Macaroni & Cheese: Two Versions

Almost nothing speaks to the nostalgic heart more than macaroni and cheese. Homemade and hot from the oven with a bite of cheddar and perhaps a blush of heat. A rich and creamy sauce folded over and under and into every crevice of every tender noodle. Love dripping with every spoonful.

Buttermilk Pancakes or The Birth of a Family Tradition

It was one of those lazy Saturday mornings growing up. My maternal grandparents had come up for the day and we were enjoying a late breakfast on a sunny, weekend morning. Chairs were pushed slightly back from the table, bellies were patted with satisfaction and my sister and I listened to the low murmur of story-telling with an eagerness that comes with the hunger to be "grown-up." That moment where it's time to clean up but no one wants to hung in the air and a few ignored pancakes lay in the center of the table.

And then, "Thwap!"

A golden pancake hurtled through the air and landed squarely on the side of my dad's face.