Kimber's Kitchen

49 jars of peaches

28 jars of apricot syrup

24 jars chokecherry syrup

2 more boxes of peaches coming

2 boxes of pears coming

1 very sticky floor

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Now that school has started, and the mornings are a bit nippy again, I try to have a hot breakfast ready on school mornings and save cold cereal for the weekends. (The kids actually got so tired of cold cereal during the summer that one morning I woke up to the smell of pancakes because Derek had decided to take breakfast matters into his own hands.) Having a variety seems to be a challenge. Having it be somewhat healthy is an even tougher challenge. Pleasing everyone is nearly impossible. However, I think I have created something that could possibly make everyone happy:

KHOP

Yup, Kimber's House of Pancakes. I have pulled out some recipes that I had tried last year, offered with a variety of homemade syrups (maple, apricot, chokecherry, cinnamon) and everyone seems happy. I have had more thank you's during the past couple of weeks than I probably deserve after being so lazy about mornings all summer long. Unfortunately, drowning breakfast in a thick syrup is not the healthiest option we could come up with so I try to sneak in a bit of good-for-you-ness into the item they are drowning. Could it really be much worse than a bowl of sugar and milk?

Here are the morning menu options:

(There is no choosing from the menu, though I will take suggestions. If they don't like what is served today, they can wait until tomorrow)

Pancakes

Plain

Blueberry

Pumpkin

Zucchini

(which they actually really love)

Banana

Oatmeal

(yes, those are oatmeal pancakes and I haven't told them they are oatmeal pancakes)

French Toast

Fluffy White

A Little Healthier Whole Wheat

Stuffed

(cream cheese with bananas or strawberries)

Raisin and Cinnamon

Other:

Waffles

(in same variety as pancakes)

Popeye Pancakes

(also known as German pancakes)

Peach Cobbler

(my mom's fault for starting the tradition, and no, they don't put syrup on it)

Breakfast Burritos

(tortillas filled with scrambled eggs, and whatever else I throw in with them)

Rice Pudding

(once again, mom's fault, but sure yummy on a cold morning)

Muffins and Eggs

(with an endless choice of muffins depending on what I have on hand)

Turkey Sausage and Egg on an English Muffin

(great for the hectic grab and go mornings)

Peaches and Cream

(only served during canning season)

And just like the sister kitchen IHOP, I also have a lunch and dinner menu. Breakfast is always an option for dinner depending on the cooks mood with waffles and ice cream being one particular favorite.

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Did you know that August 8th is national sneak some zucchini on your neighbors porch day? Well, it is, my neighbors did and I'm confused as to why they thought I would need it when I obviously have 2 plants of my own that are currently providing enough to nearly end world hunger. I have a secret for all of you that don't know what to do with those over sized green beasts that you should have picked yesterday because overnight they quadrupled in size: let the kids carve them into boats and float them down the river. You'd think the cub scout program could have come up with Zucchini Derby instead of those wooden derby's that 8 year old don't really have the tools or skills to carve. Instead, it was introduced by a mother desperate to entertain her kids and even more desperate to get rid of all that zucchini.

With the appropriate sized zucchini, that has not gone tough, woody and dry, there is a plethora of recipes out there. Our favorites are bread and pancakes which each take 1 cup for their recipe.

Justin appointed himself as the zucchini master grater for this years freezer supply.

We have 22 one cup baggies ready for our breaded pleasure

And more zucchini growing on those dumb plants

And my neighbor still sends them over with her son.

August 8th is GONE woman!