Waffles!

Oh, how we love to eat waffles! Almost every Sunday morning I get up early, put on a pot of coffee and start scouring the internet for new and interesting waffle recipes.  My Better Homes and Gardens cookbook has a super good recipe, but this morning I wanted something a little bit richer.  What I came up with was inspired by this recipe from Smitten Kitchen.  Have I posted about waffles before? Probably.  Will I post about them again? Definitely! 

 This Sunday's Waffles

1 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/2 c sour cream
1 1/2 c buttermilk
2 egg yolks
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla

2 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

• whisk together dry ingredients
• stir together wet ingredients, except egg whites
• add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients, stir till moistened
• gently fold egg whites into batter
• spray waffle maker with cooking spray, or brush with oil.  Make sure your iron is up to temperature before you put any batter in it!
• 1/2 cup of batter fills my waffle iron perfectly - your mileage may vary.  The batter will be thick, but don't worry, it will spread out when you close the lid. Bake for 4 or 5 minutes till desired crispiness is reached.

You can hold the waffles in a warm oven till they're all done, but watch out, a plate that's been in the oven for half an hour gets HOT!

Serve with some lovely berries, maple syrup and Delia's most favorite, WHIPPED CREAM! 

Leftovers freeze well and you can pop them in the toaster for a late night snack or a weekday breakfast.  I like to take them on hikes and eat them with apples and peanut butter.

Monday Brunch

Crustless Quiche with Beet Greens and Havarti Cheese

My Beloved brought me more beets from the farmers market Saturday, and while I immediately prepared the small jewel-like roots by braising them in beer, the red and green tops languished on my kitchen counter for a few days. This morning I plunged them into a cold water bath and sorted out the way-too-wilted parts, chopped the survivors up, and married them to eggs, cream and cheese.

1/2 an onion, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped

Get these three going in a skillet with a little olive oil, sautee till the onions start to turn transparent.

One bunch of beet greens, rinsed and chopped

I also used up what was left of my spinach. Greens could be anything though, chard or probably even kale.
Add chopped greens to skillet, douse with a generous glug of your favorite vinegar (I used Balsamic since it was sitting out on the counter), and cover and cook till the greens are quite wilted. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In another mixing bowl whisk

3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheese - Havarti for me since I love it with beets.

When the greens are a bit cool, stir them into the egg mixture, then pour that into a pie plate that has been sprayed with oil. Bake in a 35o degree oven for about half an hour. Ohh, so yummy.

A Letter to Jack Burton

Dear Jack,

Thank you so much for waking me up at 7am on my day off. At first I was a little annoyed with you, you could have been a bit gentler and maybe sat on my head like Nerfa does, or possibly you might have licked my eyelids. The whole pouncing on my stomach from some indeterminate great height thing was completely unnecessary. There was no one around to see me flail awake so dramatically - Husband must have been trying really hard to stay asleep. I was mad. But I got over it.


You Jack, are so much better than that ungrateful rat dog, who bit Delia yesterday. She was calm when she got home from her Grandma's, so I didn't really think anything about the incident till bedtime when she changed into pajamas. That rotten beast really hurt her, the bruise on her leg is three inches across and the skin is split in the middle. I really felt sick to my stomach. If that animal was a different breed, that bite could have put her in hospital. I have said it before, I will say it again, I hate that dog, Jack, more than I have ever hated any living thing including humans who have injured me personally. But enough hate Jack, didn't mean to go off on that tangent.



I love you Jack, in all your rambunctious kitten hood. It was kind of funny last night how you kept climbing Steve to get to your perch on the bookshelf. And even though you had just used him as a ladder, Steve still seemed surprised when you leapt from the bookshelf onto his stack of shiny character sheets, sending them flying. I tried to lock you in the bathroom, hoping you would take your frustrations out on the Majestic Palm instead of my GameGeeks, but you let yourself out in record time. No mortal door can hold you, Jack Burton.


If you hadn't roused me early this morning, I might have slept later than Delia. Then I would have missed this opportunity to share with her a breakfast of French Toast (made from my Cranberry Walnut bread). I never get to see her in the mornings because I'm almost always at work, and although it is tempting to sleep in on a Sunday, the rewards of rising early are great.


Thanks Jack, for everything. We're happy that you have joined us.

French Toast

This Sunday morning Delia had some French Toast for Breakfast. The camera likes to work for food pictures. :)

We also had some strawberry muffins from a mix first thing this morning, but we ate those before the camera started working.

Coming soon: The Christmas Tree Adventure