Some things I know to be true things for me:

True:  Gin martinis are best, most immediately and with olives.  True:  sometimes painful sacrifices are made for fashion… especially when it comes to wedges.  True:  In my life, Hemingway and Julia Child are devoured in equal amounts.  True:  I will always eat a doughnut.  It always seems like the right, and totally wrong thing to do.

True:  Things in life can be simultaneously exciting and terrifying.  Exciting progress.  Exciting growth.  Exciting opportunities… and at the same time totally bonkers nerve-wracking.  When the road ahead is steep, and full of the promise of adventure…. and you totally want to be on that crazy road… but you also appreciate the smooth and steady road you once knew.  That road was safer.  There were more cookies and less adventure.

Here’s another important truth for me:  Always sign up for adventure.  Always say yes.  Even if it’s terrifying to the core of your soul.  That means you’re doing the right thing.  You’re learning and growing and shoving yourself right out of your comfort zone.    Unless… well, unless there are guns and heists.  In that case… stay in your comfort zone and away from guns.

Also… before you forge forward.  Have breakfast (preferably with chocolate) and pack cookies.

These pancakes fit into a very specific category of breakfast:  breakfast dessert.

They’re what you eat after you share runny eggs and buttered toast with your breakfast mate.

Breakfast dessert is what comes after breakfast breakfast.  It’s a sweetly defined ‘second breakfast’.  Proudly, sweetly, specific.

These pancakes are an absolute treat.  Late morning.  Weekend.  Oops I’m taking a nap at noon.  Treat.

They’re a simple combination of buttermilk, melted butter, chocolate chunks, and fresh raspberries.

Oh!  If fresh raspberries are going to break the bank (I totally get it), thawed frozen berries, drained of some of their juices work wonderfully well.

Treat yourself… that’s what Tracy would say.  Treat yourself to sweet pancakes and an adventurous (although excitingly terrifying) life.

My goodness.  This world has these seasons planned out just perfectly.  Amidst super rain, chilly wind and grey skies, we get blood oranges, tangerines and grapefruit!

Big, bright, cheek puckering citrus is perfect for winter breakfast.  I know… it happened this morning.

I’d also like to thank the good world for creating coffee and hot cocoa and whole milk… and putting them all in my coffee cup this morning.

Just swell.

You have to treat your citrus right for this breakfast.  That means peeling and segmenting.  Do you know how to do this?

Cut the bottom and the top off of the citrus, exposing the flesh.  Run a pairing knife down the sides of the citrus, peeling off the skin and white pith.  At a slight angle, slice in between the white lines of the citrus, creating clean little grapefruit flesh slices.

It takes time, but is totally worth the effort.

See all the brown specks in the blue bowl?  That’s the browned butter.  Ooooh goodness.  So delicious.  It’s rich and nutty and a wonderful balance to the  bright citrus.

These are my new favorite winter pancakes.  Such a treat to my heart.

ps.  If you’re as obsessed with citrus as I am, you might also enjoy this Super Citrus Smoothie.

I’m ready to put two more blankets on my bed.

I’m ready to invest in some fuzzy slippers.

I’m ready to sport tight turtlenecks from now until March.

I’m ready for turkey chili, broccoli soup and warm apples.

Autumn.  It’s almost here.  Heck yea.

These Fried Apple Cakes work along the same lines as Potato Pancakes.

Apples are peeled and shredded and mixed with eggs, sugar and spices.  They’re then fried up like pancakes and topped with sour cream and maple syrup.

Satisfying, delicious, and they smell like heaven.  Heaven smells like warm apples… I’m sure of it.

You know that feeling….

When you’re on a brunch date, you arrive at a restaurant, and the hostess tells you that the wait is going to be 20 minutes…

And you think aloud to your date…’ok, great… let’s take a quick stroll around the block’… and you two take a quick stroll around the block.

It’s sunny and it’s Sunday and everything seems lovely…

Until you get back from your 18 minute stroll and check in with the hostess to find out that your wait time has increased in your absence… to like… an hour!!!

And your heart sinks.  And you want coffee.  And you really want some eggs.  And your kinda want to kick the hostess in the knee cap.

But you’re with a date.  You’re with a brunch date…. so you just sit with it.  You just sit with the wait time.  And you don’t complain.  And you try not to think about coffee.  And you try not to glare at the patrons already enjoying their eggs… those jerks.  And you just wait.  And wait.  And wait.

