Primo Donna Pancakes

We were  visiting with old friends yesterday and they asked if I was still writing this blog. I said ‘yes, it’s been awhile ‘ but soon realized it’s been far too long. While I haven’t stopped cooking and entertaining, I’ve stopped taking the time to devote to writing. With that, I’m back!  Did you miss me?

Getting back to yesterday, our good friends Mark and Donna invited us for the night to a home they housesit at. We hadn’t spent time together for many months and it felt wonderful to catch up. The house is nestled on a peninsula in mid coast Maine. Serene and gorgeous!

Donna, who is a phenomenal cook, had dinner waiting when we arrived. This woman never takes shortcuts! Everything is from scratch and ridiculously perfect! By my own admission, I’m not a seafood lover. My clam cakes are the only ‘seafood’ that I like. When Donna told me she was making haddock, my heart dropped as I thought of plan to A.) Swallow it whole or B.) Find something on the plate I could bury it under like I did as a kid.  To my surprise, I did neither! It was unbelievably good! Wicked Good as a true Mainer would say!!!

After an evening of laughing and crying and laughing we called it a night, complete with a delicious night cap compliments from Mark. We had the privilege to watch the wonders of the ocean only a few yards from our recliners.

  

The next morning, Donna made her ‘Primo Donna Pancakes’!!! Incredible! Complete with real butter and authentic Maine maple syrup! Each cake uniformly shaped and cooked to perfection!    My husband, David, loves pancakes. They are his favorite breakfast ever. Would they gain his approval?

From the look on his face, I would say they were a hit! The famous Donna herself refused to let me take her picture!  So humble and modest. I did get a chance to get a partial shot in.

 

While I didn’t obtain her exact directions, I did manage to score her raw recipe! I did hear her mention something about melting the butter!!

Seriously, I appreciate and love both Donna and Mark. We’ve been friends for 20 years. We’ve had many, many meals together. Many laughs and many tears. They define true friends to the highest level. Salt of the Earth.

David was traveling to DC for business the next morning . While Mark drove  him to the airport, I headed home. I decided to take Donna’s lead and invite our mutual friend , Abby, to  dinner. I had these great plans to make a Donna-Style meal! Yes! I’ll fire up the stove and my Kitchenaid and create my own masterpiece!


I soaked up the view as I left for my house. I couldn’t wait to stop at the market ! I'd make everything from appetizers to dessert......

I have a lot of strengths, but my sense of direction isn’t one of them. Somehow, I drove around in circles for at least an hour. Frustrated and stressed, I finally arrived at the market. With minimal time on my hands, I decided to improvise. I selected a Mrs. Bud’s chicken pot pie, after all, I think Mrs. Bud could possibly be a real person, right? Fairly close to home cooking, right ?

At least I bought the all white meat version! I am a staunch believer of at least serving something fresh from my kitchen. I opted to make a killer salad! Definitely ads the personal touch to the meal!

 

Abby arrived and wasn’t very hungry. She had a late lunch and reached for the salad only! She didn’t even notice the pot pie! Whew! She loved the salad! For all she knew, I slaved all day!

She was in charge of bringing dessert. She proudly will tell anyone her personal cook is ‘Sam’ that is , Samsclub ! She brought the ever-so-delicious chocolate crème wafers!!  Yum!

The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter if it’s homemade, partially made, or store bought. Don’t fret over it! Don't let the pressure of what to serve overpower your effort to entertain. The bigger message is that in both meals, two things were needed, time and love. I’m blessed to have a great family, great friends, and a great faith. I try not to take those things for granted. We are all allocated the same amount of time.  One of my goals this year is to make the fullest use of mine! 

It’s good to be back! I’ll be carving out more time for writing here!