Veggies For Me and Veggies For You: breakfast

I love waffles. When we moved from Ontario back to Alberta we made sure that we booked hotels that had a breakfast included in the room price.

This was for a couple of reasons; first, so that we didn't have to try and find breakfast in 5 different cities, second, so we didn't have to budget any more meals in to our adventure and third, so I could eat waffles. Well, maybe that was just a bonus but often hotels with continental breakfast have a waffle maker. I ate waffles every morning I could.

I have been wanting a waffle iron for a while but every time I would mention it to Aaron he would make some comment about how I didn't need more kitchen appliances, or where would I store a waffle iron? Those concerns meant nothing to me but I still never went and got myself one. This year though I think I must have mentioned it a little more often than usual because when his sister asked him what to get me for my birthday (the big 3-0!) he told her a waffle iron and guess what? She got me one! YAY!!!!

As soon as I could (as in as soon as I went and bought milk) we had waffles. My mom gave me her recipe that she swears in the best and I have to agree with her.

What do you think?

Mom's Fluffy and Yummy Waffles

2 Eggs

2c of Milk (go buy some right now if you need to)

2c of All Purpose Flour

1 TBSP of Baking Powder

1/2 tsp of Salt

1/3c of Cooking Oil (I use Canola)

1 TBSP of White Sugar

Ok, these take a little bit of work but they are worth it.

Separate your eggs.

Beat the egg whites until stiff and set aside.

Mix yolks with the remaining ingredients and then gently fold in your egg whites.

Cook as directed for your waffle iron.

Aaron informed me when I told him we were eating waffles for dinner that night that he didn't want to have plain old syrup on his waffles. Well, okay then! When I was growing up my mom would make waffles and my favorite way to eat them was with vanilla ice cream on top. It would get all soft and melty and be so delicious. Sometimes I would add strawberries or other fruit to the sweet meal but usually I stuck with just the ice cream. But of course I didn't have ice cream, so I got creative...

Hot Vanilla Syrup

2c of Milk

2 TBSP of White Sugar

2 tsp of Vanilla

2 tsp of Corn Starch

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until it comes to a boil, stirring the whole time as milk can scorch. Turn heat down and simmer until it reaches desired thickness.

This was so yummy and subtle. It was so good when it was also served with the strawberry syrup I made...

Fruit Syrup for Waffles of Pancakes

2c of frozen fruit (I made two kinds, strawberry and blueberry)

1 TBSP of White Sugar (feel free to add more if you want your syrup sweeter)

2 TBSP of Corn Starch

Follow the same directions as used for the vanilla syrup:

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and heat until it comes to a boil, stirring often. Turn heat down and simmer until it reaches desired thickness.

I cooked my waffles while I was making these syrups and while it was a little crazy, it was one of the best meals I've had in a very long time! Thanks Chel!

I am not a pancake person. Or a hotcake, flapjack, free breakfast at the rodeo grounds kind of girl. I'd rather stay home then stand in line for 2 hours to eat soggy pancakes. I guess it can be fun if you are meeting up with friends but I think it would be better if they were serving something else that I didn't have to pay for, like Mini Wheats.

We grew up on pancakes. Which I loved for a long time. I think I was in grade 9 when my mom decided to make pancakes everyday and that is the year I got sick of them. Okay, maybe she didn't make them everyday but it sure seemed like it.

I remember when she decided we had to eat pancakes all week, she made the choice because we were eating so much cereal and it was costing way too much. (I'd like to blame my brothers n this one but as you all read it above, I like cereal. Even plain Cheerios) So we ate pancakes. Or as I remember it, nothing.

Fast forward 10 years. I'm living in Kingston, still not eating pancakes. Well, not often and not in my kitchen. Until the fateful day that I picked this recipe up at a baby sale. The sale had all kinds of vendors; about a million RESP guys, photographers, handmade toys, slings, crafts and even a lonely dentist. Which was actually a good idea because they were giving out tiny toothbrushes, and also "smile-licious" recipes. I picked up 1 of every recipe card there even though I'm pretty sure that we were only supposed to pick up one.

And thank goodness I did because I found an amazing pancake recipe that even my mom loved.

Oatmeal Pancakes

(Make these pancakes in your full sized blender. Make sure you put the liquid ingredients in first.)

Heat your lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat.

While warming up, mix the following ingredients:

2 Eggs

4 TBSP of Vegetable Oil

2 tsp of Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cup of Buttermilk (if you don't have any buttermilk you can use milk with 1 1/2 tsp of vinegar to make it go sour. I know it sounds gross but it works. Or you could just use regular milk)

1 tsp of Salt

1 tsp of Baking Soda

2 tsp of Baking Powder

2 Tbsp of White Sugar (I don't add this and they are still so delicious. The oatmeal is sweet enough without the extra white stuff)

1 cup of Quick Cooking Oats

1 cup of Flour

Blend until smooth.