9.26.2011

Pancake Day

Every year my family attends a Pancake Day event that kicks off the fall season in our local area.  Pancakes are made under a giant circus tent by the local Kiwanis Club and served to patrons from a huge conveyor belt.  It's such a fun event, and, even though I've lived far from home for several years now, I still like to celebrate Pancake Day with my own special breakfast.

This year I decided to make apple cinnamon pancakes for a hearty, warm start to a brisk British morning.  I made sure to use plenty of butter in the pan to get those nice brown skillet marks on the flapjacks.  For the cinnamon apples, I sliced an apple thinly lengthwise and mixed in about a teaspoon of cinnamon.  Then, I topped the slices with a few small pats of butter and microwaved them for thirty seconds at a time, mixing between heating.  Paired with real maple syrup, the result is a perfect stack of pancakes sure to please.





9.23.2011

Throwing Pottery

I've been trying my hand at pottery lately.  I needed a messy activity to replace my lack of a home renovation project right now, so I opted for clay.  A few years ago, I took a pottery class that mostly dealt with coiling and hand sculpting, but I really wanted to actually use the wheel and fire some pieces. This class is the perfect opportunity to do that.  From day one, we jumped right into wedging and centering.

So far, the centering has been a bit tricky for me, but I've been able to create a couple mugs and the beginnings of a decent bowl.  I'm hoping to fire them soon and glaze them with some nice deep colors.  I'm thinking blues and maroons for the winter season.