Present - card = ?

People showered us with gifts at our housewarming party. I was stunned by the generous outpouring.

Despite a few gifts and cards getting mixed up, I was mostly able to match the gift with the giver. Several gifts came without cards at all, and, thanks entirely to my wits, I was able to sherlock my way into thanking the right party. I wrote the last thank-you notes tonight, which means the whole bunch can finally be set free. But.

But!

I've got two gifts for which I cannot track down a giver. 1) Cactus shaped serving tray. According to the picture on the box, we should be using it to serve tortilla chips. It comes with a little bowl for dip and two spice mixes for making salsa or guac. 2) Lavendar bath salts in a little decorative metal holder.

If you or someone like you gave such gifts as these to us on the day of our housewarming, please do me the giantest favor and drop a dime so that I can send a proper thank-you note. We're trying to have a society here.

Thanks, and with love, your friend,
-Jennifer Myszkowski

How to make proper pancakes

Lots of people have been asking me for my pancake recipe since Primates and Pancakes. My recipe couldn't be easier - and it can be doubled or tripled or quadrupled depending on how many people you have to feed.

2 cups buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt

Whisk together in a bowl that has enough extra room that you can whisk it around but good. I set my electric griddle for 375. If you're cooking on the stove, put it on medium high and wait until the pan is so hot that if you hold your hand about an inch above the pan, you have to move your hand away pretty quickly.

Pour by ¼ cups onto a hot griddle. Flip the pancakes when they're bubbly all over and the edges are no longer shiny.

This recipe will make about 16 pancakes, which is just enough to feed Scott and me on a Sunday morning when it's just us. When there are others and we're feeling more civilized, 16 pancakes will feed three people. When there are four or more people coming to breakfast, I always double it.

You can add whatever you want to this batter except bananas. Bananas change the consistency, but make a fine addition as a topping. My favorite things to mix into this batter are pecans, blueberries (fresh or frozen) and chocolate chips.

May we recommend our favorite syrup? It's Zawalick's in Northampton. Get Grade B; it's filled with maple-y goodness. Scott picked it up last year at the farmer's market and we've been hooked ever since. He brought home two gallons in advance of the party, and we didn't even use one.

More for us.

Sweet success!

Despite a few early setbacks (everyone arriving on time (this has never happen before), blowing a fuse), Primates and Pancakes: A Housewarming went off without a hitch.

A few highlights (i.e., all the times I cried): My identical twin grandmother and my aunt and uncle arrived first, gave me presents I wasn't expecting, and I was so overcome by the generosity, I had to cry a little bit. Kelsey and I had a moment to chat about how we used to see each other and actually talk to each other regularly, and could we do that again please, and I got all verkelmpt. Then The Primate Fiasco played their medley of Muppet Show songs and my sister and I both got our weep on in earnest.

I'm the person that gets made fun of the most for my out-loud-and-in-public weep fests, but I'm by no means alone when my eyes leak.

Kristen took a bunch of photos, which she's sharing here. This is lucky, because it didn't even occur to me to take photos myself until after nearly everyone was gone. I got one photo of the band towards the end of their second set, which I took with my camera phone and have no idea how to retrieve. Hooray!

I was running around like crazy during the party, particularly at the beginning, and there was a moment when I turned away from the griddle and looked outside and the band was playing and everyone was sitting in the yard enjoying the show and it was exactly how I imagined it.

It's happening!

I just got off the phone with Dave from the Primate Fiasco. Everything is happening! I had this irrational fear that they would bail and our Primates and Pancakes party would just turn into Pancakes. Which would have been fine, but still. I'm so excited to learn my irrational fears are irrational and foundless!

If you're coming, consider bringing an outdoor chair or a blanket to sit on in the outdoors. Our grass is plush. If you lie on a blanket on our grass, it's practically like lying on a bed. I'm not even kidding. That's how plush it is.

If you didn't get an evite and you're our personal friend, please do e-mail me as I'm sure your missing evite was a terrible oversight.

I can't wait. I've got toilet bowl cleaner in the toilet this instant as preparations begin in earnest!

Raising the bar

Our housewarming party is on September 7. It's going to be an awesome time. The Primate Fiasco will be playing in our yard while I serve up hot pancakes for our guests. The party is called Primates and Pancakes.

Is that the best name of a party ever?

I don't think I'll ever have another party as cool as this one is going to be.