Can I let you in on a little something?
I don’t live in the cool Los Angeles neighborhood that all my friends live in…
I have more matching spatulas than I do matching bath towels.
I still can’t seem to commit to buying myself a couch.
My bedroom bookcase seems to be made up of one part books and three parts dust.
I tell you all of this to let you in on the fact that I’ve been feeling domestically restless these days. ย The kind of restless that has had me daydreaming about moving into a downtown loft that I can’t afford. ย The kind of restless that has had me daydreaming about decorating a downtown loft that I can’t afford with expensive furniture that I also can’t afford.
Not being able to afford your daydreams? ย Torture and motivation. ย Together.
This weekend I decided… get this… that it’s all ok!
I took to my kitchen with my rubber gloves, bleach spray and a few rags and I scrubbed and organized like I’ve never done before. ย Yes, it’s just the kitchen. ย No, I couldn’t get to my whole apartment. ย But the scrubbing and organizing helped me remember that my humble little apartment, in the uncool part of town, is pretty darn sweet. ย I don’t need the fancy loft and the expensive furniture. ย I just need to make my little spot in the world a little brighter… with bleach.
And the pancakes this weekend helped too. ย Tremendous.
I can’t seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to pancakes.
Berries. ย Meyer lemon zest. ย Buttermilk. Sweetened Meyer lemon mascarpone. ย Delicious breakfast treat.
Berry Meyer Lemon Pancakes
8-10 pancakes, enough for two
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
zest of 1 Meyer lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup fresh blueberries or raspberries (thawed and drained berries work well too!)
oil or butter for cooking
In a small bowl rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar until pale yellow and fragrant.
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk and butter. ย Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. ย Stir until just combined. ย The batter may be a bit lumpy. ย That’s better than overmixing the batter. ย Fold in the berries with a few strokes. ย Not much stirring necessary.
Heat a griddle pan or a cast iron skillet over medium heat. ย Add a teaspoon of oil or a dab of butter and heat through. ย Add 2 heaping tablespoons of batter to the pan. ย Heat until bubbles form and start to pop. ย Carefully flip over and cook through. ย Place cooked pancakes on an oven proof plate and let rest in a 200 degree F oven while you fry the rest of the pancakes.
Top pancakes with maple syrup or mascarpone sweetened with a dash of powdered sugar and the juice of one Meyer lemon.
98 Responses
yum! a welcome change of pace from my usual sugared-up chocolate chip pancakes drowned in syrup! happy national pancake day….there’s nowhere else i would go for a recipe!
thanks for the reminder words of just making the best of what you have. I often concentrate on the greener grass elsewhere that I forget that I am blessed just simply to have a roof over my head. I just need to take care of what I have better. So, thanks. :)
I know I am a little late but I just made these this morning and the were WONDERFUL! Even my husband who doesn’t do breakfast will get out of bed for these. Thank you for posting so many wonderful recipes. I use them all the time!
So you have decided to move to the downtown loft you can’t afford? Good for you, everyone needs a change sometimes.
Tried these for brunch last Sunday (V-Day)…my boyfriend was bowing at my feet because they tasted so fantastic. So thank you for the recipe and deepening the love my man already has for me. HA, HA!
P.S. I live in Phoenix, which happens to be the most UN-HIP city. Wish I lived in L.A….
Hi Joy,
My cousin fwd’d me your blog and though I am no baker, your blog gave me a warm fuzzy feeling. Your blog just might inspire me to take one of your future proposed baking classes. Yes, I read up on your blogs and I don’t even like to bake. Oh, I mentioned that already. But, what I do find is the sincerity of your words and how sweet you come across on even a blog. So please add my email for your future “baking” classes, I’m very, very interested. And comment on the LA living situation: just wait a little time and that LA location will be a hip, happening place. I grew up in a gang infested Atwater Village and now, it’s such a cute little town! I’m with you, I like lofts!!!
You made me smile today. Thank you.
Hehe, as a student I keep thinking to myself: it’s ok, you will be moving out one day…but then who cares if my couches don’t match? This is the best time of my life! Plus, like you said, I like my kitchen stuff, and that makes it a home for me. Sad but true! Plus you have to admit you eat fabulously well! Also you have gorgeous cutlery and plates and food and bloggage! So yay. Keep smilin.