This weekend felt slower than expected.
Rain all weekend. Gray skies over Brooklyn. Plans canceled. A lot of sitting around thinking about things I probably should not overthink. The kind of weekend where you keep telling yourself you’re going to get productive “in a little bit,” and suddenly it’s the Monday morning after a four day weekend and you’ve mostly just walked the dog and stared out the window.
I had big plans for these bananas too.
At some point they were probably supposed to become smoothies or pre-run fuel or something tied to this vision I have of myself as an organized triathlon athlete who has his life together. Instead they sat on the counter getting progressively more aggressive looking until banana bread became the only reasonable outcome.
So here we are.
Honestly though, maybe this weekend was needed.
Work has been heavy lately. We are slightly behind the curve and trying to catch up fast. Leadership is weird because nobody really tells you that half the job is managing personalities, emotions, expectations, and problems that don’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet. Some days I feel like I’m doing a decent job. Other days (today) I feel like I’m getting every decision wrong in real time while pretending I know what I’m doing.
Training hasn’t been much better.
I’m behind where I wanted to be for the triathlon. My consistency has been off. My motivation has been off. My routines have been off. It feels like everything is just a little out of sync lately.
But standing in my kitchen this morning while the banana bread baked, windows cracked open, rain still falling outside, I realized something.
I’m still lucky.
I’m healthy.
Toby is healthy.
I live in New York City.
Summer is almost here.
There are rooftop hangs, long rides, races, beach days, Prospect Park runs, random adventures, and probably a few mistakes waiting ahead in the best possible way.
Life isn’t off track. It’s just life.
Sometimes you don’t need a dramatic reset. Sometimes you just need a rainy weekend to slow down long enough to notice where you’ve drifted and decide to start moving again.
The best time to get back on track is right now.
Not next Monday.
Not after work calms down.
Not after motivation magically appears.
Right now.
Preferably while eating warm banana bread.
Equipment
- 8×4″ loaf tin
Ingredients
- 3 medium spotty bananas or 2 large about 1 to 1.5 cups mashed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 100g
- 1/4 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1/3 cup neutral oil or melted and cooled vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 260g spooned and leveled
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 8×4" loaf tin. For easier removal, line with parchment, leaving enough overhang on each side to lift the loaf out of the tin once cooled. (Use an 8×4" for a nice tall loaf. You can use a 9×5" for a less tall loaf, but I recommend testing for doneness about 10 minutes earlier, as it will bake faster.)
- Prep Bowl 1: Add dry ingredients to a bowl. 1/2 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup plant milk, 1/3 cup neutral oil, and 2 tsps vanilla extract.
- Prep Bowl 2: Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional).
- In a large bowl, mash 3 ripe bananas. Add in the ingredients from bowl 1. Stir to combine.
- Add the ingredients from bowl 2. Stir until about 80% combined.
- Add in the chocolate chips and chopped nuts (optional). Gently fold them in to finish mixing the batter. Avoid over-mixing. It's okay if there are some small lumps as long as there are no visible streaks of dry flour.
- Pour batter into prepared loaf tin and smooth out the top with your spatula.
- Bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes. This can vary quite a bit depending on your oven. (If using a 9×5" tin, start checking earlier.) When done, a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf should come out clean or with just a few crumbs on it — no wet batter.
- Allow the loaf to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack. I recommend cooling for another ~10 minutes or longer, as the loaf can be a little gummy in the center if it's still piping hot.
Notes
Sweetness: For a less sweet banana bread, feel free to reduce the white sugar to 1/4 cup.