Made with True Love: Pancakes from Scratch

Video by: Sebastian Marin
One of my main takeaways from my time in Europe was my attitude towards cooking and food. I love the supermarkets and farmer’s markets in Belgium, filled with fresh produce and the best dairy I have ever had. I always enjoyed cooking, but my time there inspired me to cook more from scratch. I refer to cooking from scratch as “cooking with True Love”. A great and easy way to show our love is to make something from scratch. One of the easiest things to prepare from scratch is pancakes. Carlis and I got together to make a Valentine’s day brunch which can be shared with your loved one, your friends, and your family. We made pancakes with a basic buttermilk recipe I found in Martha Stewart Living and cut strawberries into little hearts to give it the Valentines’s day appeal. We also fried eggs in ring mold for the perfect round shape. If you are feeling very lovey-dovey, you can use a heart shaped egg mold (I found one on Amazon). We found creative ways to decorate our table on a budget. We found beautiful flowers at Giant for $6 and placed them on a glass pitcher I got on sale for $5 at Home Goods. We used Carlis’ mom’s vintage red coffee cups. Instead of spending extra money on placemats, we used Valentine ’s Day tissue paper and cut it into paper place mats. Carlis also recycled the hearts and decorations from my Bridal shower as coasters and accents. I used pink sugar to decorate the rims of the champagne glasses we filled with Pink Moscato. I always say the best gift you can give to your friends is your time. Cooking a meal from scratch not only creates an intimate environment, but it is also cost effective. What better way to show the special people in your life how much you care than by cooking with True Love?

PS: You Follow Jess on Insta @dcrepatriate and Twitter for more amazing food recipes!