Notebook on Making Breakfast Special

It was during the summer of 1971, while I spent time with family in Germany, that I learned the value of the first meal of the day.

Early every morning, right after Grandfather's brother and his son fed the Holsteins, the family congregated around this massive pedestal table where heavy, German bread took center stage.

What else was served wasn't what really mattered, it was that the conversation of family created connectedness and I think it was that connectedness is what centered the family.

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day. It's an important meal because it's the one that has the potential to start the day off right.

For me, there's something that awakens an opportunity for a new start with fresh ground coffee along with the signs that the griddle is heating up as the littles impatiently wait for my specialty pancakes. It not only stirs the physical senses, but the heart ones too - the ones that say, "Family is important and someone cares for me."

Martha's Buttermilk Pancake Recipe

Whisk together:

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbl. sugar

Combine:

2 eggs lightly beaten

3 cups buttermilk

Tbl. + 1/2 t. unsalted - melted butter. ( I tend to use either salted or unsalted.)

Then, combine the dry and the wet ingredients. This is key: don't whisk the batter until it's smooth - leave lumps and un-moistened dry stuff.

Add a thin covering of butter to your pan. This batter makes about 9 6" pancakes. I always double this as left over batter refrigerates well for a few days.