The Best Little Pancakes in Texas: My Homemade Pantry Pancake Mix Recipe

 

Pancake Recipe

Around our house, pancakes aren't just for weekends—they're just as likely to show up on the dinner table after a busy day. We love breakfast for supper, and having a homemade pancake mix already waiting in the pantry makes those evenings quick, inexpensive, and delicious.

Pancakes and eggs for dinner 

Last year I came across this recipe from the YouTube channel Our Tribe of Many, a family that cooks for a large household using simple pantry ingredients. Since trying it, it's become one of my favorite homemade mixes. I usually make half a batch, which fits perfectly into my half-gallon Mason jars and is always ready whenever we're craving pancakes.

Storing pancake mix in half gallon jars

I usually cook mine in a little olive oil, and I've also made a few changes to the original recipe that work well for my family. I use only half the sugar the recipe calls for, and on some batches I leave the sugar out completely. Surprisingly, we don't miss it, especially when serving the pancakes with fresh fruit or maple syrup.

If you decide to try them without sugar, I'd love to hear what you think!

Blueberry pancakes

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Homemade Pantry Pancake Mix 

Ingredients

• 9 cups all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups powdered milk
• ⅔ cup sugar (I usually use only half this amount.)
• 4 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons baking soda
• 4 teaspoons salt

Whisk everything together thoroughly and store in an airtight container or Mason jar.

I mix half of the recipe

Egg is optional

Homemade Pantry Pancake Mix (Half Batch)

Ingredients

• 4½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup powdered milk
• ⅓ cup sugar (I usually use only about 2½–3 tablespoons, or sometimes skip the sugar altogether.)
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons salt

Whisk all of the ingredients together until well combined. Store in an airtight container or a half-gallon Mason jar for quick homemade breakfasts.

Mini pancakes with sliced strawberries  

To Make 5–6 Pancakes

Combine:

• 1 cup pancake mix
• ¾ cup water (add a little more for thinner pancakes)
• 1 egg (optional—I add one when I want extra protein.)

Mix just until combined. Cook on a lightly oiled skillet or griddle over medium heat until bubbles form, then flip and cook until golden brown.

For the thinner and smaller pancakes, I mix into cup and drop with a spoon over hot oil

Added Variations

🫐 Fresh blueberries

🍌 Sliced bananas

🍓 Fresh strawberries

🍑 Peaches

🍎 Diced apples with cinnamon

🍦 A splash of vanilla extract

🥚 Add an egg for extra protein

💧 Skip the egg and add a little extra water for thinner pancakes

My favorite is a dash of vanilla extract in batter and fried till crispy

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Pantry Tip

One of my favorite things about this mix is that it stores beautifully in canning jars. Since I usually make only half the recipe, one batch fits nicely into a half-gallon Mason jar, making it easy to keep homemade pancake mix ready whenever we need a quick meal.

Pancake storage 

Storage Tip: For keeping pancake mix fresh longer

• At room temperature (pantry): 6–12 months
• In the freezer: 1–2 years

The limiting ingredient isn't the flour—it's the powdered milk, which slowly loses flavor and quality over time.

pancakes are fluffy and filling with added egg

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Why Castor Oil Was One of the Most Important Medicines Packed by Pioneers

 

Pioneer Covered Wagon

The Forgotten Frontier Remedy That Still Has a Place Today

One of the most packed items - Castor Oil 

While reading journals and supply lists from families traveling west by covered wagon, I kept noticing one item appearing over and over again.

Castor oil.

Flour? Of course.

Bacon? Absolutely.

Coffee? Naturally.

But castor oil?

The more pioneer journals I read, the more curious I became. Why would families making a dangerous five- or six-month journey across the frontier devote valuable wagon space to bottles of this thick vegetable oil?

It turns out castor oil was one of the closest things pioneers had to an all-purpose medicine cabinet.

Castor Plant

Why Pioneers Considered It a Must-Have

Life on the trail was hard.

Meals consisted largely of flour, beans, bacon, dried fruit, and whatever game could be hunted along the way. Fresh fruits and vegetables were scarce, and doctors were often hundreds of miles away.

Castor oil became one of the most relied-upon medicines because it was commonly used for:

• Occasional constipation
• Dry, cracked skin
• Minor cuts and scrapes
• Muscle soreness
• General home remedies passed from one generation to the next

Although pioneers often believed castor oil could "clean out the system" and treat many illnesses, modern medicine no longer supports those broader claims.

How Castor beans are harvested 

How Castor Oil Is Used Today

Today, castor oil still has several legitimate uses.

The best-established medical use is as a stimulant laxative for occasional constipation. If you're looking for that purpose, purchase a product specifically labeled USP Castor Oil (pharmaceutical grade) and follow the directions on the label. You'll often find it at pharmacies, Walmart, grocery stores, or online retailers.

Where I do use castor oil is on my skin.

I buy an organic, cold-pressed, hexane-free castor oil, and I especially like it for my face, dry hands, elbows, and cracked heels. It's thick, moisturizing, and a little goes a long way.

Castor beans

Where Does Castor Oil Come From?

Castor oil is pressed from the seeds of the castor bean plant (Ricinus communis), a tropical plant believed to be native to Africa, though it has spread throughout warm regions of the world for thousands of years.

The plant grows well in:

• Full sun
• Warm temperatures
• Well-drained soil

In fact, it can grow in Texas, especially in Central and South Texas, where the long, hot summers suit it well.

One important note: while the processed oil is widely used, the raw castor beans are highly poisonous because they contain the toxin ricin. The beans should never be eaten, and gardeners should use caution around children and pets.

