Can I tell you something about myself that might make you dislike me just a tiny bit? I don’t actually like pumpkin spice lattes. They’re alright, but I’ll take a steamy cup of smokey roasted black coffee over any latte. However, I feel a genuine sense of obligation to order one for the sake of the season and join the multitudes on instagram sharing the #psl love.
Each new season brings with it a bounty of foods to enjoy and activities to partake in. Summer will always be king in my book, but autumn has it’s ups. I always look forward to strolling through an apple orchard, watching the cider get pressed at our favorite mill, and eating my weight in warm cider donuts coated in cinnamon sugar. But as I grown older I’ve noticed a shift in my approach to these seasonal ventures. There’s a sense of deep-rooted discontent that insists I won’t be happy with fall if I don’t participate in all the events, including the experience of enjoying a pumpkin spice latte.
Does anyone else feel seasonal FOMO, or fear of missing out? Do you feel like you haven’t experienced autumn until you’ve sat by a bonfire with a mug of hot cider in your favorite sweater while sitting on a plaid blanket? Or is that just me?
I noticed an increase in these emotions when I started blogging about food. Last spring I drove to every market I could find in a desperate attempt to find ramps so I could make dish and post about it. It drove me crazy that no one in Michigan seemed to know what I was asking for. Had anyone even been on Instagram the last few weeks? It wasn’t just prized recipe ingredients I was anxious to get ahold of, I found myself ordering food I wouldn’t have picked in the first place for the sole purpose of posting the photo. Did I really need the large waffle cone of blue moon ice cream? Or would the smaller, less photogenic cake cone suffice?
I would love to sit here and tell you that FOMO doesn’t resonate with me but I am currently writing this with a pang of guilt after making my husband drive 72 miles for a cider donut that had a cinnamon sugar coating because autumn only happens once and a powdered sugar coated donut at the cider mill we were already at wasn’t going to cut it. And don’t even ask me how many markets I’ve stopped at to find perfect white pumpkins.
There is something to be said about enjoying what each season has to offer. Of course I’m going to order ice cream in the summer, drink cider in the fall, and cook warm soups this upcoming winter. But oh I hate that feeling of expectation that comes with each of these happenings. It’s so much harder to enjoy something when you’re doing it out of obligation. And I wish I could say I’ve learned this lesson and promise to treat each moment as a gift, but all I can think about is whether or not I should run up to the market down the road and check if they’ve put out more white pumpkins.
My goal with Daily Ciabatta has always been to share our real lives and the real food we eat. Of course celebrating the seasons comes with the territory and I promise to share relevant content with each passing month, but today I have banana zucchini bread. Not pumpkin spice bread. Not apple fritter bread. And not because it’s #bakingseason. Just a simple banana zucchini bread. Wanna know why? Because it was what we had on hand and I had a family event to go to. And it’s delicious.
My goal for the upcoming months is to be intentional with my actions and genuine in my content. I want to experience fall because I love it, not because I have to. I’d love to hear from you if you’re anything like me. Tell me about your seasonal FOMO or anything you’ve learned about living in the moment in the comments below.
Whole Wheat Banana Zucchini Bread
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 Tsp Baking Soada
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/3 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Cinnamon
- 2 Ripe Bananas, mashed
- 1 Cup Shredded Zucchini
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper and set aside.
Whisk the flour, soda, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl whisk the eggs, sugars, oil, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix the bananas and zucchini in with a spoon then slowly incorporate the flour mixture, stirring until just combine.
Poor the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
