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Lazy Morning Breakfast

Hands down, my Aunt Rosemary made the best pancakes. When we were lucky enough to eat breakfast at her house it was memorable. She always had real maple syrup…we always had Mrs. Butterworth’s (also special because the bottle was so cool). Her pancakes were thin and crispy on the edges, almost like crepes. I remember we would roll them up with powdered sugar, homemade jam, sometimes peanut butter, but always maple syrup, and eat them with our fingers. They were delicious.

I’ve never quite perfected Rosemary’s pancakes, however, I have learned to incorporate local Door County maple syrup into my pancake mornings. Maple syrup is easy to find at local markets, roadside stands, and some grocery stores. Winter seems to be the perfect time for pancakes, lazy mornings and family time.

My recipe for a winter morning:  stay in your pajamas as long as you can, put on some music, perhaps a bit of jazz or one of my favorites, Greg Brown. Cozy up in the kitchen and start cooking.

Frosty winter mornings are special; the world tends to slow down at this time of year. Acknowledge the stillness, fill your tummy with delicious homemade comfort food, and be grateful for the quiet times.

Pancake Recipe

Makes 4 to 6 pancakes

1 1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup milk

1/2 cup half and half

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

2 Tbsp melted butter, extra for use when cooking

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix the milk, half and half, and vanilla together. Whisk in the egg and slowly add the melted butter (stir the batter quickly so the egg does not curdle from butter). Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until ingredients are mixed together (some lumps are okay).

Heat a skillet to medium, melt a little butter in the skillet. Pour some batter into the pan. Wait until small bubbles form and pop in the batter before you flip the pancake. Repeat until all batter has been used. I preheat the oven to 250°F and place the finished pancakes in the oven to keep them warm.

Serve with warm, 100 percent maple syrup and a smile. Pancakes made with love are the perfect start to a crisp winter day.

Variations:

  • Sliced apples or bananas — add to the hot skillet and pour the batter over the apples.
  • Berries — blueberries, raspberries, thimbleberries, etc. Add approximately one cup of frozen berries to the batter.
  • Chocolate chips — sprinkle each pancake with chocolate chips before you flip in the pan.

Breakfast Sausage

Makes 6 to 8 patties

1/2 pound of ground pork (bratwurst works in a pinch — remove the meat from the casing and proceed. Approximately 3 brats = 1/2 lb.)

1 tsp dried parsley

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp white pepper

sprinkle of nutmeg

1 Tbsp maple syrup

salt

red pepper flakes, optional

Mix ingredients together and build into one-tablespoon patties. Heat a skillet (preferably cast iron) to medium high, pan sear the patties and flip once. Pan fry until they are cooked through, approximately eight to 10 minutes.