She was so excited to go try it out for the first the time. Skating was something that the big kids do and our two year-old likes to do everything they do. And maybe because she is so independent by nature, she is usually quite successful. That day it was sunny and cold and we skated for almost an hour and so did she. She did not complain once. The baby was in the buggy and ocassionally we would skate and push him around as well. Learning to skate on ice with a bit of snow coverage is a little easier, as it is not so slippery.
Some days have been sunny and some days gray during this past week, but quite often ice skating has been on the agenda. There is a skating trail made at “our” lake and another one at the Kuusaanlampi which is a nook on the Kymijoki or Kymi river. The loop is 2.5 km/1.5 miles. Four times around is a good workout and a pleasant way to start the day. There is a car track as well on the ice, but drifting the car with the hand brake is one skill I must still learn someday. Before learing that trick, I wouldn’t dare to attempt to join the ranks. It would be a first for me.
There is something about this time of year and pancakes. Maybe it is the need for a quick lunch or supper, or perhaps it is comforting after being out in the cold, but a year ago I was serving up buckwheat pancakes after our ice skating excursions. This year our go-to lunch has been banana pancakes made with almond meal or flour. They are a great way to use up the brown bananas on the counter and their ingredient list is so short and simple. I had been running across recipes for banana pancakes that used no traditional flour and the the following is my take on it. The first version has a bit more egg in proportion and the second one has less. You may choose your favorite, both work out great.
Banana pancakes, gluten-free and dairy-free
Version one:
makes 4-5 pancakes
2 ripe bananas mashed
3 eggs
1 dl/ 1/2 c almond flour
sprinkle of cinnamon
Version two:
makes 6 pancakes
4 bananas mashed
4 eggs
2 dl/1 c almond flour
sprinkle of cinnamon
Mix all of the ingredients. Fry on a griddle over medium heat and serve with a drizzle of honey and garnish with slices of banana.
Do you remember your first time on skates? I certainly do, and I remember falling down quite a few times at first. Our little angel seemed to fall so softly and was ready to get up right after. It brought back my childhood for a moment.
tableofcolors 
Gorgeous photos! She looks so proud of herself. Pancakes sound like the perfect feast after all that exercise and fresh air! Can’t imagine driving a car on ice – that sounds terrifying. I absolutely remember learning to skate for the first time. I was 6, and it was on the frozen Rhine in Holland, outside my grandma’s house.
PS. Love your baby’s crocheted beanie.
Skating on the frozen Rhine sounds like a wonderful experience…and straight from the storybooks. 🙂 I don’t have experience driving on an ice track but the country roads are usually covered in ice here during the winter so I do have experience with that! The beanie was made by a friend for out baby and has been perfect for these cold days. Thanks for stopping by Saskia!
precious post, and that final photo is perfect! i wish i could send some ‘straight from the stalk’ bananas and plantains to you! at the market, they’re five cents each, but if one has a cluster of plants – we give them to one another, as there’s no way to eat them all when the cluster ripens! z
I would love to try ‘straight from the stalk’ bananas”! Do they differ in flavor? All of our bananas are picked unripened, otherwise they would be all bruised before they made it to our market.
there are so many options of bananas, and they are surely better than what you get in the market – simply because these are so fresh. there are some tiny tiny little bananas that are so cute and sweet; perfect for traveling! there are some that are more square/geometric, and they are more firm.. some people dislike them and some love them. i am in the latter group – and wow they are wonderful for cooking.. a few months ago i simmered some raspberries with lemon and a touch of sugar, then added cubed ‘quadrado’ bananas, and they were heaven! i could have eaten a quart, and thankfully i did not have ice cream – drizzled over ice cream would have been really nice and gorgeous to the eye!
sigh; now i’m hungry for ice cream and blackberry/banana sauce!
Your description would make anyone hungry! Sounds wonderful!
i’ll start taking photos of the various varieties of bananas! there’s also a red-skinned one.. more purple than red!
Yes, please do! 🙂
The photo’s are so beautiful and I do remember my first time on skates, it was so much fun. You and your family really are so active in winter sports. What fun! I can’t think of a better way to fortify yourself before a day on the ice than with those pancakes. I’m going to try them, they sound delicious,
Thanks Suzanne! My first time on skates was at the local skating rink just down the block. We would play hockey with my siblings and Dad and my white figure skates had an occasional black mark from the puck. 🙂
I loved ice scating as a kid! Great photos! Thanks for the recipe – I made some pancakes yesterday as well =) but here it was hot: 34 degrees.
