He Equips the Called

I used to be the family's designated pancake maker. It wasn't because I was really good at it, it was just because I was better than anyone else at it. My pancake superiority peaked at "not burning all of them."

I had this itty bitty round skillet pan, arguably only large enough for one small grilled cheese sandwich (its original purchase purpose). Itty bitty round skillet pan was large enough, then, for two silver dollar pancakes at a time, poured precisely. Poured un-precisely, they united in one, "8" shaped, impossible to flip monster, or separated into two amoebas gripping the lip of the pan for dear life. Why did my pancake pan have a lip, anyway?

My slotted turner (the proper name for a pancake flipper) was mangled from years of improper use. Its thin edge had been burnt away and the nylon was shredding, and we would often find little black bits of plastic flavoring our flapjacks.

After a morning of pancaking, the house would smell like an IHOP for a couple of days, regardless of how many windows we opened or fans we turned on. It was, however, a small price to pay for not actually having to go to an IHOP for our pancakes.

Most days, I'd successfully cook up about 2/3 of the batter, losing a third to bad flips and erratic pan temperatures.

But that was before The Griddle.

I didn't ask for The Griddle. We were doing fine with our little system. I was kind of proud of my progress, of how well I was doing with what I had. But my sister asked for The Griddle, and two were purchased. Truth is, I didn't really want The Griddle, because I didn't know where I was going to put it. But The Griddle came anyway, and everything changed.

This is pancake making at its purest. At its most natural. This is what pancake making was intended to be. With very little help from me, The Griddle and its friend New Non-Target-Brand Slotted Turner, make perfect pancakes. And 7 or 8 at a time! The Griddle is portable - Pancakes on the Porch! It is dishwasher safe. And it is mine. Graciously bestowed on me, equipping me for every good pancake work. (it works for french toast, too)

We got by, before. If someone had stepped in and said, "look, I've been given this griddle and I would like to offer my mad pancake-making skillz in service to you," I might have said "no, thanks, we've got it under control. What, you don't like the way we're doing it?" But now I know.

He equips the called. And doggone it, if someone offers to make pancakes for you on The Griddle, let 'em.

(still looking for a place to put it.)