my first meal of the year

(taken with polaroid 690 on 600 film)
hi, friends.
i know i'm too late to say this, but let me say, happy new year to everyone!
my husband has been back to the work after the new year's holidays and i'm going back to the swing of everyday.

we had a lot of events and incidents over the holidays and had rather been out of mind.
we missed the days without fear and tears, but was brave to make a new step to be settled in the new situation surrounding us.
i don't think the new year has already failed, at all.
we try to make another year full of happiness.

by the way, our first meal of 2011 was pancakes in spite of the apprehension for the new year's feast felt at the end of last year with so much pressure. :)
the feast was fortunately and successfully ready to be served on new year's day, but we were not in the mood to eat them for our breakfast at the very early in the morning.
so i made pancakes.
and they were so nice.
and pretty. :))

bananas were in the basket on the kitchen counter, butter milk, which i don't usually stock, was in the fridge, and i recently made a big decision over if i was affordable to pay for about $20 for a 32 oz bottle of maple syrup.
everything favored pancakes utterly.
and i got a gift of the recipe of the ultimate pancakes on the very first day of the year.
i tried some time by changing some of ingredients, and i finally made sure this is it.
it is an unanticipatedly pleasant gift, isn't it?
i'll never look back with this ultimate recipe which was created after the incident of spilling butter milk over the counter. ;P
and, i want to share this recipe with you wishing your happiness and yumminess of the year.


=puffy fluffy pancakes=

[ingredients]
yield: 4~5 large(app. 4" size) pancakes

(dry)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (white whole wheat flour will do)
11/2 tablespoon cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

(wet)
11/8-11/4cup butter milk *
1 large egg (beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon butter (melted and mildly heated)

[recipe]
1, set a pan over medium to medium high heat.
2, prepare wet ingredients except butter in a small bowl.
3, prepare dry ingredients in a large bowl.
4, pour wet ingredients mix into dry ingredients mix and combine lightly with spatula. (never overmix, small lumps here and there are totally fine.)
5, pour butter onto the dough and fold in 2 or 3 times.
6, ladle the dough onto the heated pan and flip them over when you see a lot of small bubbles on the surface approximately 4~5 minutes after.
7, when you smell good fragrant and find prettily swollen pancakes, now's the time to dig in!

* i tried with soy milk instead of butter milk before, and it turned out to be bulky and too moist, way far from "puffy fluffy". if you want to try with soy milk or regular milk, i recommend you to dilute them with some water to reduce their density though i don't guarantee.