First off, let me be clear: I loathe pancakes.  The idea of eating a bread-like product slathered in sugary syrup just doesn't appeal to me, especially since I don't have a sweet tooth.  But one day it occurred to me that I had never experienced pancakes made from scratch.  After sifting through many internet recipes and experimentation, I have finally found a recipe that I tolerate and even like, but only when served with homemade blueberry syrup.  I have tested these on several people, including the dear husband and some dear friends who all like pancakes, and everyone has assured me that they are delicious.  Here's how I do it.

For the pancakes:

sift together: 1 cup AP flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

beat and add 1 egg.

add in 1 cup of milk (scant).  Stir gently to make smooth, but don't stir too much.

Let the batter rest 5 minutes or so.

add in 1 teaspoon melted butter and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

Butter a hot frying pan.  (I use a stick of butter and just unwrap the top of it and rub it on the bottom of a pan.)  Pour in some batter.  Flip when the first side shows bubbles all over.

Note: sometimes these pancakes are not as golden-brown as the traditional mix-kind, but they sure as heck taste better.

Makes about 8 pancakes.

For homemade blueberry syrup:

you need:

1 package frozen blueberries (about 1 pound)

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch cinnamon

Put everything in a pan and heat through over low heat.  The blueberries will release their juices from the sugar and you will get a runny syrup.  It usually takes about 25 minutes to make, which is perfect to start before you make the pancake batter.  You can also make this with frozen raspberries, but make sure you omit the cinnamon if you use raspberries.

THIS is my idea of a tasty pancake breakfast, especially if bacon and breakfast sausage are included.

I have been trying for 3 years to get white chocolate truffles to work properly.  Most of the time, the ganache was too difficult to roll into balls because it was too runny.  I finally found the right recipe and tweaked it to my liking:

12 oz white chocolate (I used Nestle chips)

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons amaretto

coconut for topping

Melt the white chocolate in a heavy bottomed saucepan with the cream.  Add the amaretto and mix well.  Pour into a mixing bowl or pie pan and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Roll the ganache into small balls and then roll in the coconut as a topping.  Use waxed paper between layers in your container, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Try not to eat them all before Christmas.  This is the hardest part.

It's getting cold for the winter where I live, and so I have been thinking of a lot of soup lately, much to my husband's slight chagrin, as he isn't too fond of the stuff.  But I also remember my very first taste of potato and leek soup at a party my parents hosted, and how I absolutely fell in love with it.  This is that recipe:

Ingredients:

6 tbsp butter

6 cups sliced leeks, both light and dark green parts

6 tbsp flour

2 tbsp salt

pepper to taste (I use a lot of black pepper)

10 cups roughly chopped potatoes (I use red ones and don't peel them; if you use russet potatoes, peel them first.)

12 cups warm water

4 cups milk or cream (cream is tastier by far!)

Procedure:

Clean the leeks.

Melt butter over moderate heat in soup pot.  Stir in leeks.  Cover and cook slowly for 5 minutes without browning them.  Blend in the flour and stir for 2 minutes to cook the flour without browning.

Gradually beat in 1 cup of the warm water.  Blend it thoroughly so the flour doesn't separate. Slowly add the rest of the water, a bit at a time, stirring everything throughout to blend well.

Stir in salt, pepper, and potatoes.  Bring to a boil and simmer about 40 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

NOTE: Up until now, you can make the soup ahead of time and refrigerate it for a day or two if you will be short on time the day you intend to serve your soup.  If you do refrigerate it, bring it back to a simmer and stir well before the final steps.

Final steps: stir in as much milk/cream as you would like to use (more or less than the recipe intends is fine).

You can also puree part or all of this soup to make it thicker and less chunky.  I tend not to puree any of it unless I am hosting a fancy dinner, and then I puree it completely and serve it garnished with chives and sour cream and black pepper.