Multigrain Pancakes

I went through a stage when I ate these pancakes five days a week for about six months. I once made these pancakes to impress a guy - and his mother. I was so nervous and it was a disaster. I'm not sure what happened but I had to make a few substitutions and I may have doubled the baking powder by accident. Worst pancakes ever. We all sat there in silence trying to eat them. I tried disguising them with sliced bananas and chopped pecans. It didn't help. Not even a little bit. He never called me again after that. Life lesson: never try to impress a man with food.

1 cup large flake or old fashioned oats*
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
1/2 cup ground flax seeds
1 tbsp wheat germ (optional)
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups milk*
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil
2 eggs

1. Mix together dry ingredients.
2. Mix together wet ingredients.
3. Add wet to dry, stirring until just mixed. Don't abuse the batter! It won't forgive you!
4. Heat a non-stick skillet and spray with cooking spray or margarine or butter. You'll know it's hot enough if you throw a drop of water into the pan and it sizzles. Note: if you use cooking spray, the edges of the pancakes won't look as nice and crispy than if you used oil or margarine.
5. Pancakes are cooked on one side when the edges start to look dull and the bubbles burst. Flip them over and let them brown on the second side, which doesn't take very long. 
6. If the batter is too thick, which often happens to me when I turn my back for a minute, just stir in extra milk.

* Don't use Quick Oats. That was my first substitution disaster.
* You can find whole wheat pastry flour at the Bulk Barn. I really wish grocery stores would get on board with this one!
* You can substitute buttermilk and omit the lemon juice.