Sunday mornings

All other days of the week are routine, even Saturdays can be considered routine however Sundays, especially Sunday mornings are not to be messed with!
I am a morning person and as a "maturing" soul I am no stranger to early mornings. I have learned to find joy and comfort with a hot cup of coffee, a lap blanket and a good book during the dark early hours of winter. Then it's up and at 'em and out the door to work. But Sundays......now that is a different story! I could have gone to bed at 8 p.m. the night before and I still won't stir before 9 a.m. on a Sunday(my usual rising time is 5:30 a.m.) and if I can prolong it I will! I lay under the warmth of my down comforter listening to NorthbyNorthwest with Sheryl Mckay on CBC Radio 1. Everything I do is deliberate and slow and comforting. I stay in my pj's and go coax the embers in the wood stove with some fresh fuel. Fire crackling, I go through the routine of grinding coffee beans and brewing two cups of coffee in my "Bodum". Sundays, for some reason are always sunny and I welcome the warmth of the rising winter sun that streams through my south facing windows. Sunday Report with Michael Enright now fills my space. During the week the radio is often just background noise. Sundays it is my morning, I take it all in, it prepares me for the new week.
During the week breakfast is usually coffee and a bowl of cereal or a couple of pieces of toast but Sundays....now that is a different story. I live on my own and cooking for one can be a hassel, however I have worked hard to maintain a routine of cooking proper meals and setting the table(for one) and enjoying my meals. I also enjoy trying great new recipes, which are usually better to tried out on ones self before inviting friends over.
One day just over a year ago I was travelling back from Port Hardy on the "Queen of the North" and perusing their "on board" bookstore when I came across a cookbook called "Cooks Afloat". All the recipes are "one pot" recipes for people travelling by sailboat, cruiser or like me living alone. It has some great recipes and I thought I would try the "baked pancake" this Sunday morning. Simple recipe, whipped fluffy rather than beaten flat and baked rather than fried. But it is what you put on top that makes it special....if it's during the summer or fall local berries are a must. Mix a teaspoon of vanilla extract, "whole milk" yogurt and honey until it is creamy smooth and then pour it over your berries of choice and pancake, then drizzle the whole thing with honey or my fave....maple syrup!
The secret now is to have it prepared and ready for 12:05 p.m. so that you can enjoy it while listening to Stuart McLean's Vinyl Cafe!
Listening this morning as Stuart celebrated his 10th anniversary on air I thought about the first time I heard his program.
I had been living on Haida Gwaii for about a year and doing a lot of housesitting for people. This particular time it was Christmas, we had had a fresh snow fall and I was sitting by the window reading a book and watching a nuthatch work his way around the window trim about six inches from me. All of the sudden I realized I was laughing out loud. The radio was on but I had not been paying attention....so I thought. I was laughing at a story about an AWOL Ferret and grandma's fur coat! Needless to say, I was hooked and that is how my Sundays have gone ever since.

Try them both out, the baked pancake and the Vinyl Cafe they will bring a smile to your day!