When I started blogging I had only in mind a medium in which to practice writing, something I hadn't done regularly since I was a teenager. My on-line presence was a chance to share my creativity, getting it out there in the hopes that someone else was inspired.
About a year ago, however, things changed for me. Writing, creating, and thinking about those things became a compulsion. I attended the Okanagan Food and Wine Writers Workshop last September. And while I was blown away by the food and highly entertained by the company, the experience gave me a clarity and focus to my future. I was driven to find a way to change my life to make this my work, not designing energy efficiency programs.
Today marks the first day of that life full-time. Over the past 8 months I've been building up a freelance writing base. Have you seen me at What's Up Family yet? Or at Simple Bites? What about Babble? But it is time to do more, to be more. I've quit my job and my networking chops are already being tested. I will now call myself a freelance writer.
But not only this, I also be home with my girls. You could call me a work at home mom. (In all honesty, I hate that term.) In between bed time and morning, and during the naps that still occur you will find me writing, creating. When my girls are awake you will find us in the kitchen together, or around the table creating, reading, chatting, living.
To celebrate this momentous morning I turned to another of my dreams. Quite literally, this was a dream. The more I've been on line the more I've found myself dreaming of people I've never met. It seems I'm some sort of unconscious stalker. The last dream I had involved Kim, her in-my-dreams-only rooftop garden in NYC, and these peach basil pancakes.
It seemed only fitting that I pull out everything from my dreams on a day when my dreams are becoming a living reality.
Makes 12 small/medium pancakes
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn flour or light corn meal
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 peach, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup butter
1 egg
1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss the basil and peaches in with the dry ingredients.
2. Stir together the wet ingredients. Mix the wet into the dry. Stir until just combined. Let rest while your griddle or frying pan heats up on medium/low heat.
3. Pour the batter into the griddle 1/3 cup at a time. Cook until the bubbles on the surface form and start popping. Flip and cook on the other side for another minute or so.
4. Serve with cherries or syrup of choice.