Notes on Weekend Mornings + A Pancake Recipe
There’s an ongoing debate in my head about the best way to spend a weekend morning. On one hand, I can get up at my usual weekday time and spend the morning running a few errands, mixed in with some just-for-fun stuff, too - bakery visits, I’m looking at you. I love the feeling I get when I look at the clock on a Saturday and realize that though it’s not even lunchtime, I’ve gotten so much done, and have the whole afternoon ahead of me.
On the other hand, I love to luxuriate in bed on a weekend morning, reading and cuddling the cat. I might get up late, make some mid-morning pancakes, then probably hop right back into bed for more cozy time. This option feels pretty lovely and indulgent, but I’ve got to admit that I often end up feeling like I’ve “wasted” precious weekend time. Which is kind of funny, because my main weekend goal is to do as much relaxing as possible.
Lately, we’ve been trying to find a balance by having one lazy morning and one busy one each weekend, but of course, there are weekends where that isn’t possible. One thing that makes a big difference in how I feel when I spend the morning in bed is to make sure I don’t stare at screens the whole time. Reading books or magazines somehow feels much more productive and enjoyable than mindless scrolling.
I’m so curious to hear about other people’s weekend routines. Are you an early riser or do you lie in bed for as long as possible? I have friends who wake up before 6am pretty much every day of the week, and that kind of boggles my mind.
In case you’re in the mood for a lazy morning sometime soon, here’s one of my favourite easy yogurt pancake recipes, with an optional compote:
Yogurt Pancakes with Clementine Raspberry Compote
Serves: 2 (4 Pancakes)
Ingredients:
For the Pancakes:
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup whole-wheat flour
• 2 tbsp cane sugar
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsweetened yogurt (I like using vegan coconut milk yogurt, but use whichever you like best)
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk or water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp mild olive oil or neutral flavoured oil, plus more for pan
• Maple syrup, for serving
For the compote:
• 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Juice of ½ clementine
• 1 tsp maple syrup
Instructions:
For the Compote:
Mash the raspberries with a fork, then combine with the chia seeds, clementine juice and maple syrup.
Set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes, whisking occasionally to make sure the chia seeds don't clump together.
For the Pancakes:
Preheat oven to 200° Fahrenheit, and place a baking sheet inside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk the yogurt, milk, vanilla and oil until combined.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the yogurt mixture. Whisk until just combined, being careful not to over whisk. The batter will be quite thick.
Fry pancakes in a preheated oiled frying pan over medium-low heat, about 2-3 minutes per side. Keep in mind that because the batter is quite thick, you may need to spread it out a bit with a spoon as soon as you add it to the pan. Keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven while you cook the rest, being sure to add a bit of oil to the pan between pancakes. I like to use a bit of paper towel to spread the oil across the pan, but be very careful if you decide to do this, because the pan and oil will be very hot!
Once all the pancakes are ready, serve with the compote and maple syrup, and enjoy!