And then your brunch date finds the random rogue hair that sometimes grows out of your chin.  You call it your old lady hair.  And you’re usually really good about plucking your one old lady hair… but you misplaced your tweezers and your old lady hair got out of control… And you’ve waited so long for breakfast that your date has taken to intently staring at your face and has spotted your old lady hair…

And now you have to have a really awkward conversation about your old lady hair and all you want to do is dig a whole in the ground and crawl into it… And you curse that stupid hostess (who probably isn’t that stupid) for making you wait for your eggs so long that your old lady hair has been spotted.

DANGIT!

And you keep your hand on your chin for the rest of the date.

You know that feeling?  Yea… me too.

Let’s avoid that this weekend.  Make brunch for someone.

And keep your rogue old lady chin hair in check.  For your health.  For your dating health.

I can not believe I just told you about my rogue old lady chin hair.

This is totally embarrassing.

Perhaps I can distract you with these Cornmeal Molasses Pancakes.  They were really tasty.

This Crustless Quiche had spinach and blue cheese and walnuts.

How’s that for fancy!?

I want to marry these cinnamon rolls.  I already have the dress.

…. Stop looking at me like that.

There’s cream cheese!  In the cinnamon rolls!

Wait… did that picture of cinnamon rolls make you feel fat?

Me too.

Have a smoothie.  I’m going to.

And while we’re in the kitchen making that smoothie… how about some 30 Minute Croissants?

There go our healthy thoughts… right out the window again.

Hm…

You might consider turning these Cheddar Black Pepper Biscuits into egg sandwiches.

That’s a good idea.

It’s up to you.

Get your brunch on… but don’t you dare wait in line for it.

I sleep in the middle of the bed.  I think I might hog the pillows.  I read a book in bed with a headlamp on my head.  It’s dorky.  Sometimes I fall asleep with the light on… mostly because I’m scared of murderers and not because I just happen to fall asleep with the light on.

I want pancakes for breakfast in the morning… every morning.  But I just want one pancake.  One crazy good, indulgent, morning breakfast for one pancake… with chocolate.  Is that too much to ask?  Heck.  No.

Hush yo mouth.  This mess is good.

… I just wanted to say hushyomouth… you were probably sitting there politely… my bad.

This is one big pancake.  It’s got oats and banana slices and chocolate chips.  Um… amazing.  On top?  More banana slices and toasted pecans.  And heck yes I poured maple syrup all over this sucker.

I scarfed it down in five bites… tops.

Then I went to the gym.  Seriously.  I did.

I’m a stone cold maniac when it comes to making to-do lists.  The only problem with my lists is that they’re usually filled with tasks that I’d much rather avoid.

This week I’m going to put together a different type of list for myself.  Instead of a To-Do List, I’m going to try out a Want To-Do List.

Here’s what’s on my Want To-Do List so far:

-Sit in the sun with a book.  Read the book.  Take legs color from blindingly white to less blindingly white.

-Make a birthday cake.  Lick the batter and frosting bowl clean.

-Drive to Sonoma to teach a baking class at Ramekins.

-Go for a hefty hike in Echo Park.  Make sure your thighs know who’s boss.

-Make these pancakes for dinner.  Include bacon.  Invite cute boy with red hair.

All signs point to this being a great week.  What’s on your Want To-Do List this week?

Let’s talk about these pancakes.  They’re a sneak attack.  Super simple.  Unassuming.  Then… delicious!

It’s the cornmeal combined with the molasses.  Brilliant.  The cornmeal gives the pancakes body, an irresistibly hearty flavor and just a hint of crunch.  The molasses takes these puppies to the next level.  Warm and rich, sweet and slightly bitter.  Just lovely.

I paired these pancakes with a blackberryberry syrup.  The bottled kind… like this little gem.

If you can’t get a hold of cornmeal.  If you’re not all that fond of molasses… rest easy.  You might like these Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes or these Vegan Jam Swirl Pancakes.  Yea… I got you covered.

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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.

Eggnog Pancakes with a slight hitch.  Eggnog Pancakes without the Eggnog.
You should know that I’m going to capitalize Eggnog in this here post. If that bothers you…. apologies.