Pancakes are so quick and easy. 🙂 Enjoy your warmth in your new location! Thanks for stopping by.
What lovely photos of a first time ice skating adventure! I most certainly like the idea of pancakes afterwards 🙂 One of my favorite things is eating breakfast for dinner or lunch!
Thank you Heather. I love eating breakfast anytime as well, and that it probably because it is my favorite meal of the day. 🙂
Love the baby’s expression 🙂
I do too, with the two little brand new pearly whites peeking out 🙂
More delicious pancakes! Is your almond flour very fine? I am not sure how ours would be in pancakes. Our almond flour always seems coarse. Your little one is so precious. I don’t know how to skate at all!
The almond flour is not extra fine, nor do I sift it. I think yours would work just fine! I felt like a beginner on skates as well, it had been at least ten years since I had skated last. But now I have skates since I received “hand-me-ups” from my daughter. 🙂
How cute! Hand-me-ups from your daughter. 🙂 Good to know about the almond flour.
I wish it was cold enough to ice skate here… we’ve been having a pretty mild winter so far in this part of Germany near Köln. Your pictures of the kids out on the ice are great and have inspired me to go skating at an ice skating arena this week!
I hope you have a chance to skating at the arena. There are definite benefits to it since the ice is certainly smoother than the ice on the lake. 🙂
That looks such good fun. We used to skate on the farm pond – my father would first test the ice and we learnt by pushing a kitchen chair in front of us. My sister insisted on strapping a cushion to her bottom as she fell over so much. Sadly it doesn’t freeze here every year though.
I’ve seen some kids push chairs around here as well. It’s a good way to get started. Loved the strapped on cushion, I bet it softened the falls! Thanks for the chuckle!
The pics are beautiful, I wish we could share some of our cold with some of your deprived readers, schools are closed again because of the extreme temps. And cars are skating unsuccessfully on black ice this a.m. The pancakes look delish. Hope it’s nice and warm when you get here.
Love, Grampa
I remember that we had a few days that the schools were closed as a kids but you must be having a record amount this winter. I am hoping that spring might have arrived when I come! 🙂 Stay safe and warm!
Love, Laila
Lovely photos, as always!
Thank you Mimi!
Iceskating and drifting, Laila? How cool is that? I love that your little one could learn to skate with some snow to buffer her falls.. 🙂
We have been enjoying the cold weather and relatively little snow as it makes skating on the lake and river so much easier. Today we shoveled a little area on the lake for the kids to practice their hockey skills. I love their self confidence as they carried their hockey sticks home…just like the real players. 🙂
So cute! And what a great idea for using up bananas, will definitely have to give that a go. Have just made another banana loaf but still have more brown bananas…
Oh, good! Hope you tried it out with your leftover brown bananas.
Tasty, tasty! Skating and pancakes…wow…I still remember those days with a smile…and an aching. I always used to come back with totally numb feet and almost crying of pain when they “came back” to me. Hot chocolate sometimes, but pancakes are the best.
Lovely weather and beautiful photos.
Yes, I remember the feeling of having really cold feet occasionally…glad it didn’t happen too often! Usually I didn’t get so cold skating since we fortunately had a warming house and I would often sit there for a bit before walking home as a kid.
Lovely photos, it brought back memories of myself ice skating while growing up on the east coast on frozen creeks. Not many frozen creeks in Los Angeles, but I sure would love to put on a pair of skates.
My first time on skates left me with more than a few bumps and bruises, but I had so much fun, it was worth it! I love that your little one is so adventurous! Your photos are adorable!
Your little guys are so sweet! I do remember my first time on skates and it was not on a frozen pond or lake but our main street. We had freezing rain for days and then a solid freeze so we went iceskating right on our street. Great for skating not so much for cars. Pancakes are the perfect action weather recovery food and your version is super healthy. I love that photo of the ice skates and the snow glistening in the photo, just beautiful!
What a brave little girl. 🙂
What a warm and lovely photos of your children! That’s so nice to have such tasty pancakes after frosty walk.. I miss the snow!