A Perfect Friday Morning

I woke up—somewhat reluctantly—at 5:45 this morning. The smell of freshly brewed coffee (thank God for the automated coffeemaker!) wafting through the air and the first rays of sunshine finding their way through the bedroom curtains quickly soothed my wrong-side-of-the-bed attitude.

After days and days of hazy low-hanging clouds and a constant chilly drizzle, this morning slid over the horizon like peachy-pink present, quietly unwrapping itself into the sky. Something about today—the fact that it’s beautiful, calm, and a Friday—felt like it needed to be celebrated. And what is the only proper way to celebrate in the morning? (No, not mimosas! It’s a weekday!)

Pancakes!

But these days, Tony and I are both trying to watch our waistlines, so a carbo-load that would leave us feeling hungry but 9:45 seemed like the perfect way to ruin such a glorious morning. Determined to find a healthy and celebratory breakfast, I went hunting for a better pancake recipe—one that would fill us up and leave us feeling good.

I didn’t have to look beyond my cookbook shelf. Mom’s Perfect Recipes for Losing Weight and Eating Great has a multigrain pancake recipe in it! She replaces the cups and cups of white flour usually found in flapjacks with a mix of all-purpose, whole wheat, cornmeal, and old-fashioned oats. I had every ingredient I needed in the pantry and fridge, so I went for it.

Less than twenty minutes later, we were cutting into shortstacks of piping hot pancakes drizzled with local maple syrup. Amazing! These little guys had a more substantial flavor and texture than your average pancake, and yet were still so tender and light! I may never make regular pancakes again.

Perfect weather, perfect breakfast, perfect morning…let’s hope the rest of my day follows suit.

Happy Friday!