Castor oil for dry skin 

           Where I got mine --> Organic Castor Oil, USDA Certified

A Little Bottle With a Big History

The next time you see castor oil on a store shelf, remember that nearly 200 years ago, it was considered just as essential as flour, bacon, or coffee for families heading west.

A typical family emigrant wagon carried roughly 1,500–2,500 pounds of supplies, with about 2,000 pounds being a practical target for many Oregon or California Trail journeys.

Wagon trail

Once pioneers left Missouri or Iowa, there were long stretches of the trail where there were no pharmacies, no doctors, and few opportunities to buy medicines. Whatever was in the wagon medicine chest had to last until the journey ended.  

Packing castor oil was much like tossing a bottle of ibuprofen, antibiotic ointment, and a few basic medicines into the car before a road trip today. It wasn't expected to solve every problem, but it was one of the first remedies pioneer families reached for when someone wasn't feeling well.

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The Ancient Plant Carved on Roman Columns in Jordan – Can You Grow Acanthus in Texas?

Hadrian's Arch at the ancient Roman city of Jerash, Jordan.

One of the things I love most about traveling is discovering those little details I would have otherwise walked right past.

Jerash Ancient Column - Acanthus leaves

While wandering through the ancient Roman city of Jerash, Jordan, a local guide stopped and pointed to the tops of the massive stone columns. At first, all I saw was beautiful carving. Then he explained that the leaf carved into nearly every column represented a real plant that grew throughout the region. 

It actually took me a minute to understand what he meant. I kept looking for a bird while he patiently repeated the name of the plant in broken English. Once I realized what he was pointing to, I couldn't stop seeing those beautifully carved leaves throughout the ruins for the rest of the day.

That one comment sent me on a mission after I returned home.

Why would an ordinary plant be carved onto temples, theaters, and public buildings for nearly 2,000 years?

Acanthus - Bear's Breeches in bloom

The Plant Behind the Stone

The plant is called acanthus, often known as Bear's Breeches.

Once you recognize its deeply cut, curling leaves, you'll begin seeing it everywhere throughout the ancient Roman world. It became the signature decoration of the elegant Corinthian columns, one of the most recognizable styles of classical architecture.

Rather than carving random decorations, Roman craftsmen carefully chiseled hundreds of acanthus leaves into the tops of their columns, turning stone into what almost looks like living plants.

Acanthus - One of the most admired plants in ancient times

Why Was It So Important?

The acanthus wasn't worshipped, but it was admired.

To the ancient Greeks and Romans, it came to symbolize:

• Life and renewal
• Endurance
• Beauty
• Prosperity
• Skilled craftsmanship

Its bold, flowing leaves also made the perfect design for decorating the tops of towering columns, where sunlight created dramatic shadows across every carved leaf.

No wonder the Romans used it everywhere.

I'm hugging one of the ancient columns

More Than Just Decoration

What surprised me most was learning that acanthus wasn't simply beautiful—it was useful.

For centuries, herbalists used the leaves and roots in traditional medicine.

Historically, it was used as a poultice for:

• Minor wounds
• Burns
• Bruises
• Insect bites
• Swelling
• Aching joints

Modern research has found that the plant contains natural compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, although it isn't commonly used as an herbal remedy today.

Even after nearly 2,000 years, the acanthus leaves carved into this Corinthian capital remain one of the most recognizable symbols of Roman architecture in the ancient city of Jerash.

Acanthus was more than an architectural decoration. The plant appears in ancient herbal writings, including Dioscorides’ De Materia Medica and Pliny the Elder’s Natural History. Pliny described both a thorny and a smooth variety and recorded the traditional use of the roots for burns, sprains and other injuries. These were ancient remedies rather than treatments proven by modern clinical medicine, but they show that the plant was familiar and useful to people living in the Roman world.

I'm standing next to a carved leaf

Does It Grow in Texas?

That was my next question.

To my surprise...

Yes!

Several species of acanthus grow well in Central Texas. 

The best varieties appreciate:

• Morning sunshine
• Afternoon shade
• Well-drained soil
• Occasional watering while getting established

Once mature, they're surprisingly hardy and drought tolerant.

I'm seriously considering adding one to my own garden—not only because it's beautiful, but because every time I'd see it, I'd be reminded of walking the ancient streets of Jerash.

I also captured a short panoramic video while standing among the ruins. It gives a much better feel for the scale of Jerash than photographs alone.

VIDEO - Ancient City of Jerash

Jerash flourished because it sat at the crossroads of the ancient world, where travelers and merchants passed between Jerusalem, Damascus, Egypt, Arabia, and the Mediterranean.

Ancient ruins in Jerash, Jordan 

Looking at Ancient Ruins a Little Differently

One simple conversation with a local completely changed the way I looked at those old columns.

Instead of seeing weathered stone, I began noticing living history carved into every capital.

It's amazing how one plant connected the architecture of ancient Jordan with a garden that could grow right here in Texas.

Sometimes the smallest details become the memories that stay with us the longest.

Lizard in the ruins

Jordanian turtle

Jerash, Jordan, is one of the world’s best-preserved ancient Roman cities, known for its monumental arches, temples, theaters, and long streets lined with carved stone columns.

One day, I hope to have an acanthus growing in my own Central Texas garden. Every time I see those distinctive leaves, they'll remind me of walking beneath the towering Roman columns of Jerash. It's amazing that a plant carved into stone nearly 2,000 years ago can still thrive today—even here in Texas

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