“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
– Howard Thurman
Have you ever seen a ballerina dancing on stage, her every move in sync with the music, every strain of muscle responding to the tunes in complete coordination?
Have you ever listened to a pianist seated at the grand piano, playing a song so beautiful it could make you cry – and felt your heart beating with the rhythm of each note?
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Or have you ever read a book and fallen so deeply in love with its characters, each chapter drawing you closer into the story, and felt so profoundly involved that you just couldn’t tear yourself away from it?
The thing each of these scenarios have in common is this – that the creator of each piece of art – be it a dance, a melody or a novel – has thrown himself fully into the creation of his work, and the intensity with which he comes alive doing so shines through like brilliant sunshine piercing through thick, grey clouds.
Quite often I ask myself what I would love to do – what I would spend every single day doing and not get tired of. To be precise, the question I try to answer is this – “What makes me come alive?” – as Howard Thurman wisely suggested.
I came across Thurman’s quote last week, in a very timely fashion – just as this humble blog of mine turns three.
I had to blink a couple of times just after typing out the previous sentence.
How on earth did this space, a tiny little food blog, turn three years old? How did more than 1,000 days fly past, each of the 156 weeks resulting in at least one post per week? How did I first begin typing recipes into WordPress, week after week, until this space finally evolved to be what it is today?
If there is anything that the past three years of constant posting on this blog has proven, it is this – that this activity called food blogging is what makes me come alive.
In celebration of turning three (hip, hip, hurray!), I wanted to pen a couple of thoughts on blogging, and what the journey has been like so far.
To be honest, food blogging isn’t all just cooking, eating and snapping a couple of photos. It takes patience and effort and consistency, a combination of elements that is crucial if you’re thinking of staying in food blogging for the long haul.
Sometimes, when it seems that I’m writing to the wall, when it appears that no one is commenting on the posts I have spent hours writing (except for my dear sweet mum), or when it just feels like the blog has come to a stagnant plateau, it’s hard to be motivated to keep on showing up.
Some days, when resistance is stronger than my willpower, and I force myself to sit down and write out of sheer mental strength, food blogging doesn’t seem as fun as it did when I first started out.
Yet when I finally do kick resistance in the butt and have spent the time writing and editing both post and photos, when the work is done and when it is in front of me, I feel accomplished. I feel like a champion when the work is finished and I can proudly say that I did it, and it is when I realize – “This is what makes me come alive.”
I believe that a successful food blog, just like any other project, is not created on overnight success, but rather, like any construction project, it is built brick by brick, one brick at a time.
It requires having a vision of the future, a goal in mind, one that doesn’t waver with time. Each recipe and each post add a bit of value to the overall project, and it is the sum of all the parts (both tiny and large) – that contributes to the eventual success.
And so, here I am, three years into blogging, with plenty more to go (I hope!), and I’m focused on building this blog one brick at a time, one post at a time, and one recipe at a time.
Let’s mark this special third birthday with a deliciously moist banana bread – one that makes your mouth water with delight.
It’s a recipe so ridiculously simple, you could prepare the batter in less than ten minutes, and have the bread ready and out of the oven in less than an hour.
This will leave your house wafting in its fragrant aroma, and when you slice it, you get thick, moist pieces. I recommend you eating it slightly toasted, drizzled in honey or maple syrup and topped with freshly-sliced bananas. The perfect celebration.
Oh yes, one more very important thing.
THANK YOU.
To everyone of you who reads this blog, who shares it with their friends, who comments or simply observes. Thanks to each and every single one of you. I am beyond grateful for your support. Words cannot express the depth of gratitude I feel. Thank you.
Grain-free Banana Bread
- Total Time: 55 mins
- Yield: 1 medium loaf 1x
Description
A moist, delicious grain-free banana bread that is amazing eaten with fresh banana slices and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 3 ripe, medium bananas
- 1 1/2 cup of raw cashew nuts
- 2 tablespoons butter or coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup almond meal/ almond flour (or 3/4 cup raw almonds)
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup of sliced bananas, for topping
- Honey or maple syrup, for topping
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 deg Fahrenheit (190 deg Cel)
- Grease a medium-sized loaf pan with some coconut oil, and line with baking paper
- Grind cashew nuts in a food processor or blender until you get a fine cashew meal
- Add melted butter of coconut oil to the cashew meal while processor is still on until you get a cashew butter
- Peel bananas break them up into smaller pieces, and add to the food processor with the cashew meal, and process until you get a liquid paste
- Add almond meal/flour, baking powder, honey, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and salt and process a bit more until you attain a homogeneous batter
- Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake in oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean
- Let bread cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan and slicing into pieces.
- Serve banana bread with sliced bananas and a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
Notes
Adapted from: PaleOMG
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Category: Bread
- Cuisine: Grain-free
I love this Felicia! I am obsessed with banana bread right now but I wanted to bake a grain-free version. And this is perfect and it looks just as delicious!
Hey Linda! Thanks for dropping by! This grain-free banana bread is super moist and addictive – hope you like it! Let me know how it goes if you do make it in the end!
Happy blog birthday! I really enjoy reading your blog and love every recipe that I’ve tried. Keep on blogging.
Hi Mary Anne! Your comment just made me smile like crazy. thank you so much for reading and I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes as well! 🙂 Thank you for letting me know; I love it when readers connect!!
Happy blog birthday.
It is amazing how small the world can be .
ay with it I enjoy your blog and your recipes..
I am sure many people do.
However I must admit I seldom comment but today is special for you.
Marthea, thank you so much for commenting! It means alot to know there are people reading in far off corners off the world, and that you enjoy it!
Hi Felicia
Keep blogging! I enjoyed reading all of them. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get many comments because I don’t write very much.
Cheers
Ellen
Thank you Ellen! so sweet of you 🙂 Thanks for reading always!!
Keep blogging and keep writing, dear 🙂
You’re inspiring all of us readers dish by dish! Miss you.
Thank you Jin!!! Thanks for being such a great supporter and an even better friend!!! Te quiero amiga!!
Hello Felicia,
Our heartiest congratulations on this 3rd Birthday of your Food Blog !!! 🙂 HIP HIP HURRAY !!!
We, as a family, rejoice greatly with you in this celebration and we are so very proud of you 🙂 for what you have done so constantly since the birth of you food blog three years age.
Your sharing of personal stories (so inspiring and motivational most of the times), cooking tips and ideas (which you painstakingly researched and collected from various sources) and always top it off in each posting with a wonderful and yet simple to handle recipe of either a dish, a drink or a snack. I am so glad that your collection of recipes caters for all eating pleasures throughout the day – breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea breaks and supper 🙂
Keep up the very good work! You know something? Your food blog (stories and recipes) has been a constant inspiration for me (and I believe for most of your readers/followers as well). Each of your writing and food photography never fail to draw me and cause me to gravitate toward it. That is because you have put in your all into its creation as you rightly shared in the beginning of this post – I quote:
“The thing each of these scenarios have in common is this – that the creator of each piece of art – be it a dance, a melody or a novel – has thrown himself fully into the creation of his work, and the intensity with which he comes alive doing so shines through like brilliant sunshine piercing through thick, grey clouds”
Once again, thank you with cheers and blessings for the occasion 🙂
With abundant love from all of us back home…
★★★★★
Thank you mummy, your never-ending support means the world to me! I love you!!!
I have cashew butter in my pantry. How much would I use?
Hi Maxine! I believe you can use about just slightly more than 3/4 cup cashew butter. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a tablespoon more. Hope that helps!