Weather-wise, it has been just dreadful in my neck of the woods the past few days…cold and windy and gray and rainy and just plain blah. I like a rainy day every once in a while (nothing like curling up with a good book and a cup of tea while listening to the rain!); but, I am very easily swayed emotionally by the weather. It’s just another thing that convinces me I should have been born in a warmer climate. However, I am a true Northern girl and could never really be that far away from home. So, I make the best of what I’m given!
When I wake up to a really nasty view from my bedroom window, I generally roll over and cover my head with my (faux) duvet! Once the sulking is over and I must get out of bed, I turn my thoughts to ways to brighten the awful morning…and of course, that means food! I’ve mentioned before that breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I could (and sometimes do) eat breakfast foods for every. single. meal. Well, this past weekend was a perfect example. Husband and I finally rolled out of bed at a very respectable 9:30am (we’re up by 6:30 all week long so 9:30 is a blessing for us!), and I went right over to my cookbook collection to decide on something exciting for breakfast.
Naturally, the first book I reached for was Vegan Brunch. I’ve been on a bit of a waffle kick as of late, having made them 3 times in the past month. I flipped right to that very section and stopped on the very first waffle recipe: Old-Fashioned Chelsea Waffles. These looked like the exact kind of waffle I was looking for! But, would Husband go for them?
See, we have an interesting dichotomy in our house. Husband does not like condiments. He has this silly (and wrong!) idea that his food should taste like what it is and that if you have to add something to it, you didn’t flavour it correctly. I, on the other hand, could pretty much subsist entirely on condiments. We have a fridge and multiple cupboards full of condiments and I use at least one condiment on everything I eat. Because of this, when I make things like pancakes, French toast, or waffles…you know, vessels for maple syrup, jam, melt-y Earth Balance…I usually have to make loaded versions containing chocolate chips, berries, or other flavourings.
I decided to try them anyway. Isa’s write-up about the waffles was so appealing to me that I took the plunge. I’m so very glad I did. They ended up being just lovely and were the perfect thing to brighten our dreary morning. The texture was right on…soft interior and a much crisper exterior with an almost nutty flavour and a golden colour. Served with fresh blueberries (and plenty of Earth Balance and maple syrup for me), they were stunning! We ended up with almost double the yield that the recipe called for which was fine with Husband…he had waffles for breakfast the following two mornings!
Mmm. Waffles sound really good right about now.