A Santa Fe-Inspired Breakfast for Early Risers, Lovers, and Dreamers

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The morning of our anniversary began the way all good things do—quietly, with the doors flung wide open and the promise of heat hanging low in the sky. We brewed cinnamon-star-anise coffee while barefoot, letting the dry breeze wander in through the screens. The table was simple, sun-drenched, and slightly chaotic. The kind of breakfast where you take your time.

This was no ordinary meal. It was a sunrise spell—a high desert ritual in honor of our story.

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Blue Corn Piñon Pancakes

with Maple Butter + Toasted Pine Nuts

These are earthy, rich, and deeply satisfying. The blue corn adds a nutty grit that feels like adobe underfoot, while the toasted piñons bring in that unmistakable New Mexico flavor.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup blue cornmeal
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tssp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp melted butter (plus more for griddle)
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
• Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk buttermilk, and egg. Melt the butter on very low heat, careful not to burn. Let the butter cool slightly before adding it to the buttermilk and egg mixture. Once it has cooled, slowly add the butter, a little at a time. If the butter is still too hot, it might start to cook the egg! Scrambled eggs are great on the side of your pancakes, but not in them!
3. Add the we ingredients to the dry ingredients until just mixed. Fold in half the toasted piñons.
4. Cook on a buttered griddle until golden. I like to re-butter the griddle after each pancake, and to cook the pancakes on a medium-low heat. You want the pancakes to cook relatively slowly. You know they are ready to flip when the edges look slightly “solid” and the middle has small bubbles. If the heat is too high, they will look cooked on the outside, but might still be raw in the middle. Or, even worse, the butter could start to burn while the pancakes cook!
5. Serve with more piñons + warm maple syrup.

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🌽 Hatch Green Chile + Sweet Corn Hash

with Fried Eggs + Ancho “Sriracha”

Savory, sweet, and just spicy enough—this hash is the beating heart of the breakfast.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 cup roasted hatch green chiles, chopped (or two 4oz cans, mild or hot to your tastes)
• Salt and pepper
• Eggs, fried to your liking

Optional Sauce (Ancho Sriracha–Style):

• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1 tsp ancho chile powder
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 tsp lime juice
• Pinch of garlic powder

Instructions:

1. Sauté potatoes in oil until golden and cooked through.
2. Add corn and hatch chiles; season to taste.
3. Mix optional sauce in a small bowl.
4. Top hash with fried eggs and a drizzle of sauce.

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☕ Cinnamon + Star Anise Coffee

with Steamed Cream (a love letter in a mug)

This coffee is perfume, memory, and magic—warm, spiced, and deeply comforting. Bonus: If you have leftover Rosemary shortbread cookies, they taste amazing when dipped in this coffee!

Ingredients (makes ~6 cups):

• 6 tbsp ground coffee
• 6 cups water
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken
• 2 star anise pods, slightly smashed
• 1/2 cup milk or cream, steamed
• Optional: sugar or maple syrup, to taste

Instructions:

1. Place coffee grounds, cinnamon sticks, and star anise pods into your coffee maker or French press.
2. Brew as usual.
3. Steam or heat cream until frothy.
4. Pour brewed coffee into mugs, top with cream. Sweeten if desired.

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🎶 The Morning Atmosphere

• Playlist: Soft pan flute, Spanish guitar, maybe a little Bon Iver at low volume.
• Scent: Coffee, toasted cornmeal, and fresh sage from your garden.
• Setting: Barefoot in your kitchen, sunlight on the floor, a small stack of plates from the night before still by the sink.