Oatmeal Buttermilk Pancakes

Ever since I started my new job, I've realized the importance of pancakes for breakfast!  All summer long, during my fun-filled unemployment period, I had awesome breakfasts at least twice a week.  I usually made these big breakfasts after my ten mile runs and totally deserved pancakes on a Wednesday.  Now that I'm back to work, the weekend is special once again and that means Pancakes!

Poffertjes: Cheese Pancakes

Here we are at last, we've finally made it to Amsterdam.  It's been a long journey through the continent (and you even got to sit out our time in Austria and the long drive across Germany!) and The Netherlands is our country of exit.  After our time in Venice, boyfriend and I headed through Innsbruck and on to Munich.  The Munich airport had a plethora of automatic transmission cars and we were on our way, on the autobahn!

Through Germany we travelled, stopping at castles and small towns, and into Holland, with its speed limit, boo.  We drove our tiny little rental car into the heart of Amsterdam and checked into our super cool hotel.  The front desk held a dish of stroopwafels, delicious little caramel-filled wafers, which we stole many of during our short stay there.

Boyfriend and I weren't really sure what to expect in Amsterdam, but we were both pleasantly surprised.  It's a beautiful city, cross-hatched by canals and green with parks.  We passed by more museums than we could possibly visit with a whole week in town.  We enjoyed a fragrant walk through the flower market and bought my mom some "blue" tulips (they turned out to be pink when they came up in the spring).  We finished up our evening with a table full of Indian food and a late-night stroll through the red-light district.  The very next morning we headed off to Schipol airport and back to the United States, with my new cookbooks in tow.

Mmmm, so gouda...

Oatmeal Pancakes

Today is my last day of summer vacation, ever!  I'm not sure if that should be a happy or a sad exclamation point.  Tomorrow is the big day, my first day of work in the real world.  It feels like the day before my first day of school.  I'm looking at my closet, trying to decide what to wear.  I got a haircut this weekend and I'm all ready with my new do.  The occasional butterfly in my stomach and those first day thoughts keep popping up.

What will it be like?  Will I fit in with the rest of the scientists?  Will I fall asleep on the train and miss my stop?  I hope not!  At least I'll have these little beauties to keep me energized and ready to go on my first day of work.  And I totally have my outfit picked out and ready to go.

Rather than posting yet another picture of pancakes (while they were delicious) I thought you might enjoy some pictures of the Macy's fireworks from last night.  Happy 5th of July!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Cornbread Pancakes

There are those recipes that we keep coming back to, again and again.  Pancakes are my thing.  It's not one particular recipe that gets me.  Actually, I love trying out new recipes each time I make breakfast.  I've made peanut butter pancakes, fluffy buttermilk pancakes and chocolate chocolate chip pancakes (coming soon!) but this time I decided to make something a little different.

While wandering the streets of New York this weekend, boyfriend and I happened upon a random street fair.  Nothing special, no carnival rides or popcorn machines, no theme or clowns (thank goodness, clowns are totally creepy).  It was just a few vendors, in their white tents, taking up some space between sixth and seventh.  You find these things all through the summer, popping up all over the city, selling the same screen-printed shirts from Pakistan, "hand-made" bracelets from Taiwan and character hats knitted by someone's grandma (factory worker) in India.  Now don't avoid these little street fairs, there are also some local artisans thrown in the mix and their stuff is amazing.

Don't skip these fairs for another reason, the food.  I've decided that street food is among the best food in the world.  It's hard to truck this stuff in from the Far East, so you know you've got something that was made locally, most likely by the person dishing it out.  Let the aromas of crepes and gyros, chili fries and pulled pork, draw you in.  Just try to limit yourself to one indulgence, these are not low calorie treats!

The item that peaked my interest was so simple.  Two cornbread pancakes, sandwiched with mozzarella cheese.  The cheese was just oozing out from between the two pancakes, calling my name.  The four dollar price tag however, was making me turn in the other direction.  I can make that at home, for like ten cents!  And that's just what I did.  Except it was breakfast by the time I made these and I wanted syrup.  So I added a little sugar and called them pancakes.  I have plans on making the savory version of these, all cheesey and delicious, but for now I have breakfast!

Pumpkin Pie Pancakes

In the past I have been kind of indifferent to gourd-based food items. I’m talking about pumpkins, squash, etc. At thanksgiving I usually went for my grandmothers cherry pie, total pass on the pumpkin pie. I prefer my risotto to be filled with basil and cheese, rather than butternut squash. However, I have recently undergone gourd conversion. I have embraced pumpkins with open arms and taken a liking to peeling chopping and roasting squash.

This week I celebrate fall with you, mostly because today was a beautiful, sunny fall day. Rather than a gross, cold, dreary fall day. Today we celebrate with pumpkins! I have always been a fan of carving pumpkins, just ask my roommates. Every year I would insist on having a pumpkin carving party. If you have never had a pumpkin carving party, then call your friends. Tell them to bring a pancake and you’ll furnish the drop cloths.

You can also run out and get a few of those pumpkin carving kits. You know what I’m talking about. They come with books of crazy patterns and tiny knives. Just be sure to get the real knives, not the childproof ones. The childproof ones are also pumpkin proof, and they will do nothing but bruise up your pumpkin. And be sure to invite one brave soul to wield the giant knife. Someone needs to open up the top of your pumpkin! Another plus to having a pumpkin carving party? Hundreds and hundreds of pumpkin seeds! Salt them up and toss them in the oven, mmmm.

My pumpkin conversion came this week from not a pie, but from pancakes. Really, you shouldn’t be surprised. I have written about pancakes twice already in three months. I love pancakes, and I really love these pancakes. The combination of spices will have you thinking you are eating a slice of pumpkin pie, except with a lot less calories! Pour on a little real maple syrup and you’ve got the perfect breakfast.

Light and Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes

Okay, I know that I wrote about pancakes last week, but I have a pancake problem. Since it is Saturday morning I feel like it is an appropriate time to talk about pancakes once again. This way you will be prepared for Sunday morning. And with these pancakes, your Sunday will start off just right.

I was going back and forth about posting a breakfast, dinner or dessert this morning. Actually, I was planning on posting this yesterday, but then there was bowling, and I got distracted. Let it be said that I am a mediocre bowler. This is very sad, especially since boyfriend is such an excellent bowler.

I progress the same way every time I go bowling. I start off pretty bad, generally keeping the ball in the center of the lane, but only knocking down five or six pins. Toward the end of the first game I am in my bowling groove and nothing can take me down. This was especially true last night when I picked up twenty-nine pins in the last frame.

After bowling for an hour or so I tend to start to lose focus. When bowling with a large group of people I get distracted. I’m like a puppy, running around talking to different people. Since last night was supposed to be a meet and greet, I felt I was doing my job by chatting up everyone. But this butterflying was affecting my game. I peaked in the last frame of my first game and then steadily went downhill. First place in the first game, second last in the second game.

But if my boss asks, our group crushed the opposition. It was a bowling pin massacre. The other groups were amazed at our bowling talent and showered us with confetti and champagne at the end of the games. To celebrate, today I made pancakes.