Q. I am planning to have my friends sleepover this weekend. I want to make really delicious pancakes for breakfast! Do you have any pancake making tips? What toppings are good on pancakes? Is it better to use real maple syrup?
-Rachel

A. Here is a link to a buttermilk pancake recipe - I love to use buttermilk in pancakes because they come out soft and fluffy. It's really easy to make pancakes, the secret is to not over-mix the batter or they will be tough. If you use a little oil on the griddle you will get a nice crispy outside. Here's the recipe: Weekend Breakfast Buttermilk Pancakes

Toppings: I love real maple syrup on pancakes better than the imitation stuff but it can be quite expensive - so if you are having a lot of friends at you sleep over you might want to go with imitation. Or you can serve your pancakes with fresh fruit mixed with maple syrup to make it go farther. There are also good spreads with honey, or here is a recipe for blueberry topping that is yummy and easy to make or a cherry berry sauce:

Wild Blueberry Topping
Cherry Berry Sauce

You can also slice up bananas and lay them onto of the pancakes when they are cooking and serve them with this mango sauce from our coconut panna cotta recipe. Then sprinkle them with shredded coconut to really make them tropical!

Mango Sauce:
2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 tbsp (15 mL) granulated sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) each lime juice and orange juice

In food processor, purée together mangoes, sugar, lime juice and orange
juice; press through sieve into small bowl. (Make-ahead: Cover and
refrigerate for up to 2 days.)

Q. I was helping my grandmother to slip skins off of almonds this morning. Do you know a simple way to do this job? Can you suggest a recipe for fruit smoothies?
- Gabriel

A. The best way to get skins off of almonds is to boil the almonds for a few minutes on the stove so the water gets under the skin, rinse them under cold water and then the skins should slip right off - it is very time consuming but a good way to spend some time with your grandmother.

Here are three recipes for delicious fruit smoothies that you can make.

Fruity Yogurt Smoothies recipe
Pineapple Berry Smoothies recipe
Strawberry Mango Smoothies recipe

Can you figure out if a fruit is fresh by looking, touching, or smelling it? What is the easiest way to separate eggs? Is it hard being a vegetarian?
- Gabriel

A. Yes you can - the way the fruit should feel would depend on the fruit. Usually to pick a good piece of fruit it should smell of the fruit that it is and not stale or rotting in anyway, it should feel firm unless it is a soft fruit and them it should have a slight resistance but not mushy.

The easiest way to separate an egg is probably to carefully crack the egg over your hand and let the whites drop into a bowl. Do his over a small bowl and transfer the egg into your ingredient in case the egg yolk breaks and it gets mixed together.

If you are dedicated to being a vegetarian you probably won't mind any compromises you need to make. You should however be careful to make sure you are eating a balanced diet - that means you are getting enough protein and fresh vegetables and not just French fries and bread. Here is some information about Canada's food guide that can help you to make good choices: Understanding the new Canada Food Guide

Read more: Want to learn how sugar turns into candy? Click here to see the different stages of sugar and what it becomes.