So the last few weeks, save for two days, have been a bit cruel, if I do say so. Don't get me wrong. I like cloudy days as much as the next girl. They give you permission to stay inside, to peruse a pile of old magazines, to nap, if you will. They create the perfect setting for getting things done around the house since they kill any desire to be outside. But day after day of cloudy skies, as we have had over the last couple of weeks, well that is just too much to take. It makes me think I need Vitamin D supplements just to get through until April.
That said, there have been some bright spots, here and there. My brother-in-law got married to a woman who is so lovely that she channeled Audrey Hepburn on their wedding day. We had a lovely turkey feast the day after Thanksgiving with friends. And my coworkers gave us a gift card to a terrific local kitchen gadget store that allowed me to buy a waffle maker for us.
Truth be told, I've wanted a waffle maker for some time now. My stepmom and father used to make banana pecan waffles for my brother and I when we were younger. My yearning for them was rekindled when I spied a friend's Winnie-the-Pooh waffle maker sitting idle in her pantry. Ok, I really wanted the Winnie-the -Pooh waffle maker, but compromises must be made. Apparently, when you are an adult, without kids, Disney-themed kitchen appliances are a non va (that's Italian for "won't go").
Thanksgiving morning was our first use of the waffle maker.
Sure, she's a little rough around the edges. We sacrificed in the name of perfection, though, and managed to produce lovely square beauties after three straight mornings of practicing. And no, we did not tire of waffles, morning after morning, despite using the same recipe every time.
In searching for a recipe, we pretended we wanted to be good. We searched for something nutritious so we'd feel better about loading it up with syrup and butter. And, boy oh boy, did we find a great recipe from Eating Well magazine. I've tweaked it a bit. I cut the recipe in half, as it is just the two of us. I left the original amount of oats, which produces an amazing multigrain waffle creating the perfect vessel for local Hudson Valley maple syrup.
MULTI-GRAIN WAFFLES
Adapted from Eating Well magazine
Serves 4, 1-2 waffles each, depending on your waffle maker
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 T toasted wheat germ
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 ea. large egg, lightly beaten
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
Stir the buttermilk and oats together in a small bowl (you'll add more ingredients to this mixture later). Let sit for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
When the oat mixture is ready, stir in the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with spoon or spatula just until blended. You do not want to overwork the batter otherwise you'll have tough waffles.
Preheat your waffle maker. Ours has six "browning" settings. For these waffles, we prefer them on the crisp side which is setting "4" or "5." When the waffle maker is preheated, spray it with nonstick spray, lots and lots of spray, otherwise, you'll be having a "discussion" with your spouse about who gets to clean the waffle maker. Pour enough batter to cover 2/3 to 3/4 of each waffle square, close the lid, and wait a couple of minutes for the sign your waffles are ready for consumption (our machine dings). Repeat as needed with batter.
Serve with butter and maple syrup or your favorite breakfast condiment.
In searching for a recipe, we pretended we wanted to be good. We searched for something nutritious so we'd feel better about loading it up with syrup and butter. And, boy oh boy, did we find a great recipe from Eating Well magazine. I've tweaked it a bit. I cut the recipe in half, as it is just the two of us. I left the original amount of oats, which produces an amazing multigrain waffle creating the perfect vessel for local Hudson Valley maple syrup.
MULTI-GRAIN WAFFLES
Adapted from Eating Well magazine
Serves 4, 1-2 waffles each, depending on your waffle maker
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 T toasted wheat germ
3/4 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/8 t kosher salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 ea. large egg, lightly beaten
2 T brown sugar
1/2 T canola oil
1 t vanilla extract
Stir the buttermilk and oats together in a small bowl (you'll add more ingredients to this mixture later). Let sit for 15 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk together the flours, wheat germ, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.
When the oat mixture is ready, stir in the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix with spoon or spatula just until blended. You do not want to overwork the batter otherwise you'll have tough waffles.
Preheat your waffle maker. Ours has six "browning" settings. For these waffles, we prefer them on the crisp side which is setting "4" or "5." When the waffle maker is preheated, spray it with nonstick spray, lots and lots of spray, otherwise, you'll be having a "discussion" with your spouse about who gets to clean the waffle maker. Pour enough batter to cover 2/3 to 3/4 of each waffle square, close the lid, and wait a couple of minutes for the sign your waffles are ready for consumption (our machine dings). Repeat as needed with batter.
Serve with butter and maple syrup or your favorite breakfast condiment.
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