This Sunday is my last Sunday to teach a regular (weekly) public class, at least for a little while. I’ve been teaching in yoga studios and gyms without a break for nearly 3 years now, and I’m super, super nervous about taking some time off. I’m also sad about it, as I’ve come to truly love my students, especially the Sunday morning students: I’ve taught many of them for the past two years. We have a pretty strong bond, and I’m grateful to all of them for sharing their lives with me.
There’s something about practicing yoga on a Sunday morning that is so ritualistic. I love it with all my heart. I never got as much into teaching group classes M-F during the day. The weekend and evening people are my people: I relate with the 9-5-ers more than those who have flexible schedules, I guess. And the people who show up on a Sunday morning – they are consistent and dedicated and open to trying something new. They’re a fantastic group. My heart hurts about this break of mine, but it is what it is, and sometimes life presents change for us when we’re not ready for it. It’s our job to go with the flow and be patient, I guess.
So I’m choosing to stay openhearted about this break, and choosing to look at it as a time where I can go within a little more, plan a little less, deepen my own yoga practice more, cook bigger meals again, and focus on healthier habits again. The break will also be good for our business, as working weekends is simply what we do now; we’re at that stage of being business owners where there’s a huge blur of off-hours and on-hours (and truly, I’m grateful for that; building a business is terribly scary and not for the faint of heart, so the extra time to build and allow growth is much needed). All of these things will be good.
With the onset of fall and of cooler temps in Texas, we’re full-on in a state of change. I will be the first to admit when change begins to happen is also when I start digging in my heels. I want to love change, and I do seek it out, but once it’s time for the change to occur, I want to stop in my tracks. I am all about stopping in my tracks right now.
We’ve taken a few mornings this week to sit a little longer and process everything going on in our lives. Because of that, I’ve spent a few mornings this week making pancakes and vegan sausage for breakfast. I went back to my old stand-by recipe and made a few tiny adjustments, and am presenting the new version here to you today. I hope you’re able to go a little slower in your morning routine and savor a few extra minutes at home, of course over a plate of these pancakes. As before, there’s no sugar added, and I included a few of my pancake-making tips below as well.
Here’s to change, cooler weather and long mornings spent savoring pancake breakfasts.
Love, Jen.
Sunday Morning Pancake Breakfast (No Sugar and Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. flax seeds, ground
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil, melted
- 1 and 1/2 c. plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- 2 c. almond milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the ground flax with 3 tbsp. warm water, whisk, and set aside.
- Heat the coconut oil over low heat for a minute or two, until melted, and remove from heat. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Heat your pans now: I use 2 large frying pans with a slab of vegan butter on each, and put them over medium heat.
- Then slowly add the almond milk, vanilla, lemon juice, flax, and then coconut oil, to the flour mixture, stirring with each addition.
- Heat your oven up to about 250 degrees. This is your warming oven for the first 2 pancakes so they don't get cold (assuming you also do not have a huge griddle or stovetop). Pull out a baking pan so you're ready to place the first 2 pancakes in the oven when they're ready.
- Now your frying pans are ready to go: take a 1 c. measuring cup and fill it about 3/4 of the way full with the batter. Pour the batter over the hot pans and cook for about 4-5 minutes. You'll know the pancakes are ready to flip when the entire top is covered in air holes. Wait for all of it to show the holes/bumps, and then flip.
- Cook the 2nd side about 3-4 minutes, checking to make sure you aren't burning.
- Place these first 2 pancakes on the baking pan and put them in the oven to stay warm. Also, another tip, remove the frying pans from the heat while you're prepping them with the new slab of vegan butter. This will help to ensure you don't burn the batter or the butter.
- Now continue cooking the next round of pancakes, about 4 minutes on each side.
- Plate the cakes and serve immediately with your favorite maple syrup (and maybe a few vegan sausage patties too!).