If I didn't have to work everyday...I would be free to do whatever I wanted! That sounds like a pretty obvious statement but isn't that really the bottom line: freedom?! We had a conversation with friends recently (while watching the Bachelor Finale, which was a little boring and obvious: choose Whitney, the girl who's in love with me or choose Becca, the one who's not sure---c'mon) about what we would do if we didn't have to work anymore. I started naming off my perfect day: get up, make breakfast, hang out on the patio for a while reading, go for a hike with friends OR maybe go to the beach OR check out the local farmer's market and cook something OR plant an herb garden--the list is endless but what it really comes down to is freedom. The best part about not having to go to work every day is that I would be able to choose whatever I wanted to do--an endless vacation.

I've been pretty lucky in always having a lot of vacation time and flexibility to travel or maybe it's that I've made it a requirement before I accept a job offer. Either way, something I really enjoy and look forward to is traveling and having that freedom for a few weeks every year to do whatever I want and experience new things. And, over the years, I've gotten better at traveling. The last few vacations I've taken have been a great mix of experiencing the best that city has to offer mixed with downtime doing activities I love -- like eating breakfast or hanging out at a coffee shop talking.

We recently went to San Francisco to experience the city as we'd only been a couple times and hadn't ever stayed downtown. One of my absolute favorite things to do on vacation is to go out to breakfast. I love getting a slow start to the day enjoying comfort food at it's best and then lingering over a cup of coffee while chatting. So, the first stop on Day 1 was Dottie's True Blue Cafe which I found on Yelp: 2,700 reviews, 4 stars, and 2 dollar signs -- JACKPOT, right?  

Unfortunately, it happened to be in one of the worst parts of San Francisco and we had to wait in line for a little over an hour. It was an interesting mix of people watching and trying to keep my head down so that the homeless person hitting the building with a bat wouldn't see me and get any ideas...but honestly, it was an experience I'm not going to forget anytime soon and the food was unbelievably delicious! In fact, the pancakes were so good that I had to come home and see if I could replicate the recipe--which I think I have! I took a little help from my favorite recipe app, All Recipes, and did a few modifications and here you have it. So, next time you're in San Francisco and feeling adventurous, check out this spot OR if you just want to have a great Saturday morning starting with pancakes (minus the SF experience) make this recipe and enjoy in the comfort of your own home!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Spiced Pancakes
Time: 20 min.  Makes: 6 servings
2 c whole wheat flour     2 Tbsp white sugar      2 tsp baking powder     1 tsp baking soda     1/2 tsp salt
2 c buttermilk     1/3 c milk     2 eggs     3 1/2 Tbsp butter, melted     1 tsp ginger     1 tsp cinnamon
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat together buttermilk, milk, eggs and melted butter. Keep the two mixtures separate until you are ready to cook. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. You can flick water across the surface and if it beads up and sizzles, it's ready! Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture, using a wooden spoon or fork to blend. Stir until it's just blended together. Do not over stir! Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot with maple syrup and fresh fruit. ENJOY!!