I had never heard of a Dutch Baby Pancake until recently (watching Food Network, of course).

As soon as I heard it described as part pancake, part crepe and easy to make - I knew I had to try making one! So, I did. (Here’s the link to the recipe that I used).

This post isn’t necessarily about making Dutch Baby Pancakes, but more about getting out of a rut!

How often do you find yourself making the meals over and over or hitting up the same restaurants? What I want to do today is just encourage you to try something new this week!

And if you don’t already make a habit of cooking regularly for yourself - get in the kitchen!  There is something so very satisfying about getting in the kitchen and taking ingredients and turning them into a beautiful, delicious, satisfying meal!

Always remember in the kitchen - there are NO mistakes! So, don’t be afraid to get in there and have some fun. If your omelet doesn’t work… turn it into scrambled eggs. (Or if only one of your poached eggs turned out perfectly, leave the other one off the plate until you put the camera away, then eat that soft boiled egg!)

Go with the flow. Start with good ingredients and let them work for you!

I’m terrible with recipes. Combine ADD with mild dyslexia and perhaps a dash of natural aversion for following the rules and what you get is a recipe for Plan B.

This recipe, for instance, calls for 2 Tbs of sugar, but I somehow had thought that it called for 1/2 cup.  Oooops. But, no worries!  I scooped some of the sugar out and added a little extra flour. The pancake was slightly flatter than it should have been, but the extra sweetness made up for it! ;) 

Being creative is one of the best parts of being in the kitchen (for me). For my dad, the obsessive rule-follower, cooking from a recipe is his jam. Whatever your style, the kitchen needs to be your favorite room in the house! 

To round out my brunch. I made a potato and bacon hash - don’t forget the onion! I used the “bacon ends and pieces” from Savannah River Farms. It’s a tasty and inexpensive way to incorporate pastured meats into a meal. I topped it with a poached egg that was given to me by a friend who keeps chickens. 

One of my favorite things to use in the kitchen is fresh herbs from my own garden. In this dish, I topped with fresh dill and chives. 

I encourage you to get in the kitchen this week and cook up something fabulous!