It has been such an awesome week, filled with so many new things. I’ve had so much fun doing different work stuff this past week…talking at my first conference in Utah, cooking up recipes live on Today in Nashville, and now on to some fun surprises in San Diego. It’s been crazy, and of course at times I have been totally stressed, but I could not be happier with how everything turned out. That said, I am also SO freaking happy it is Friday! I’ve been on five different airplanes in the last five days and in three different states, hanging in Utah with amazing readers, running around Nashville gathering up groceries and booze for my segment on the show, and then making my way to San Diego very late last night. Meaning I am just a wee bit tired…and totally ready for some sunshine, a giant hug from my mom when she gets here today, and a BIG stack of pancakes. Always, always ready for pancakes, which is why I am pretty excited that this pancake stack lined up so well with this particular Friday. It just feels very right for today. Like even writing this post just feels relaxing. <–pancakes = relax mode. duh. Plus, Mother’s Day is Sunday and as you guys know, my momma loves a stack of pancakes like no other. And I really do mean like no other. I can’t say exactly what my plans are for Mother’s Day just yet, because a certain someone will be reading this, but I’m hoping I can pull something fun together this Sunday. What are you guys up to?
I am really hoping that your Mother’s Day plans include at least one brunch and a least one stack of pancakes…because really, it’s the best way to start off Mother’s Day, and really any Sunday for that matter. I mean, right? RIGHT. So a little story real fast? You guys know when you’re super stressed and you call up your mom and you vent? Well, that was one hundred percent me on Tuesday night before I left for Nashville. I was basically a giant ball of nerves and before I could really even admit that I was anxious I was just in a foul mood and my mom totally got the brunt of it. Thankfully she is the most understanding woman and just gets when I am in “that” mood…she’s only been dealing with it for 23 years now. YIKES (I still can’t believe I am 23). I ended up calling her that night and getting a good vent out and then feeling a million times better, because somehow moms just know all the right things to do and say. She listened when I needed her to listen and gave encouraging words when I needed them most. And this is just one of the many reasons why we all need to be spoiling the heck out of our moms this weekend. Those of us who are lucky enough to still have our moms in our lives know that they are eternally there for us, no matter what the issue, or how old we are, they’ll always be the best. AND I clearly think pancakes are the way to any mom’s heart. At least that’s the case with my mom, and she’ll be the first person to tell you that. In fact, she’d take pancakes, especially these buttermilk pancakes, over just about any other gift I could ever buy her. Again though, she’s literally pancake obsessed. No joking here.
ANYWAY, aside from these being great for this Sunday, these are actually great for any Sunday, and every day in between. I really wanted to give you guys a base pancake recipe, and this buttermilk pancake recipe is the perfect one. It’s in my rotation of go-to pancake batters and probably one of the ones I make most often (the other one is in the Half Baked Harvest Cookbook). And the best part? This recipe is SO simple. I use a mix of buttermilk and plain greek yogurt to keep the pancakes extra light and fluffy. I go heavy on the vanilla and add just the smallest pinch of cinnamon to bring a nice warmth to them. Even on their own, right off the grill, these pancakes are just so good. But… I of course like to top them. I don’t always make a chamomile whipped cream, but when I remember to, I do. The chamomile adds a really nice floral touch to the pancakes and I love the pairing with the strawberries. Chamomile and strawberries just go hand in hand. Tip: steep the tea the night before so it has time to chill in the fridge overnight. Then in the morning you can have your pancakes ready in under thirty mins. YES. And those strawberries? Oh my gosh, they’re the best. Sweetened with just a touch of honey and then tossed with fresh ginger, they’re the perfect sweet topping…like so, so good. If you only have time to make one topping, make the strawberries. They add so much to this stack. Trust me. Then add some fresh chamomile flowers and DONE. Breakfast is complete…and stopping at one pancake is not even an option…
PS. Mom says that adding flowers is always a very nice touch to any Mother’s Day gift…just a little tip!
