Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Pancakes ( + the importance of setting boundaries)

Pancakes are literally the best breakfast food.

And bacon. Duh.

But these Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Pancakes are so good! And so easy to make. You literally just dump all the ingredients into the blender, blitz it up and pour into a hot pan. And then you eat the first three while you wait for the rest of them to cook.

Before I dive more into this panclock situation (any Adam Sandler fans out there?) I wanted to talk about something that I’ve been sitting with for the last few weeks. And that’s the importance of setting boundaries.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot–over the last year, but also over the last few weeks. I am the worst at setting boundaries in my personal life. I’m a very passive person by nature, a constant people pleaser, and I avoid confrontation at all costs. Which means that I often set myself up to get walked on, and I often don’t express when I’m feeling hurt. Or maybe I do, but I don’t say it to the person making me feel that way.

In the past, this affected me a lot in my work environment. I felt unappreciated, undervalued. I think I’ve gotten better over the last year at vocalizing what I want, or letting things roll off my shoulders, instead of growing resentful.

But I am still very much learning how to create boundaries in my personal life. Yesterday, I went to my first Toronto LGBT meet up, something I had been wanting to do for years! And the topic was Tension + Conflict In Relationships. It touched a lot on good communication, being open and honest to how you’re feeling. We talked about having realistic expectations for the people in your life, and remembering that they are very much real people, with flaws and histories, and it’s important not to project ourselves onto that.

OTHER POSTS YOU MIGHT LIKE

Antioxidant Cherry-Berry Granola + Yogurt Parfait

Paleo Cranberry Breakfast Cake

Grain-Free Chocolate PB Banana Waffle Sandwich

But we also talked about the flip side of that: not being so open, or so accepting of everyone, that you end up surrounding yourself with people that consistently hurt you–even if they do so unintentionally. And that’s a really hard thing to admit: that someone you care for–a friend, a partner–doesn’t always treat you nicely. You know this person cares for you, and chances are they have a lot of insecurities or emotional baggage that makes them act the way they do. And so you feel compassion for this person, you feel responsible for this person. When they say they need you, you drop everything for this person. And when they don’t feel like they need you, you feel empty. Or used. Or unimportant.

It doesn’t mean this person is a bad person. But it does mean that maybe they aren’t the right fit for you, or they can’t be part of your inner circle.

I feel really grateful: my last long term relationship, was (what I think) a really healthy one. It was very loving. We didn’t work out, but it did teach me a lot about love and kindness. And that’s something I hope I continue to carry with me.

So I’m learning to say no. To walk away. To step back. To just sit with myself and be okay with that. And I thought I’d share that. in case you were feeling that way too. Because you are worthy, and valued and important.

MORE ON RELATIONSHIPS + SELF-CARE

How To Deal With Big Life Changes

Sexual Fluidity: It’s not just gay and straight

Why You Should See A Therapist In Your 20s

 

So about these Grain-Free Cranberry Orange Pancakes.

I love almond flour based pancakes. I find they tend to be fluffy (especially after putting the batter in the blender!) and super filling. The great thing about this recipe is you could swap out the cranberries for any berry (or chocolate chips!) no problem, so it’s a great base to have in your recipe collection!

Well that’s a wrap on today, lovely humans! Have a wonderful week and remember to take care of yourself, whatever that means. (Even if it means creating space from relationships that don’t serve you, and eating a whole lot of pancakes!)