Pancakes, Porridge, A Poem, A Prayer
Or, A Snowy Saturday
Snow on the ground in the early twinkle of morning always, always means pancakes. For my children, anyway. I’m the solitary American hold-out on pancakes. As in, I don’t care for them.
But my children glory in the doughy, buttery hot cake canvas to hold all the syrup, powdered sugar and melted chocolate ( yes, I indulge them) they can hold and I’m delighted at the contrasting smells of crisp, cold air and melted butter with steaming coffee cup in hand.
Hot tip on pancake batter: after years of watching my children politely eat my pancakes but inappropriately devour them when my husband makes them I finally stayed around in the kitchen to watch what he does that trumps my own and here are my take-aways:
He may or may not have melted an entire HALF STICK of butter to basically FRY the pancakes in…
He used about 1/4 tsp of almond extract in the batter, filling the kitchen with an almost floral aroma that immediately smells like home.
As much as baked goods and sweets are a part of my repertoire- I don’t really love them for breakfast. In fact, my favorite snow day breakfast is a savory porridge that I like to imagine my Scottish ancestors would be proud of. I like this simple, cut and dry recipe from Bob’s Red Mill the best and then just top it with some good, butter and a sprinkle of sea salt. A drizzle of cream is a welcome addition, especially if you anticipate a morning of shoveling.
I hit a few, personal writing milestones this week that I’m so proud of- including the fact that this, little article hit 44k page views! It’s been such an increasing joy of my life that I get to call sitting at the computer and pouring my heart onto a screen part of my job description.
Padraig O’Tuama has been one of my favorite poets during these last, two pandemic years. His line,
“It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.”
From his book of poetry entitled, “In The Shelter” has been my mantra every, single morning. It is beautiful, and it is true.
Kate Bowler is also one of my favorite voices right now, and I look forward to her blessings every week. Perhaps you needed this one, too.
Much love to you, my friends. Don’t be afraid.
And if you must eat your words, do so with friends- and make sure it’s delicious.
I wholeheartedly agree with the almond extract and butter. Although, I might use even more than half a stick for frying lol Also, after discovering the existence of vanilla bean paste several years ago, I will never again make pancake batter without a heavy pour of it! I make pancakes almost every Saturday for Nate and Ant and I could never eat a pancake again in my lifetime and be perfectly happy. I always opt for a veggie filled omelette lol
Just thought I would share…after years of searching for the best, fluffiest, buttermilk pancake recipe that you can add anything to, I finally found it! https://food52.com/recipes/40532-the-kitchn-s-lofty-buttermilk-pancakes
The key ingredient is whole, full fat buttermilk.