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. The kind of restless that has had me daydreaming about moving into a downtown loft that I can’t afford. 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? Torture and motivation. 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. Yes, it’s just the kitchen. No, I couldn’t get to my whole apartment. But the scrubbing and organizing helped me remember that my humble little apartment, in the uncool part of town, is pretty darn sweet. I don’t need the fancy loft and the expensive furniture. I just need to make my little spot in the world a little brighter… with bleach.
And the pancakes this weekend helped too. Tremendous.
I can’t seem to leave well enough alone when it comes to pancakes.
Berries. Meyer lemon zest. Buttermilk. Sweetened Meyer lemon mascarpone. 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. Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir until just combined. The batter may be a bit lumpy. That’s better than overmixing the batter. Fold in the berries with a few strokes. Not much stirring necessary.
Heat a griddle pan or a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a teaspoon of oil or a dab of butter and heat through. Add 2 heaping tablespoons of batter to the pan. Heat until bubbles form and start to pop. Carefully flip over and cook through. 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.
{ 82 comments… read them below or add one }
Good idea, I should reorganize my kitchen too, I always buy new tools and now there is no space anymore… but maybe I should wait and bake something nice instead!
XXX
I’ve only been in my new apartment 3 weeks but I’ve already cleaned the kitchen more times than I can count on my fingers. Who needs sleeping tablets when you can go to bed knowing you have a pretty kitchen?
I don’t know what a meyer lemon or marscapone is but I’m still sitting here trying to work these pretty little things into my life, like, my tomorrow life.
Love your positive attitude Joy! Now I can’t let my hubby see this because then he may expect me to clean…
I love meyer lemons – bet these are fabulous!
I know what you’re saying about all that! My couch is a hand me down with and it’s wearing a cover that’s always everywhere else. Wrinkle city.
These look absolutely amazing though! I need some meyer lemons in my life, but mostly in my pancakes.
looks so delicious!! beautiful recipe!
i have had lemon ricotta blueberry pancakes at a place in Manhattan called sarabeth’s kitchen…they were amazing :]
xx
Eliza
I absolutely agree… sometimes your own scrubbed counter and organized spice shelf is just the best place in the world, even if it’s not in the fancy neighborhood. And especially if there’s meyer lemon mascarpone sitting on it. oh..my…god.
I reorganized, clean and ‘decorate’ when I’m restless too! Sometimes just getting things in a different position, changing out pictures and moving my pretty canisters to a different spot helps so much.
Just bought a Delongi toaster/convection oven online…looking forward to reorganizing when it comes in the mail. A fresh vantage point for things makes me feel…fresh. Ah!
LOVE pancakes! Love your blog! :)
I had no choice but to reorganize the kitchen, as we are renovating. As for the couch? Who cares? If you are making delisciousness like that, I could forgive you for not having a couch!
Mascarpone on pancakes. Delicious!
Hey, that’s cool that you can stay so optimistic about it! I have never had either Meyer lemons or mascarpone, but those pancakes look good!
Wow, these look amazing! I know what you mean too, some things just get a little dull but a little clean up and some delicious pancakes defiantly do the trick!
Doesn’t bleach make it all better?
These pancakes sound amazing and I love that you love them!
Thanks for sharing. These look so good. I wish I had time during the week to whip-up pancakes before work. I’ll have to wait for the weekend to try these babies.
I totally agree with you! We don’t need all that fancy shmancy stuff! Just a little spot to make us happy :)
Delicious looking pancakes!!!
Love this, yes although my abode is a bit smaller than most of my friends as well it’s filled with lots of love and furry friends to greet. it’s amazing what a little house cleaning can do for the soul. I can’t wait to try these pancakes!
Gina
These pancakes will certainly cheer me up anytime!
home is where the heart is joy :)
it’s better living in the uncool parts of town. i live in soho in nyc, which is ‘cool’ i suppose, but everyone here is too cool for their own good–it makes me nervous! heck, i’d go outta my way to a very uncool neighborhood if i was promised pancakes like those!
The “cool” part of town is usually over-rated and over-crowded! ~Mary
YES! That is true. I have been day-dreaming about winning the lottery and moving, and decorating. Who knew all I needed was bleach? Thanks for the reminder!
amazing how cleaning/organizing always does the trick. i did the same yesterday. actually took all the silverware out of the drawer and washed the organizer!? how do so many crumbs get in there? i never bought buttermilk before i visited your blog. now your milk choc buttermilk pancakes are a staple on the weekends. will have to try this one to get us in a spring mood. living in the northeast, i just wish i could have my own lemon tree. sigh…
Mmm, these sound fantastic and remind me of summer, which is needed with this weather!
Thoroughly enjoyed your blog today. Great lesson in patience and appreciation of what we already have. That is what truly leads to “More” in life, more joy, more abundance, more contentment. Thanks for sharing this amazing life lesson…and enjoy those pancakes..you deserve to experience one delicious life! Blessings, L.T. Schulte (AKA: Serial Room Arranger) Cincinnati, Ohio
Those look amazing, especially with the mascarpone!
