Peanut Butter Pancakes

Pancakes coated with Peanut Butter and Maple Syrup

The Story
In the late 1970s, I started eating peanut butter on pancakes thanks to my friend Dave Snider and his mom's amazing cooking. Their pancakes were so good that I still haven't found anything like them in over 40 years. What made this breakfast dish special wasn't just the food, but the love and acceptance it symbolized. As a teenager from a broken home and in a new town, Dave and I became friends, even though we were initially on different football teams at Whiteman Air Force Base. Our friendship grew stronger when we both made the middle school team. I practically became part of the Snider family, having Thursday night spaghetti dinners with them at the Base NCO Club. In the late '70s, they even took me to my first professional sports games, including a Kansas City Royals game where I saw famous All-Stars like George Brett, Willie Wilson, Dan Quisenberry, and Darrel Porter. They also took me to see the Kansas City Kings play against the Philadelphia 76ers at Kemper Arena, where I witnessed Darrel Dawkins breaking a backboard during the game, which was an unforgettable moment.

The memories of those moments are intertwined with the taste of peanut butter on pancakes, serving as a reminder of the warm embrace of a family that took me in when I truly needed one.