In case you needed reminding: there are good people in the world. People who do nice things with no expectations of anything in return. People who hear your story and empathize. People who care.
Ever since I can remember, my mom has held the tradition of dying our pancakes red white and blue on the Fourth of July. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories and a big part of why Independence Day is my most favorite holiday.
When Blake and I got married, I carried on the tradition for just the two of us, and when we had kids, they got patriotic pancakes too.
But one week after July 4, 2019, Blythe was diagnosed with Glycogen Storage Disease. And while we were thrilled to finally know what caused her enlarged liver, it didn’t take much to trigger my emotions of “why me”, “why Blythe”, “why this”.
Flipping through pictures from our San Clemente beach vacation was one of those triggers. I saw the pancakes and mourned the loss of that sugary tradition.
One year I made egg whites and dyed Cream of Wheat red and blue, but it was…weird. And while Blythe ate it with a smile, Crosley most certainly did not. The tradition had lost its magic.
But thank goodness we discovered Kodiak pancakes! They’re made with incredibly filling ingredients that boast 5g fiber and 14g protein per serving with only 3 grams of sugar! A total game changer!
Yay! The tradition lives on!
This is not an ad, and I am not affiliated with Kodiak Cakes (even though I’d love to be), we just love their pancakes thiiiiiiiis much!
So naturally, being the over-sharer that I am, I posted about it online. Because I want everyone to discover this amazing product. And to see the magic this tradition reflects all over Crosley and Blythe’s faces.
I appreciate when you all comment. I truly feel like this village of friends (even some I’ve never met) love and support our kids, but what I never expected was for Kodiak to reach out two days later.
They asked for my address so they could send a special s’mores/camping goodie box for being a loyal customer. How exciting is that?!
I told them how much we loved their product for Blythe. This year we even made Kodiak “pancupcakes” for her breakfast birthday party and she loved sharing them with everyone. I told them she was going to be so excited to get a special package!
When we got home from our vacation, the package was waiting for us, and it. was. AWESOME!
Kodiak oatmeal raisin cookies (I didn’t even know they made cookies!), marshmallows, a chocolate bar, roasting sticks, and a camping hammock! How cool??
But this next part. Wow. So beyond unexpected.
As I was unpacking from our camping trip, our doorbell rang. A second package with the Kodiak logo on it. I opened it and found a handwritten letter with the sweetest message:
Hey Autumn,
We were super touched by your daughters story and wanted to send some extra-low-sugar goodies! Happy late b-day to her!
-The Kodiak Team
Happy tears all down my face.
The box was full of Kodiak products I had no idea existed. Birthday cake flavored instant oatmeal, s’more oatmeal, low carb pancake mix, and Blythe’s new favorite snack, chocolate graham bear bites, which taste just like teddy grams, have 5g protein, and they’re sold at Walmart! Win win win! Plus a T-shirt, stickers, and coupons.
Our hearts are so full. And so are our tummies!
And here’s a bonus! I created the cupcake recipe below using Kodiak pancake mix. We call them “pancupcakes” and every day Blythe asks me to make more.
Blythe’s Birthday Pancupcakes
Makes 36 cupcakes
5 Cups Kodiak Buttermilk Pancake Mix
1 Cup Splenda
Zest of 1 Lemon
4 Cups Fairlife Skim Milk
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Almond Extract
2 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp Sprinkles (or 1/2 cup blueberries)
Garnish with canned whipped cream and sprinkles
Mix first 3 ingredients, then add next 4 ingredients and mix until fully combined. Gently stir in sprinkles or blueberries, do not over mix or they’ll bleed. Spray muffin pan with oil and pour batter into unlined pan.
Bake at 375° for approx 20 mins until tops slightly browned and toothpick comes out clean.
Serve with whipped cream and sprinkles.
80 calories, 1.5g fat, 12g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 3g sugar, 6g protein