In less than 48 hours I will be boarding a plane to Hawaii. I'm the most prepared I have ever been for a flight. I've packed a small backpack full of games, snacks, and toys for Sebastian.

I remembered to charge and download tons of kid-friendly shows on the tablet. I have two different sets of headset for Sebastian, in case he doesn't agree with one. For the actual trip, I bought a pack of baby swimming diapers, baby sunscreen, a life jacket, tiny Salt Water sandals to match mine. I am so giddy with joy for this trip. And it's coming at the most perfect time because I hear it's supposed to rain in Seattle all weekend.

The days seem to be getting longer, and the birds are chirping louder and louder. Our Camellia trees are in full bloom, which is usually an indicator that Spring is right around the corner. I am hoping to come home to warm weather and daffodils, but I think I might be pushing my luck. Last week I spend a few hours in the backyard gardening aka. picking up a bucket full of dog poop. I mean, I also trimmed back my peonies and raked some leaves, but the majority of the time was spent doing the former.

Aside from planning for this trip and the few hours I've spent gardening, nothing really new and exciting has happened around here. Life with a toddler is pretty low key. We wake up, we eat, we play, we nap, we play some more, we eat some more, and then we sleep. Some days I think to myself, can I really play this game or do this puzzle one more time, but then I remember that these moments are precious and special and they don't last very long. I can't even believe that he is already walking and starting to talk and understanding things that I say. As someone once told me "the days are long, but the years are short." cue sad tears.

I thought that with all of the political talk these days, and the fact that we are all probably feeling the effects of information overload, I wanted to share a favorite recipe of mine, something that's deliciously sweet, and fun! A recipe that could be classified as a dessert, but also acceptable to eat for breakfast - the best kind of recipe. Light and fluffy pancakes with a hint of vanilla, topped with caramelized bananas, a Nutella ganache, and candied pecans - amen. Basically the breakfast of my dreams.

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CARAMELIZED BANANA, NUTELLA, AND CANDIED PECAN PANCAKES

makes 9 medium pancakes

prep time:  20 minutes

cooking time: 30 minutes

candied pecans

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp water

1/4 tsp vanilla

pinch of salt

1/2 cup pecans

Nutella ganache

1/4 cup half and half cream

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp Nutella

pinch of salt

caramelized bananas

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 bananas, sliced

pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

3 large eggs

1 cup + 2 tbsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

butter for frying

candied pecans

- in a small bowl, combine the sugar, water, vanilla, and salt. In a small frying pan, gently toss the pecans for 2 minutes on medium heat until they begin to brown. Remove the frying pan from the heat and toss the pecans with the sugar, water, vanilla, and salt mixture. Spread the pecans onto a piece of parchment paper. Separate them with a fork. Let cool. Chop into small pieces.

Nutella ganache

- in a small microwavable bowl, heat the cream for one minute until warm. Add the Nutella and salt to the cream and stir with a wire whisk. Set to the side to cool.

caramelized bananas

- in a large frying pan, melt the butter and brown sugar on medium heat until it begins to bubble. Add the sliced bananas and fry until caramelized.

pancakes

- combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the butter, eggs, milk, and vanilla with a whisk. 

Heat a non-stick frying pan on low-medium heat.

Place a small dab of butter into the pan. Once the butter begins to sizzle, ladle the pancake batter into the pan using a 1/4 cup measure. Tiny pin sized bubbles will quickly begin to form on top of the pancakes. Once the bubbles start to get a bit bigger, flip the pancake and cook on the other side for only 15 seconds. Place a small dab of butter in the pan before cooking each batch. 

Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Top the pancakes with bananas, Nutella ganache, and candied pecans.