Always a Way

I keep meaning to post my – what seems to be – growing list of recipes, but over the past week life was throwing me curveballs left and right. There are so many headings and paths I could take. Do I choose culinary school or grad school? Sustainable development and food security or a restaurant and community center? Portland, Oregon or Uppsala, Sweden? There is only one me, and I want to do so much for the world, to do it all and do it now.

More than one person has called me a Leaper, or a person who thinks the big steps you take in life are the only important ones you should be considering as personal evolution. The experience I am gaining now (i.e., working with kids, blogging, cooking, networking, and exercising) just wasn’t as grand as my growing dreams. I wasn’t interested in the small steps, and so the small steps I was taking looked like I was doing nothing in comparison. I wanted to jump those small steps two or three at a time. In the three months since I’ve graduated, I have taken out my diploma from the envelope it was sent in only twice. This piece of paper, which tells the world I’ve completed higher education, has thrown me out into the world without structure or a syllabus.

I am not scared, because life seems to sort itself out without my input. I am, however, frustrated, simply because I don’t know where to start.

Some days I just stare at my resume, eighty-five percent completed in over a period of a month. I want to go out into the world and help people, apply to jobs near and far, in and out of the country, and that means making an effort. As a Leaper, I want to take that plunge, that ultimate Leap of Faith; I just want to know what my heading is. I want to be part of something I can pour my heart into, something where I work with like-minded individuals who desire progression for all sentient beings and heal the world of the problems humanity has made in the name of progression.

If I’m going to leap into something, I’m leaping into something I believe in.   

So, what do I believe then? I wholeheartedly believe there is always more than one way of doing something in life, and recipes are no different. Take this as an example: pancakes, the blueberry kind, with the same kind of flour, liquid, number of eggs, and spices. The difference was in how the blueberries were used.  

Blueberry Socca Pancakes

60 g Garbanzo bean flour
90 ml Water
5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 Large egg
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Bourbon vanilla
1/4 tsp. Baking soda
88 g Fresh blueberries

In this recipe, I made it the night before without adding the baking soda until fifteen minutes before cooking. I think I would have enjoyed it better if I had added the blueberries on one side of the pancakes while cooking, because adding it to the batter resulted in the blueberries bunching up in the center.  Oh, and it needed the additional sweetness of stevia to make it perfect.

Pureed Blueberry Socca Pancakes

60 g Garbanzo bean flour
60 g Fresh blueberries
30 ml Water
5 ml Unrefined apple cider vinegar
1 Large egg
1/4 tsp. Sea salt
1/4 tsp. Bourbon vanilla
1/4 tsp. Baking soda

I’ll be honest about this recipe: I’m writing it from memory, so I’m not exactly sure how many blueberries I used (though it is within the 60’s range). As long as the amount of blueberries and water is a third more (i.e., 90 g) than the garbanzo bean flour, I don’t see you having much difficulty.

I blended the blueberries with the water with my emulsion blender’s food processor accessory, and then added it to the flour followed by the remaining ingredients. This recipe was not made the night before, but cooked well regardless. It did not require additional sweetness in the batter, but coconut milk and jam did wonders as toppings. The overall color of the pancakes was a bluish green, which I enjoyed immensely.

Both recipes make one serving.