Gluten free Banana Waffles

11.04.13

These warm and delicious gluten free banana waffles are the perfect weekend breakfast or holiday brunch!

There are few things I love more than waking up on a Saturday with absolutely nothing to do. No work, plans or looming deadlines. A morning where the only thing I have to worry about is what I’m going to make for breakfast. With how busy my life has been these best few weeks, such a day seems like a fairytale, something I vaguely remember experiencing but can’t pinpoint when exactly it happened.

Now, I absolutely love my life. I know how lucky I am to have the opportunity to travel around the world and tell my stories. But there are days, hours and moments where I wish things would stop so I could actually take a breath. Where I could look around and take everything in without rushing to the next place or trying my best to capture the moment with my camera or my phone. Sometimes all I need is a moment to realize just how incredibly lucky I am. When constantly on the run, you sometimes get so caught up in the race you forget why you’re running in the first place.

I haven’t had one of those no-plans, no stress Saturday mornings in a very long time. And instead of waiting for one to magically appear (maybe in March?) I’m trying to recreate those mornings and those feelings of peace, serenity and calm every day of the week. Even on days I have 9 recipes due and 600 photos to edit. I’m allowing myself to have 30 – 60 minutes to relax without stress, anxiety or fears.

I’m not a natural relaxer. I can’t do yoga because I don’t know how to shut my mind off. So carving these moments out of my craziest days hasn’t been easy. But I’ve found a way. Instead of guzzling down coffee and mindlessly stuffing a bagel into my mouth, I make breakfast. A real breakfast, like a veggie omelet, whole wheat pancakes or these gluten free banana waffles. I make something that I’d eat on those no-plan, no-stress Saturdays. And every bite brings a wave of calm, no matter what my day looks like.

So I challenge all of you to take a moment, whether it’s 5 or 60 minutes, and relax. Let yourself enjoy this amazing life you have before you get too busy to realize it’s happening.