lemon pancakes + tips for breakfast in bed

For David's birthday on Sunday, I didn't have much planned, but I knew I wanted to make him breakfast in bed. I ended up making him some very delcious lemon buttermilk pancakes and not-so-delicious burnt bacon. I learned a few things along the way about what and what not to do for making breakfast in bed that I thought you might like to hear about!

Do make them something they'll love. Even if you'd much rather have s'more waffles instead. I decided to make him some lemon blueberry pancakes.

Don't forget the blueberries. Because I did and we were both bummed when we realized it part of the way through breakfast. I think David was really looking forward to some blueberries, but they were still delicious! My tip is to make sure you have all of your ingredients out on the counter beforehand so you don't forget anything like I did.

Do make a great morning drink. If I were fancier, I probably would have made some mimosas because...well why not? Instead, I made one of my favorite morning drinks which is half orange juice and half apple juice. A splash of cranberry would probably be great with this too.

Don't burn the bacon. Seriously: it's gross. In my defense, I used a different type of bacon than I normally do so when I broiled it in the oven (my preferred method of cooking bacon) I didn't keep an eye on it like I should have.

Do greet them with a cheerful face. That morning ran very smoothly and I was able to cook everything realtively quick. However, this doesn't always happen and on those occasions, I think it's best not to let them know and just show up with a smile on your face and breakfast in your hands. mmm!

to make lemon buttermilk pancakes:
only slightly adapted from Becky Bakes

1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated sugarzest of 1 lemon2 Tablespoons butter melted and slightly cooled1 cup buttermilk, well shaken1 egg1 cup flour1 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon saltabout 1 cup blueberries (optional)

Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and lemon zest until pale yellow and fragrant. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, buttermilk, and egg together. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar mixture and stir until just combined. There should be a few lumps in the batter and that's good.

Place a small pat of butter in the pan and swirl until evenly coated or spray with non-stick cooking spray. In 1/4 cup amounts, pour batter into pan about 3 inches apart. If using blueberries, drop several in the pancake batter. This is a much easier method than stirring them into the bater beforehand.

Once the batter starts bubbling on the sides and the bottoms are slightly golden, flip using a spatula. Continue cooking on other side until golden brown.

Serve warm with butter and powdered sugar or maple syrup.