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@ redfish - I find that perspective so interesting - it's precisely the opposite viewpoint I hold! I think it's so silly to pay for pancakes when they're so easy to make at home, not to say that I don't do it every once in a while. I suppose I see the benefit though, since there's invariably a gigantic mess to deal with every time I tackle pancakes at home - not to mention the first batch that always seems to fall victim to my incapacity to properly regulate the temperature of the pan...

OK - I am pretty sure I'm not an idiot, but I legitimately do not understand this concept at all. The inside tastes like bacon, egg, AND cheese? All in a neat cheeze-whizesque package? How does this possibly make sense? Shouldn't the cracker at least taste like egg? I'm not hating on the Combo - it was good to me as a youngin', but why - why - why make the faux cheese taste like egg. What's next? Gefilte fish and horseradish? A congealed tube of Passover tucked within a neat little matzoh cracker.

kathy in oakland - 25 pounds? is the bar really that stressful? I mean I know it is, but that real world account just kind of scared the shit out of me I'm going to end up eating my own arm by the end of this summer, aren't I?

I'm Shelby, 24, from New York but living in Chicago for a few more months until I finish up law school, take the bar exam and head back home. One of my parents cooked almost every day of the week when I was growing up, and I have an uncle who owns a catering hall, so I guess it's natural that I took to the oven too.

I started a food blog a few months back, Shelbs & Cheese, and would love if you would all stop by and say hello! So nice to meet you all!

For a snack, I love roasted chickpeas. They're great for you, take no real effort at all to make, have a great crunchy texture and are incredibly cheap.

My parents were on a road trip to Indianapolis a while back, and I had found a place called Clifton Mill, in Ohio, that seemed to be up their alley. They brought back some pancake mix, and my girlfriend and I enjoyed it quite a bit. So, if you're wherever this place is in Ohio, I can't help but recommend it:

http://www.cliftonmill.com/

I tend to use Bisquick mix and add a few extras - usually a bit of baking soda to add a little air. This trick helps a lot with multigrain pancake mixes or if you use soy milk which can otherwise make the pancakes heavy and dense. And a wire whisk is a must for making fluffy pancakes. Whatever mix I'm using, I like to use 2 small frying pans simultaneously to cook the perfect size pancakes - then put them in a casserole dish wrapped in a towel to keep them hot and not soggy. I also prefer homemade pancakes with real maple syrup and fresh fruit.

@ohmygod: I think not. I really prefer Bisquick. And seriously, I live in the maple syrup belt, but will only dress my pancakes with the fakest of fake: reduced calorie, fake butter flavored amber-colored goo. I only eat pancakes and french toast in the privacy of my own home...I would probably be judged and banished if I asked for that stuff at the local breakfast joint.

I like food. I like to cook. I'm a damn good cook. I like Aunt Jemima pancake mix. Am I a bad person?

If it was that runny, sounds like you screwed up the recipe, either by accident or on purpose.

("I don't think tall pancakes, so I added extra milk", or, "I don't like eggs, so I left them out", or, "it doesn't need that much oil/butter, so I put in half as much", or, "I don't have a griddle, so I used a non-stick pan, and I didn't want to get it too hot since I have a parrot").