As I teach classes and introduce myself to countless numbers of folks who have yet to learn about Hip Girl’s books, I try to summarize what my home and kitchen books are about, what I’m about, what you’ll find inside these treasures of time, effort and love.

Well, over the weekend I was making pancakes and snapped a shot that captures the essence of what it is I hope to inspire in readers: ingenuity, creativity and creating your own hacks based on your situation.

We haven’t had a microwave in years, by choice, and warming up the maple syrup via the toaster oven works just fine. But, we have a griddle (thanks to a wedding gift from Marisa of Food in Jars!) and said griddle is already hot, why not stick an oven-safe ramekin (glass, ceramic, metal) right on the griddle while the pancakes cook to warm it. No need to fire up another appliance. Alana mentioned via instagram that this is also a great place to dip the pancakes you are testing for quality assurance prior to serving. Mary (via Facebook) grants extra points for sticking your coffee mug on the griddle to keep it warm, too.

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