The Mysterious Power of Blueberry Pancakes Brunches

Connecting with COMMUNITY:

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The Mysterious Power of Blueberry Pancake Brunches   

By Miku Lenentine ❤

When it comes to community building strategies, one of the most tried and true is gathering around the home hearth, the cooking fires. It almost doesn't matter what it is, any excuse to gather around fire will do. When that is centered around food, it evokes a primal and instinctive sense of community, comfort and home.

That said, there is a particular and unique invitation to gather, one that we have come to find quite magical. It is almost irresistible.

Blueberry pancake brunch!
Thus, it can only be concluded that the berryful breakfast bounty contains some form of mystical power for gathering community.

It is as simple as it sounds. Simply announce to your community (once you have created your hosting team) that you are hosting a blueberry pancake brunch and everyone is invited! 

Invite people to contribute breakfasty items such as potatoes, apple salad, or proteins, and make sure to have plenty of hot maple syrup and whip cream, as that is part of the charm. This meal is easy to make vegan and gluten-free so it accommodates most dietary restrictions. AND somehow, everyone just loves them. We often don't take the time to do this for ourselves, but sharing the hot, goey bread with bursts of warm berries, brings in sensations of abundance and joy.

A few tricks of the trade...

If you have an electric skillet or large griddle that works best for larger gatherings. Pancake feasts tend to be "rolling" affairs with many people dropping by and sitting down, so it is a bit challenging to have a sit-down moment for everyone to come together. As such, it is a good idea to put the oven on warm, and cook up enough pancakes for at least the first round of guests to have one (keeping them warm in the oven until it is time to serve). That way everyone can have one pancake on their plate which leaves time for a meal blessing, song, or just a moment of pause and giving of thanks for everyone to come together.

Another important tip, is to have people who can tap out fo the lead pancake flipper, so there isn't one person stuck at the station the whole time.

Bonus points if you can actually flip the pancake onto people's plates sending it through the air. It creates incredible amounts of play and enjoyment, making it an activity unto itself.

Pancakes are also nice because clean-up is relatively simple as long as each guest washes their own dish after they eat. A short announcement at the beginning can take care of that, and then it is always nice to have one or two volunteers to help with the final cleanup. 

Lastly, a note on camping, festivals and conferences. Blueberry pancakes are often a godsend when you have been camping or traveling. They are very easy to make, serve and clean-up. Thus, bringing or offering to make blueberry pancakes on the final day of your retreat, campout, festival or conference can bring everyone together and invite them back into a place of ease and abundance after a long journey! A sweet reward for all of your hard work. Trust me, it is possibly the greatest thing ever, to have hot pancakes on the final day. AND, if it can become an annual tradition, all the better. It creates simple opportunities for what the Gottman's call, rituals for connecting, and the most amazing thing is it is around something that is non-political and non-religious, so it is about as inclusive as it gets.

So, next time you think about how to bring the community together, or if you are planning that company or team retreat / camping trip. Think about inviting in the Blueberry Pancake Brunch, invoking the mysterious powers that lie within this simple act. 

It is the simple acts in life, after all, that can sometimes create the most meaning.