Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes

You know faint breakfast smell when you're half asleep on Sunday morning. The one where your eyes aren't even open yet but you smell bacon and pancakes cooking. This always brings me back to my childhood. Jumping out of bed but realizing it's chilly (i'm a California wimp when it comes to the cold) so I throw on a sweatshirt and tip toe on the crisp hardwood into the kitchen to find my dad reading the newspaper and drinking out of a coffee cup I painted on when I was in 4th grade. It is an ugly off white that scribbles "#1 dad on it" because he TOTALLY is the #1 dad. It's probably the ugliest little coffee mug in the collection but he always uses it. My mom is standing at our stove flipping the last of the pancakes. "I am the Walrus is echoing in the background" because it's Sunday with the Beatles on the radio. My dad always listens to Sunday with the Beatles. 

This is what Sunday was ten years ago. 

Sunday's are for pancakes but I suppose Sunday's always make me feel a bit nostalgic as well. Maybe because I'm headed home for thanksgiving soon and these memories will be brought back in a small way. I remember this last christmas break I came home and brought Jared with me. It was a little humorous sitting there with my mom and dad to my left and right at our same kitchen table, eating the same breakfast and suddenly Jared was across from me where there used to be an empty seat at the breakfast table. 

It's funny how things have changed and yet they haven't changed at all.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes

wet ingredients
1 Cup of pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
1 1/2 Cup of milk
1 Egg
4 Tablespoons of melted butter
1 Teaspoon of vanilla extract 

dry ingredients
2 Cups all purpose flour
3 Teaspoons baking powder
2 Teaspoons baking soda
2 Teaspoons pumpkin spice
1 Teaspoon cinnamon
1 Teaspoon of salt

maple syrup + pumpkin seeds + butta (+more for skillet) for garnish
*chocolate chips optional

*yields about 20 small pancakes

In two large bowls mix together your wet and dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients until light and fluffy for about two minutes. Add in dry ingredients in two batches mixing well after each set. Transfer batter to a measuring cup for an easier pour. Note* if batter is too think it can be thinned with more milk to reach desired consistency. Heat skillet to medium high with generous amount of butter. Once batter starts to bubble add chocolate chips and flip.