Wednesday, June 1, 2016

Comfort Food by Melinda Curtis

I'm of a certain age. There. I said it. Women of a certain age live differently. They love differently. They laugh differently. Because they know that no one lives forever.

I don't just politely hug, I hug people tight. I try not to hold back laughter, because laughter seems to rare lately. I don't just exercise. I exercise and stretch. And I try to eat better. This last is probably hardest for me to do. There are more salads and vegetables in my life now than ever before. Heck, I have salad for breakfast most days just to make sure I don't get tired at the end of the day and skip it.

But this year, as I count the losses of friends and colleagues on more than one hand, I find that I'm traveling more to funerals or to help someone sweep out the vestiges of a loved one's life. And I find I'm eating more comfort food. One food in particular. Pancakes.

My husband has a fondness for breakfast on days when he faces an emotional challenge - like a funeral or cleaning out his deceased mother's closet. And on those days, I find I order pancakes. Not bran cereal. Not one egg with wheat toast. Pancakes. With butter and maple syrup. It reminds me of those days when my mother or grandmother made them when I was young. It reminds me that life wasn't meant to be counted by calories or steps. Pancakes remind me that life is meant to be enjoyed.

Here is a really hearty pancake recipe, in case you can't justify the empty calories of a Hungry Jack pancake.

Do you have a comfort food?

Melinda Curtis is an award-winning, USA Today bestseller. Her latest release, A Man of Influence, is
set in a bakery where comfort food is an every day thing.

2 comments:

  1. Mel, my heart goes out to you and your family, as you deal with so much loss!

    As to comfort food, one of my favorites is mac and cheese. I've found an organic boxed version which is easy, yummy, and not as guilt-laden as the bigger name brand. (Homemade would be loads better, but I won't go to that effort for myself.)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Mel. I can't think of anything better than a piece of carrot cake with cream cheese icing to comfort me unless it's a piece of chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

    ReplyDelete