Banana pancakes, for Mom

As a child I was spoiled. No but actually, SPOILED, (it's an inevitable fact when you're an only child... any only children reading this who are nodding their heads in agreement?), and one of the many ways my parents spoiled me was through hearty, delicious, homemade cooking.

Nearly every Saturday morning I woke up to the sizzling noise and sweet, scrumptious smell of homemade breakfast foods. Sometimes it was french toast, other times it was a BLT, but most vividly I remember my mom's banana pancakes. Note to reader: my mom's banana pancakes are not the inch-thick, fluffy cakes you see plastered on advertisements for Denny's. Her classic banana pancakes are thinner and denser because of all the mushed up banana inside. I love, love, love them! I love them hot or cold; I love them for breakfast or dinner; I love them drizzled in maple syrup or smeared with butter and sugar (healthy I know). ​So what is it about this recipe that makes it so special? Well, it's a recipe that reminds me of home, but my mom more specifically. Homemade food is superior food in my opinion, because it connects you to your ingredients, and to people. It's the best! But let me elaborate more on why...

You get to be creative and learn. Cooking at home encourages creativity and increases food knowledge. When you're the chef in charge you get to boost your food artistry by learning how to combine nutritious ingredients that you enjoy. You also get to enhance your overall understanding of food, like what ingredients are high or low in certain vitamins and nutrients.

You control the ingredients and portions. Homemade meals provide the opportunity to make healthier meals, with better quality ingredients, in healthier portions. In other words, we know precisely what ingredients go into our bellies, and we can regulate how much of it we eat. We can choose more wholesome, healthy ingredients over unhealthy, processed ones. This point is very important for people who have food sensitivities and allergies, i.e. when you cook at home you can guarantee that your meal is 100% nut free, or 100% vegan.

You reduce the environmental impact. Cooking at home means you are the one controlling what is served and how sustainable it is (i.e. how much red meat will you serve?); it means you are the one deciding whether your ingredients are from local vendors/shops and if you're reducing food miles; it means you are the one who chooses to waste food or not, i.e. because the food is being prepared in your kitchen, there is no need for wasteful to-go containers, or worse, for food to end up in the garbage, (hello leftovers!).

You create happy experiences with family and friends. Homemade meals are one of the best ways to bring people together and solidify social bonds. For instance, there are noted mental health benefits to eating home cooked meals with other people, like producing a sense of belonging and reducing symptoms of loneliness and depression, (read more).

You preserve culture and cherish family traditions. In all cultures and families, food plays an important part in celebrations and holidays. In this light, food allows us to connect with our cultural heritage, reflect on family memories, and pass on food traditions to future generations. When my grandmother was alive she used to bake homemade lefse (a Norwegian potato-based bread made on a wood stove). I adored lefse not just for the taste, but for the connection it gave me to my family and my Norwegian background.

There are many other benefits to homemade cooking like saving money, and increasing food safety, but ultimately I advocate for homemade food (over store-bought or restaurant-made food), because food made at home has a more meaningful story. These banana pancakes for me tell the story of my childhood, of a weekend breakfast ritual, of a recipe with real wholesome ingredients, of my wonderful loving mother. Try them out! They make the best Saturday morning breakfast, (or Sunday, but Saturdays are better because Monday is still 2 days away).

Mom Approved Banana Pancakes

Vegetarian Cook Time: 20 minutes Yield:10-12 pancakes

Ingredients:​

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten-free for celiac)

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 cup brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 beaten eggs (local & fresh)

• 1 1/2 cups milk (original almond, or your favourite kind)

• 1/4 cup butter, melted (organic & grass-fed)

• 2 large overripe bananas, mashed

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Garnish:

• fresh berries

• banana slices

• pure maple syrup

Directions:

1. Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2. In a separate medium mixing bowl mix together mashed bananas, eggs, milk, melted butter and vanilla extract.

3. Add the wet mixture into the dry mixture and use a hand blender to mix everything together until batter is perfectly smooth. I actually love using my NutriBullet here to make the batter ultra smooth.

4. Next scoop batter onto preheated, greased fry pan or skillet.

5. Once batter begins to bubble, flip over to cook to golden perfection.

6. Enjoy with pure Canadian maple syrup, fresh berries/banana slices, and a warm cup o'tea!

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