In an earlier version of my bio , I mentioned that in addition to my comparatively unique perspective, I also had recipes to share. Although I have been blogging at this site for six months now (!), I’ve not posted a single recipe anywhere. Not in my blog, not in any forum; nothing.
This post will change all that. I woke up this morning and managed a fine weekend repast for the family – well, we were in fact minus-one, since our oldest had a sleepover at her aunt’s house around the corner. And the truth is, the energy level in the house is different when one child is not home than when the two of them are together. But in any case, here’s my recipe for a Great Saturday morning.
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 enthusiastic three-year old (can substitute one six-year old, or one four-year old, or add more children as desired) willing to let one parent sleep
1 block of firmness to make sure said child/children get washed up before going to the kitchen
1 good-quality classical music CD, fairly light (we like Mozart)
1 coloring book or other activities as needed to keep toddlers occupied if they don’t want to help make breakfast
Coffee (see below)
Ellen’s Whole Wheat Waffles (see below for recipe)
Patience to let three-year old pour batter into the waffle iron (with your assistance)
Thoughtfulness might be required if laundry has to be done or paper towels/napkins required or dishwasher is in need of being emptied.
Tea may be (and often is, in my house) substituted for coffee, but on mornings when you go to bed late and your little one wakes you early – just about six on a Saturday morning! – you go with what you need: in my case, a blend of decaf Moka Java and Winter Blend, both from Trader Joe’s .
I’ve no idea where my wife first saw this waffle recipe, so I can’t give the publisher credit, but since I’ve added my own touches, I’m going to live with the consequences. For one thing, I doubled the recipe.
Dry ingredients: 4/3 cup white flour, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, 4 TBSP sugar (less if desired), 1 tsp baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt. Mix together with fork.
Liquid ingredients: 4/3 cup of milk, two eggs, 4 TBSP margarine (two of us are lactose-intolerant; bet it tastes great with butter; you can use canola oil – my wife does if we don’t have enough margarine, but it does not come out the same).
If too thick, add more milk; I always have to. To add flavor, splash some vanilla. For added nutrients, sprinkle ground flaxseed meal: tremendous health benefits and the kids don’t really notice anyway (mine actually like certain products made with flaxseeds and flaxseed meal).
Spray the waffle iron occasionally in between batches.
I have no idea how many this recipe makes because I eat them too fast. But we freeze leftovers. Sometimes we make a batch JUST to have in the freezer.
This was pretty much my Saturday morning: watching my little one play, reading her a book as she dunked her waffle in 100 percent maple syrup (optional), listening to Mozart, and feeling good about letting my wife sleep in.
Course I got my nap in the afternoon…this was a morning recipe, after all…