Over the last year, I have always wanted to spend more time in the kitchen cooking up meals for my family, but I only found time on Saturday evenings. Thanks to the recent quarantine, I have been spending a lot more time in the kitchen, and I think you should too! Here are a few recipes I have found and tweaked that are sure to please the family.

Breakfast: So far the gauntlet of pancake recipes has overwhelmed me a bit, but after numerous testings, I have found the one:

1 ½  cups all-purpose flour

3 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

¼  tsp salt

⅛  tsp ground nutmeg (cinnamon works too!)

2 eggs at room temperature

1 ¼  cups milk

½  tsp pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, (and more to grease your cooking surface)

Add some sort of fruit if desired, I liked strawberries and blueberries

Directions

• In a bowl mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg (and/or cinnamon).
• In another bowl add the eggs and then beat in the vanilla and milk.
• In a cooking surface of your choice, melt some butter over medium heat to grease the pan
• Add the butter to the wet ingredients mixture, and then mix both mixtures together until a smooth batter is formed. 
• Ladle the desired amount of batter onto your cooking surface and watch carefully. (Add berries now if you want) When bubbles begin to break through the pancake, flip the pancake, or if you are like me, constantly check to make sure your creation is not getting burnt by lifting up the sides. Once flipped, cook until golden brown.
• There you have it, a pancake sure to make your morning!

Dessert:

Over the last two weeks I have tried many different cookie recipes and feel like I have found the perfect one:

2 cups of flour (no need to sift)

½ tsp baking soda

¾ cup (melted) unsalted butter (salted works too!)

½ tsp salt

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar’

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1 egg and 1 egg yolk (don’t skip the yolk, trust me)

Chocolate Chips to your liking

Directions:

• Preheat the oven for 325 Degrees
• Place flour, salt, and baking soda into a bowl and mix, then set aside for later
• In another bowl, cream together the butter (melted) and both the white and brown sugar. Then beat in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Then mix in the dry ingredients until fully blended. Mix in the desired amount of chocolate chips. 
• Place the cookie dough in neat balls on a greased sheet or a sheet lined with parchment paper. 
• Cook for 15 minutes and let cool after taken out of the oven.