Buttermilk Pancakes with Caramelized Pears and Pecans topped with Vanilla Whipped Cream

Buttermilk Pancakes with Caramelized Pears and Pecans topped with Whipped Vanilla Cream
Buttermilk Pancakes with Caramelized Pears and Pecans topped with Whipped Vanilla Cream

After a few years of warm winters, it was a treat to wake up to a winter wonderland. And, it’s a blessing to have a fully stocked refrigerator. We served our sweet breakfast with green tea and faux mimosas (orange juice with wine instead of champagne). We happened to have a cheap bottle of wine, because it was going to be used in the chicken stew for dinner later in the day. We watched church services via live-stream from the internet. When service was over, the sweets were ready.

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Buttermilk Cornbread just as Easy as a Cake Mix

It was the eventual boredom of playing with Barbie dolls, other kids being busy, or watching television shows that lead me to the kitchen. It occurs to me now; my father was the only family member in an open room, without closed doors. Sundays were the days, in which my father spent all day in the kitchen. As I grew older, I would read the newspaper, and we would talk about current events and opinions. These talks intertwined with my basic cooking lessons, and cooking would become an intuitive skill. With little hands, I peeled carrots, potatoes, a garlic clove or an onion. I watched boiling pots and pans as my father made a quick dash into the vegetable garden. Cheese or vegetables would be grated. I learned how to correctly prep and mince vegetables. Sauces would be stirred or whisked. Ingredients would be pre-measured for cakes as I anxiously waited for Dad to pour the batter into the pan. I loved licking beaters and bowls. My sister and I had a babysitter who did not understand why we were the only kids who didn’t like licking the batter from her instant cake mix. Out of modesty, we simply told her no thank you without an explanation of comparison. Although, we were happy for a slice.

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Cranberry Salsa

Canned cranberry sauce looks gross to me until I eat it with the rest of the holiday meal. I prefer the Cranberry Salsa compared to a homemade cranberry sauce. This recipe is a dish that refreshes the palate in between the starchy flavors of mash potatoes, squashes, and stuffing. Use the food processor for the cranberries only. The various sizes of the other ingredients gives this dish a slight crunchy contrast to mushy textures. With flavors such as orange, ginger, and mint, I find this cranberry dish complements many holiday meals. It’s a healthy sidekick to a roasted turkey. Alternatively, serve it with tortilla chips.

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Braised Red Curry Winter Vegetables and Chicken

The sweet boyfriend brought dinner home on the night I was supposed to make this recipe. “No problem,” I thought. The soup still was made the same night, although we didn’t eat it. I placed two containers of the soup in the freezer, and I packed another one for lunch the next day. One container has already been defrosted for a Friday dinner. The other one remains in the freezer for a lazy day in the near future.

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