Savory Corn Pancakes with White Cheddar & Rosemary

I'm back home after a brief but wonderful trip to Crested Butte where all I had to do was take care of myself and the dog. It was magical. Really. I don't remember the last time I had so few responsibilities. I meant for the trip to be a sort of work retreat as well, but I left my charger for my laptop at home (perhaps that was on purpose?) and instead spent time sitting in a hot tub gazing at a 360 degree view of the mountains, drinking wine, and sitting in front of the fireplace drinking hot cocoa and reading. It was rough. I can tell you feel really bad for me.

It snowed the first full day of my stay and I loved every second and every snow flake. The photo above is what it looked like the following morning. The brightest blue sky, snow capped mountains, and bright yellow bursts of aspen groves. Perfection.

No matter how long I'm away from my own kitchen, it takes me some time to get back into the swing of things. Today I eased back into my cooking routine by whipping up some savory corn pancakes with fresh rosemary and sharp white cheddar cheese. Topped with honey and a little butter, they were perfect for a slightly chilly fall morning. Riley LOVED them. And so did I. They will definitely be making another appearance at our table. Perhaps next time they will be a dinner item topped with a little chard and a poached egg. I think yes.

Now, don't go telling too many people about this, but I used a boxed mix for cornbread as the base of this recipe. Shocking, I know.

The great thing about these pancakes is that you can make them into waffles, or you can add different flavors like feta cheese and fresh thyme, cheddar cheese, jalapeños and cilantro, or any other combination that strikes your fancy. Just remember to toss your add-ins with the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients. They will be more evenly distributed that way and you won't have to over-mix your batter.

Savory Corn Pancakes with White Cheddar & Rosemary

Ingredients

• 1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• walnut or canola oil for cooking
• honey
• butter

Instructions

1. Pour the cornbread mix into a large bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together.
2. Toss the shredded cheese and rosemary with the dry ingredients.
3. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. The batter will be lumpy but that's OK.
4. Grease a large pan or griddle with a little of the walnut or canola oil and heat over a medium-low flame. The pan is ready when drops of water evaporate almost immediately when splattered in the pan.
5. Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop batter into your prepared pan. Cook until the edges of the pancake are dry and small bubbles rise to the surface. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes. If the first pancakes becomes too dark or not dark enough, adjust the heat as necessary.
6. Serve drizzled with honey and topped with a touch of butter.

Cocktail Friday: Rosemary Martini + Frozen Grapes

Ah, summer. I can never decide if I love or hate this season. I'm not a fan of hot, hot heat so I typically get annoyed right around this time of year and start wishing for cool fall days when I can cozy up in a sweater and not feel like death both inside and out. I don't know if it's because I grew up in Minnesota or if I was just born this way, but I hope you'll love me anyway.

Frozen Grape Garnish

Since it is so hot, I'm going to embrace the ability to channel simple, cool cocktails and icy cold garnishes. My brain may be too melty to come up with a new, exciting cocktail, but sometimes simple is better (with a little visual flair of course). This rosemary martini (a combination of rosemary simple syrup, vodka and Vermouth) is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer night and the garnish is easy to have ready to go in your freezer. You can use frozen grapes to garnish any number of drinks, but I love the elegant simplicity it brings to a martini. Add a little fresh sprig of rosemary from the garden and you've got one classy cocktail! And yes, the rosemary does at least remind me of cooler temperatures with its piny flavor.

Rosemary Martini

Not only do the frozen grapes look delicious, they help keep your drink cold just a little longer. And they make for a tasty snack when your glass is empty. As for the rosemary infusion, you can use almost any herb you have on hand: thyme, sage, basil...get creative!

We are leaving for a road trip to Saugauck, Michigan tomorrow morning. Any suggestions for what to do when we get there? Any good stops along the way? We are traveling with our 1 1/2 year old son and our 1 1/2 year old black lab. We could use lots of suggestions!

Cheers to Friday! Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Rosemary Martini + Frozen Grapes

Yield: 2 Cocktails
Ingredients

• 4 oz vodka
• 2 oz dry vermouth
• 2 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup
• Rosemary sprigs for garnish
• 2 frozen grape garnishes

Instructions

1. When your garnishes are frozen, go ahead and make your cocktail. Simply add the vodka, vermouth, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice.
2. Begin by making your frozen grape garnish. You'll want to do this at least half an hour in advance to the grapes are nice and cold when you put them in your cocktail. I like to make a lot of these and stick them in a freezer bag to I can pull them out any time I need them. All you need to do is this: thread 3 grapes onto a toothpick and place in a freezer bag in the freezer. They are great for snacking, too!
3. Shake just until the liquid is chilled, about 20-30 seconds.
4. Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses, garnish with your rosemary sprigs and frozen grapes. Serve.