Confessions of a pancake whore.

Though I was never especially fond of pancakes as a kid--they were okay and all; I just preferred a good waffle or french toast--but lately, I've begun to see the power of the versatile breakfast flatbread that we call pancake.

And since I don't tend to keep eggs in the house, I've been making variations of vegan pancakes with varying success. The basic recipe is good enough (with a little vanilla for good measure), but I had to get crafty.

First I tried adding cinnamon and a little bit of chopped walnuts. The cinnamon wasn't very strong, but I still approved.

Today, I was jonesing to attempt a new variety: pumpkin.

So I started from scratch and roasted, then pureed, a pumpkin of unknown variety. It was a volunteer in Kevin's mom's garden. It smelled nice.

Then I followed the basic recipe, substituting 3 Tbsp. of pumpkin for the applesauce. Also, I used soy milk instead of water. I added some cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and chopped a handful of pecans. The result was a batter that was too thick and didn't cook very well, so I thinned it out with approximately 1/2 c. of water.

The pancakes were not fluffy like a traditional buttermilk type, but they are dense and flavorful. Well, I think I put a little too much spice in it, and taking a big ol' bite of nutmeg is not pleasant.

On a subject unrelated to pancakes, I still don't have my absentee ballot. This sucks. I don't know what to do. Bleh.

But I do have pancakes in my belly. That's just as good as voting for Democrats, right? No? Oh, well.