hot water on the griddle; if it is right, the drop will dance around with not too much sizzle.

13- Now take a big spoonful of goo (about 1 ½ tablespoons full) drop it on the gridiron, flatten it out with spoon ‘till about 4-4 ½” diameter – when holes appear, peek at the underside – if it’s a light tobacco brown, flop it. If the color is even over it all, the griddle is OK; if the color is too pale, the griddle is not hot ‘nuff; if the color is streaked, some near burned some white, the thing is too damn hot. Turn the heat down some.