Baked: Sour Cream Pancakes and Blueberry Banana Bread

I like to bake. Mainly because people like baked goods, and I like to make people happy; I also like to make pretty things. In high school I would bring chocolate chip cookies or pumpkin loaf to school for friends and classmates. I didn't do too much baking as an undergrad, due to dorm life and doing other things, but since moving to TX, and with the help of grad school, I have great reason to bake again. Baking for the husband, baking for classmates and friends, meetings and gatherings. Last semester I baked something at least every other Sunday to bring in. I kind of want to open a puffed pancake shop, there I said it. Or just a shop that serves baked breakfast goods- pancakes of all styles and flavors, loafs, muffins, oatmeal and the sort. Don't worry, I'm not dropping out of grad school with three months to go. Just a little day dreaming. Anyway, here's a couple of things I've baked as of late. 

.....

Sour Cream Pancakes

I know- sour cream pancakes sounds weird. My husband definitely made a face when I told him what I was making for breakfast last Saturday morning, but I reassured him by telling him the recipe was from the Pioneer Woman, and with the mention of that magical name, enough skepticism melted away for him to try them. And we both really liked them. They are light and delicious and oh-so-good. Easier than regular pancakes too, somehow (though not quite as easy as puffed pancakes, if you're wondering where they fall on the pancake-ease-of-baking scale). Here is the recipe. I didn't change anything, though I think they would be delicious with berries, or lemon squeezed on top with a dusting of powdered sugar. One batch made an odd 7 pancakes, though, and they are thin, so if you're very hungry and serving more than one, I'd suggest doubling or doing one and a half batches. That would make for a more impressive pancake stack, too. 

^^basking in the morning light^^

Blueberry Banana Bread

Loafs are probably one of the easiest things to make, yes? I like that there are loafs for every season. Pumpkin for fall. Gingerbread for winter. Zucchini for summer. Banana for spring. Something like that. Perhaps for 2014 I will loaf my way through the year- ooh new idea! Well I've made many banana breads, sometimes with chocolate chips, but never with blueberries. This is probably the prettiest loaf I've ever made. And maybe the most delicious (anything beats that gingerbread loaf). I used a recipe from here, but with the following changes:

-I didn't want to buy a big thing of buttermilk, because when would I ever use buttermilk again, so I just used 1/4 c. regular milk with a couple squirts of lime juice (since I didn't have lemon juice). Not sure if the lime did anything, but I'm sticking to it.
- You don't really need to measure out your blueberries. That's just silly.
- I don't have an electric mixer and mixed with a spoon/spatula, and melted the butter a bit to make that easier.
- Since I did the one large loaf instead of minis, I baked it for about 60 minutes. I started with 30 and checked it, then did another 10 and checked it, then another 15ish maybe...it was probably around 60, maybe a little more. Just stick a knife in and make sure it comes out clean, and you're good.

- S