I’m not one for resolutions. It’s not that I don’t see the use in them or make goals myself, but my sometimes-too-realist point of view prevents me from taking them seriously. Why make these sweeping resolutions when the reality is that they’ll be forgotten by March, if not sooner?
One thing I am in favor of is lists. The Notes app on my phone is full of them. Groceries, to-dos, important dates, thank-you notes to write, packing lists before trips—they’re all there. To some, it might seem like overkill. To me, it’s a life-preserving measure, since I will promptly forget something if I don’t write it down.
And even though I’m not usually a resolution-maker, I created a Note the other day with some…goals for 2026. After an expensive holiday season, most of these goals are ways to help us save some money this year, including ideas for cutting back on eating out. My husband is the main cook in our family, so if he doesn’t feel like whipping something up, I’m usually the first person to suggest that we pick something up instead (oops). Also, it’s incredibly easy to get into a “treat yourself” mindset à la Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation. Made it through the week with two kids under two? Treat yourself to Friday happy hour after work. Made it through a Saturday when your toddler didn’t want to go down for his nap? Treat yourself to the restaurant with the outdoor area for him to run around and get energy out to salvage bedtime. Made it through Sunday morning mass without either baby making a loud noise during a silent portion of the service? Treat yourself to brunch afterward. Are all of our eating out excursions related to the stresses of parenthood and trying to relieve ourselves of them with a little real-world exposure outside the confines of our den or the local park? Treat yourself to the correct answer, yes.
People who are successful with resolutions always offer up the same advice: Make them realistic and specific. With that in mind, I set a goal to only eat out once per weekend, with the acknowledgment that some weekends we won’t eat out at all (go us!) and others, there might be family in town or special events that cause us to eat out more than once (not the end of the world!). One of the easiest ways to achieve that result was to cut out our post-church brunch habit. Even though it’s nice to get out of the house since we’re already dressed up for mass, we were spending way too much on those Sunday brunches. So I had a suggestion for my husband: To make Sundays still feel special, what if we started a tradition of sorts, like pancake Sundays? Every week after church, we’ll come home and make pancakes together. As the person who would admittedly be making the pancakes, he was surprisingly on board.
How I Picked Our Pancake Recipe
Credit:
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
I headed to the Southern Living website to find a recipe that could become “ours” for pancake Sundays. Even though buttermilk pancakes come to mind when you think of a Southern recipe, we didn’t have buttermilk on hand. And in the name of saving some coin in 2026, I noticed that because it called for whole milk instead of buttermilk, the only thing we’d have to buy to make Southern Living’s Old-Fashioned Pancakes was maple syrup. Cha ching.
What You’ll Need To Make Old-Fashioned Pancakes
Credit:
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
If I had all but one ingredient to make this recipe, I’m guessing you have most of them as well. One item that initially stuck out to me on the list was cinnamon. My husband loves to add a dash of cinnamon to most baked goods and even his coffee, so I knew he would like this recipe. All the ingredients are easily accessible and, like I said, probably already in your kitchen: AP flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, milk, butter, vanilla, and eggs. As with any classic pancake recipe, you can toss in blueberries, chocolate chips, or even chopped bacon to up the flavor and texture.
How To Make Old-Fashioned Pancakes
Credit:
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
As simple and easy as this recipe is, there are some important directions to follow if you want the results to taste and look their best. First, be sure to let your milk and eggs come to room temperature before you begin. This will prevent any texture mishaps with your batter. After combining the wet ingredients in one bowl and the dry ingredients in another, stir the two together gently until just combined. Our Test Kitchen recommends using a silicone spatula for this step for a soft touch. Then proceed to the hardest part of the recipe: Let your batter stand for 15 to 30 minutes. As impossible as it may feel to wait to fire up the griddle or skillet, this step is another safeguard that ensures your pancakes will be fluffy and light instead of flat and sad.
The Results
Credit:
Stacy K. Allen; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
This Old-Fashioned Pancakes Recipe is just what we needed to start our year on a happy note. It’s easy to prepare and delivers nostalgic flavor (with a welcome hint of cinnamon!) to the breakfast table. We can’t wait to try different add-ins and variations of it, and it’s pretty cool to think we just started a tradition that my son and daughter will look forward to throughout their childhood, even long after we’re out of the “made it through” stage of parenting that requires “treat yourself” moments.
Dining and Cooking