Monday, June 23, 2014

Monday Morning Grind: Take 2

Good morning! It's a lovely morning here in Northern California, and the sun is shining. There are drills and tractor sounds coming from the construction site that is our house. It's over 100 years old and has to be completely renovated before it is livable. Unfortunately, I'll have moved before it's anywhere close to being done, but hopefully I'll have my own room when I return for Christmas break. Emphasis on hopefully. I was awoken this morning by someone crawling into my bed and tucking himself into the covers...my baby brother (okay, he's five, but he'll always be the baby) was catching some early morning snuggles. My mother was getting ready for work in the bathroom which opens up into the bedroom and I heard him say to her "but does Greta know how to make pancakes?" He seemed very concerned. Well I would be too if my eating schedule depended on someone else's skills. 

So yes, I do know how to make pancakes. Both from a mix and from scratch. Although with summertime comes a laziness and unwillingness to exert in the morning, so a mix was preferable. My mother bought the Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pancake Mix from wherever she shopped last night, and while I'm not really a fan of whole bit 'o' healthy in the morning, I have to say they were pretty good and definitely insta-worthy. 


I was skeptical of this syrup because it isn't Maple Syrup...what the heck is Table Syrup? The ingredients read:
Brown Rice Syrup
Water
Sugar
Brown Sugar
Natural Flavor
Xanthan Gum
Citric Acid
I'm not the greatest when it comes to scientific-sounding ingredients (I'm taking pride in being a high school graduate, and I haven't given a single thought to science in any form) but this stuff tastes exactly like normal syrup, and if I didn't know what it was, I wouldn't know the difference. 


Berries make everything better and they are at their peak this time of year. You can't go wrong with strawberries and blueberries, and their vibrant colors provided a lovely contrast for photographing (I know, I know, I'm weird) My mother once said "you eat with your eyes first" and I always laughed, thinking that's great, but I really just want to eat now. Obviously, I'm older and I like to think wiser now, and her words make sense. As an aspiring food blogger, photo journalist or just your average college girl-turned-foodie, I realize the critical importance of presentation and first impression (even if I'm only cooking for myself and three starving siblings) 



So that was breakfast. I also tried to start the day on a positive note by making a point to wash my face before anything else and kissing my brothers. My mother tells me that the key to happiness within the family is more physical affection, especially towards the little ones; as a very affectionate and emotional person myself, I am working on being more conscious of this need, starting in my own home. And as for washing my face, it is the most refreshing way of starting a new day with a clean slate (literally), followed, of course, by coffee in my favorite mug. 

I'm working on formulating some new post ideas for the upcoming week, but I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. What would you like to read this week? Let me know! 

All the best, 

Greta Elise

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