A great way to start the New Year is with a Midnight Breakfast or an After-Party Breakfast. Homemade pancakes are easy. A lovely blueberry topping can be made in advance with 1 cup of blueberries, 1 cup of water, a ½ cup of sugar, and lemon zest. Heat on the stove until a syrup is created. Strain. Just prior to serving, add fresh blueberries to finish the presentation. Blueberry Pancakes pair nicely with a Blueberry Martini: Fill the shaker 2/3 full of ice cubes. Add 2 jiggers of Vodka. Crush a ½ cup of blueberries with a mortar and pestle. Then, strain the blueberries through a small strainer and use only the juice for the Martini. Add 2 – 3 dashes of Dry Vermouth. Shake vigorously and strain into iced martini glasses. Add 2 -3 blueberries, as a garnish. For those who prefer raspberries, likewise, a lovely raspberry pancake topping can be made in advance with 1 cup of raspberries, 1 cup of water, and a ½ cup of sugar. Heat on the stove until a syrup is created. Strain. Just prior to serving, add fresh raspberries to finish the presentation. Raspberry Pancakes pair nicely with a Raspberry Martini: Fill the shaker 2/3 full of ice cubes. Add 2 jiggers of Vodka. Crush a ½ cup of raspberries with a mortar and pestle. Then, strain the raspberries through a small strainer and use only the juice for the Martini. Add 2 – 3 dashes of Dry Vermouth. Then, add 2-3 dashes of Chambord liqueur. Shake vigorously, strain into iced martini glasses. Add 2 -3 raspberries, as a garnish. Wishing you a Happy & Safe New Year© Kelly McBride Loft