Pancakes, Pizza, Art Class

Good morning! Hope everyone is doing OK. Over the weekend, we took Abby for driving lessons again; hiked (a four-miler up the River and my go-to); threw a FaceTime party with my brother, parents, and sister to celebrate her birthday; and dropped off bagged lunches for an NYC sandwich drive. Andy hasn't been able to get to his NYC barber of 15 years, so I helped him shave his head. What did you do? Here's today's Project, Pantry, Purpose....

Project: Pancakes

When I don't have buttermilk or don't feel like making buttermilk, this is my favorite pancake recipe. We had them for Saturday breakfast, but this might have to be the week you guys make them for dinner.

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter, melted

oil or melted butter for greasing pan

Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl and the wet ones (eggs, milk, melted butter) in a smaller bowl or large measuring cup. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and whisk together. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of water.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop about 1/4 cup size portions of batter and fry until golden on each side, about 5 minutes total. You can stud them with chocolate chips or blueberries before flipping if you have either of those ingredients. Serve with butter and syrup or jam or powdered sugar.

Pantry: Potato-Cheddar Pizza

Apparently it's beige food day on Dinner: A Love Story! I know it sounds weird-- potatoes on pizza? -- but trust me. We made two pizzas on Friday night, one of these, and one plain marinara and the potato-cheddar went first as always.

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, sliced

dash balsamic vinegar (optional)

1 16-ounce ball pizza dough (or make your own), room temperature

4 medium yellow or red potatoes, thinly sliced

About 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

thyme or rosemary if you have it

Preheat oven to 450°F. Add oil and onions to a medium skillet set over medium-low heat. Cook for as long as you can, hopefully at least 25-30 minutes, allowing them to caramelize. If you want to cheat or don't have time, you can stir in a little balsamic after 10 minutes.

Add potato slices to a pot of salted water and bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes and drain. They do not have to be cooked through.

Meanwhile, lightly grease a standard baking sheet and drop ball of dough in the middle, pressing and stretching it out with your fingers so it reaches the edges. Sprinkle cheese on top, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges. Lay potatoes on top, overlapping slightly and bake for 15 minutes until cheese is bubbly and crust looks golden brown.

Remove from oven and top with onions and fresh herbs if using.

Purpose: Draw Together

I'm loving all the online entertainment sprouting up, but my favorite is from Wendy MacNaughton (many of you probably know her as the illustrator for Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat) who is holding art classes for kids ("of all ages!") every day on instagram live. Those are a few of her students up above, showing off their work. So cool!

The goal of the Project, Pantry, Purpose series to keep us sane, distracted, and connected. Please continue to comment below with suggestions for recipes, projects (for kids and adults), good deeds, donation ideas, stories, movies, games, puzzles. Or just tell me how you’re doing, what you’re up to, and how DALS can help you or people in your community. You can also email me directly at jenny@dinneralovestory.com.