Looking for something sweet to do for your honey this weekend? Yes, Valentine’s Day has passed, but romance should be spontaneous and not just a one time of year event.  What about breakfast in bed?! Need a little inspiration? Well, that’s what your beso buddies are here for!

When planning the perfect way to pamper your significant other, the first thing to think about is the menu. To that end, I’ve included a scrumptious recipe for buttermilk pancakes, from Bon Appetite . If you want to make them a little pinkish, substitute raspberries or strawberries instead of blueberries, or add a little berry yogurt and hold back a bit of the buttermilk:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• Pure maple syrup

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 250°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, eggs, and 2 tablespoons butter in medium bowl; stir into dry ingredients. Fold in berries.

Heat large nonstick griddle or skillet over medium heat; brush with butter. Drop batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto griddle. Cook pancakes until brown, brushing griddle with more butter as needed, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to sheet in oven to keep warm. Serve pancakes with maple syrup.

To make this an even better surprise, try cooking the pancakes in a heart-shaped mold, such as these, from Norpro:

To add balance, I suggest pairing the pancakes with a protein of some sort – whether that’s turkey/chicken, pork or tofu sausage, bacon or eggs is up to you. A nice dish of fruit, in addition to the fruit in the pancakes, makes a lovely side. So does a champagne cocktail!

So…how to serve…

First, you will need a tray, like this Bamboo serving table :

If you’re making a breakfast meat, you can present this on the same plate as the pancakes, but the fruit ought to be plated separately, in its own little dish. Not only will this add a pretty distribution of color on the serving tray, it will also keep the syrup from coating the fruit and making a big, goopy, too-sweet mess!

Warm the syrup and pour it into a graceful creamer or sauce pitcher, like this one from Mikasa :

Place a single red rose into a bud vase. Depending on your style, you might like either crystal or brushed stainless steel:

Tuck a delicate napkin to the left side of the pancake plate. Top with a fork, and place a knife and spoon on the other side of the plate.

Fill a champagne flute with a beverage of choice (sparkling wine/champagne alone or with orange or cranberry juice). Add a fresh violet, to rest just on top of the liquid, if available in your area (yes! they’re edible!).

Add a cup of coffee or tea, if that is what your true love’s heart desires.

Viola! If your sugar didn’t love you before, this ought to do the trick.

If there’s one thing I couldn’t live without in my kitchen, it’s my electric skillet.  From pancakes to Hawaiian pork, I’ve used mine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I think it’s important to mention that electric skillets have come a long way in the last decade.  In the past, they were hard to clean, and non-immersible (meaning you couldn’t put them in a sink dish water).  These days, electric skillets have much better heat distribution, temperature control, and many of them are even dishwasher safe.

The Rival electric skillet shown above has a 12X16 inch cooking surface, and a built-in digital timer.  It includes a glass lid, a feature which proves handy for keeping an eye on dinner without repeatedly lifting the lid.  The non-stick pan portion of this electric skillet, available at Unbeatable Sale.Com, removes for washing in the sink or placing in the dishwasher.

Here’s an big list of one skillet recipes for putting your electric skillet to work.