I go through phases like that too. It’s weird how cleaning can sometimes help, especially with the addition of pancakes! They look delicious!
Oh my these sound so lovely and refreshing! Im thinking spring!
YUM! Two of my favorite things… meyer lemons and marscapone chese! I want to go home and make these pancakes.. for dinner!
I know just how you feel. Only I’m not interested into moving into a hip apartment. I want a house with a yard. Having three kids in a two bedroom apartment will do that to a gal… Sigh. A little reorganizing of physical things always helps me to reorganize mentally and emotionally, too. There is great therapy to be found in using your elbow grease from time to time.
I had to laugh about this post. I haven’t been able to commit to buying a couch, either. It borders on sane and sad at the same time. Don’t ask me how, it just does.
Your pancakes look awesome. I love anything with zest and or mascarpone in it!
Aww, Joy ;] I’m a regular reader and I kinda know what you mean about matching spatulas vs. bath towels. Thing is though, I don’t have friends that live in the ‘cool’ area of town, my friends are cool like me. Thus, I have reached your conclusion as well, pfft, who needs bath towels when you have 5 perfectly good mismatched one, the wonderful friendships, and the bleach to make everything shiny?
P.S. Good food.
Don’t pancakes make everything better? Especially gorgeous pancakes like these ones. Mmm :D
oh wow, these pancakes look so good! I love the flavor of lemon in anything, really. Will have to try it.
What time is breakfast? These look awesome.
Hey Joy,
you know what? Someone told me that we are so worried to spend money we probably don’t have to look better to people we probably don’t like! So don’t worry about nice neighbourhood or expensive furniture, just remember the joy is not in having things but in dreaming of it and make it possible with the people you love.
Enjoy your sparkly clean beautiful kitchen
Martina
Good for you — our kitchen needs a serious scrub, and my in-laws are coming soon! We live in a decidedly uncool city neighborhood but it’s SO much more a neighborhood than the trendy parts of the Loop where our friends live. We have neighbors with dogs and kids and strollers and minivans….. it feels like real life and we love it. Stand strong!
… and continue making amazing pancakes….
Hi Joy. Just wanted to send a little shout out and “amen” to you regarding the bookcase scenario. I too have about a 3:1 ratio of dust to books. At least I think I have books on my bookcase. I can’t be sure anymore. My question is, who has invented something to dust a bookcase without taking everything off (books, pictures, candles, etc.)?
Hi! I’m from Brazil and it’s my first time here. As I was reading your post I said to myself: “This is me?” ;-)
Anyway, loved your blog and I will be coming here every chance I get. Kisses from Brasília(capital of Brazil, where I live)
I love folding blueberries into my pancake batter, but I never thought about adding the lemon zest! That sounds lovely.
Ah yes, I have those daydreams I can’t afford all the time. But then I go bake cookies or make pancakes and settle for being happy with delicious baked goods.
Sounds reminiscent of BLD’s blueberry ricotta pancakes…light, fluffy, addictive.
You wonderfully brave girl! I love this. :-) I’ve started doing the same thing and oh, what a jolt of delight it is to my heart! :-) Keep going!! :-)
YUM!! My babes are going to love these… thanx for sharing!
Joy, the “cool part of town” is all relative. What’s important is loving your little space. I love mine, and it sounds like you love yours. That’s all that matters. And damn, those pancakes look so delish. I think I’ll have to make them. I have a bit of a weakness for pancakes… xo.
OH MY WORD!!! Absolutely incredible. These are a dream come true.
Perfect timing – I was just offered some Meyer lemons from my brother’s tree. This sounds like an awesome pancake recipe!
Also, you’re not alone; I also cannot commit to buying a couch (although I desperately want to get rid of our disgusting hand me down), dream of living somewhere nicer (someday, right?) and went to town deep cleaning the kitchen this weekend (it was way overdue). Great minds think alike, right?
i just made a meyer lemon tart but this looks like a much easier way to enjoy this great lemon! im on a lemony kick right now and may have to make these next weekend :)
I love pancakes! These look so delicious!
Five years in the same apartment with 2 cats and wall-to-wall carpeting often gets me in a “I-want-to-live-in-a-downtown-loft-with-gleaming-hardwood-floors-and-a-huge-kitchen-with-a-Viking-stove” kind of lust. Cleaning does wonders and so does taking in the inventory of the mismatched stuff that’s loaded with history. If it was all new and matchy-matchy you wouldn’t have much of a story to tell.
And you get awesome pancakes.
YUM! Nothing like a good meal (especially breakfast) to make everything seem OK, right? These look delicious :)
Yum!!! I see that Trader Joe’s syrup!!! I miss Trader Joe’s!
inspiring!! great post! you can brighten the kitchen with bleach and brighten your pancakes with citrus and berries!
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