My Grandfather is the first person to pull a carton of grocery store branded Eggnog out of the refrigerator every year about this time.  When I see him reaching for the carton on the refrigerator door, I avoid all eye contact.  There is no offering.  There are no questions.  If Papa decides to pour you a glass… and it will be a GIANT glass… then you have to sit there, and drink every last bit… unless you want to be called a goshdarm vegan hippie.  Sure.. being a hippie might not be all that bad… but…well Eggnog shouldn’t be punishment and hippie shouldn’t be a bad word.  Dang!

So!

To avoid cartons of Eggnog coming from my fridge, I’ve created an Eggnog flavored pancake.  Not a dollop of actual Eggnog in sight.  Nothing to worry about here.

Can I tell you something about these pancakes… you know, because you’re here and all… they are crazy/heck yes/ omg good.  Are you thinking what I’m thinking?  Weekend breakfast?  The answer is… yes!

I’ve broken down Eggnog into a few simple elements and thrown those elements into pancake batter… not all that genuis, but outta this world delicious.  All you need to rally that spot on Eggnog flavor is a bit of brown sugar, freshly grated nutmeg, eggs, milk and whiskey or rum.  If you don’t want to use the alcohol for your pancakes… well that’s totally understandable.  A good dose of pure vanilla extract will treat you just fine.

Pumpkin. 

It’s October and it is time.  Pumpkin.  

Hold on to your hats.  I’ll be all up in your grill with peppermint and chocolate for Christmas before you know it.  

For now….

Pumpkin.   Don’t fight it.

Sweet.  Soft.  Cake-like.  Pumpkin Cookies with Butterscotch Chips.  A-mazing.  

Pumpkin Pie Bars.  Nuts.  Oats.  Spices… and Butterscotch chips, for good measure.  

Again with the Pumpkin Cookies.  They’re that good.  Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar.  

Now… Pumpkin Pancakes sprinkled with cinnamon sugar  and topped with lightly sweetened whipped cream.  Lovely Fall weekend breakfast.  Inspires weekend napping.  What could be better?   

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

     adapted from Martha Stewart

     makes 14-18 small pancakes

Print this Recipe!

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour 

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

pinch of ground ginger

pinch of ground cloves

1 cup milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 egg

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or melted butter

Whisk together flours, salt, spices, sugar and baking powder in a medium sized bowl.  

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, pumpkin and vegetable oil or melted butter.  

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.  Don’t worry if you have a few lumps.  You don’t want to over beat the batter, it’ll produce tough pancakes.  

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes while you heat the skillet.  Over low-medium heat melt a tablespoon of butter or vegetable oil .  Once skillet is hot, spoon a heaping 2 tablespoons of batter per pancake into the skillet.  When pancake starts to bubble slightly, carefully flip over.

Once browned and cooked through place pancakes on a oven proof plate and place in the oven set at 200 degrees F to keep warm while the rest of the pancakes are cooked.  

Serve with whipped cream and cinnamon sugar.. or maple syrup.  Delicious! 

Is it just me, or are there butterflies everywhere?

Maybe it’s butterfly hatching season…. that’s a technical term: butterfly hatching.  Obviously.

Exhibit A:  On a particularly rough day at work, a butterfly just about the size of my hand fluttered around me showing off its black, yellow and red wings.  Absolutely gorgeous.

Exhibit B:  Just this morning a butterfly whizzed past my nose as I rode a bike through the Oakland hills.  High speed butterflying.

I don’t even need an Exhibit C, I’m tellin’ you… there’s something in the air:  butterflies.

So, all of this beautiful fluttering action has lead me to, well… look for a little meaning in all of it.

I know… totally cheese ball, right?  It’s just that I feel something in the air.  Maybe it’s the change of season, or maybe it’s my sun sign doing God knows what to my moon sign.  Who knows?  I just feel a flood of change coming my way.  I think that’s what all these butterflies are trying to tell me.  Change is a’comin’, in more ways than I might already think.  That… or it’s just butterfly hatching season.  I don’t know.

In other news:  I have a fridge full of zucchini and I made zucchini pancakes.

You probably know me well enough by now to understand my lengthy and well documented affection for pancakes.

That being said… these pancakes aren’t the sweet breakfast treat that you might expect from me.  Think of them more like a potato pancake… the kind you might top with sour cream or apple sauce.  These are the zucchini version of potato pancakes.  They’re super easy to throw together and all sorts of fun to eat.  I topped mine with a bit of sour cream and sweet paprika.  Dinner, made so easy.