MULTIGRAIN WAFFLES

The amount of time it took me to purchase a $25 waffle iron makes complete sense in the scope of my personality. I get anxious about making good decisions and wise choices. I try not to waste or have things I don't need or use. If you allow them too, and I regret that I do, little decisions can become big ones getting you caught in the rip current of yes or no, pros and cons, risk vs. gain. I find myself in that current by default - like part of my hard wiring. I swim straight into worry when I could so easily swim around it in the calm, lapping water on the periphery of this angst. Life just happens and mistakes are made. The worry doesn't protect from those truths, it just makes them a bigger deal than they need to be. Ah, yea, I'm not just referring to waffle iron purchases anymore.

So. By way of investing in quality kitchen equipment, I don't expect this iron will last a lifetime. I wasn't sure if we would go in and out of a waffle phase, so I didn't want to buy a super nice one. Do the $200 irons make a significantly superior waffle to the $25 one? I am quite happy with my dinky little guy and don't plan to know the alternative high-end waffle. I've been playing around with flours, butter vs. oil, toppings etc. What I have below is our "everyday" waffle. It's a mixture of a few different flours, nuts and oats to keep them hearty and fiber filled - something not so indulgent that it has to be saved for a Sunday morning. The coconut oil helps them to get a crispy exterior while everything stays moist inside. Breakfast is kind of "a thing" around here, so I suspect there will be variations in my future, but I found this recipe worth sharing from the waffle experiments thus far.

FLAX WAFFLES // Makes 4 seven inch waffles

Inspired by The Fauxmartha and Oh, Ladycakes

Hugh requests chocolate chips in all possible breakfast sweets. It's a tight ship over here. I'll make the mixture, make two without chips then add 1/4 cup chocolate chips to the remaining batter and finish cooking the rest. I wrap up the extra waffles, keep them in the fridge and toast them in the toaster oven the following morning to warm and crisp them back up.

If you don't have these flours on hand, a 1 1/2 cup total of your preferred flours, or GF All Purpose flour will work fine here too. Your milk to flour ratio should be more or less equal regardless of what you use. Almond and oat flours aren't as absorbent as a wheat flour, so my dry ratio is slightly higher here.

• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup milk (great with buttermilk or non dairy beverage of choice)
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
• 2 Tbsp. flaxmeal
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 Tbsp. muscavado or brown sugar
• dash of cinnamon
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt

Heat your waffle iron.

Whisk the egg, milk (or non dairy beverage), orange juice, vanilla together. Whisk in the melted coconut oil.

Add the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix well, pressing out any clumps. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir until just combined. Let the mixture sit for a few minutes for the flaxmeal to absorb some liquid. Add enough batter to fill your waffle iron, don't over stuff it. Remove cooked waffle* and enjoy warm.Don't stack them, they'll steam each other. You can keep waffles warm on a cookie sheet in a 200' oven if waiting for remaining waffles.

Top with real maple syrup, fruit, whipped cream, jam, nut butter or my consistent stand by, goat yogurt and pom seeds. 

* Some irons have timers or a light that turns off to tell you the waffle is done. I have been judging mine by waiting until the iron stops steaming, then I know the outside will be crisp. By using about 3/4 cup batter, the waffle takes roughly 4 minutes until it stops steaming. This will vary by iron.

COCO BANANA DATE SHAKE

There is a little fruit & nut shop en route to Palm Springs that is famous for their date shakes. They only have date or date-banana and they are delicious. They are made with the creamiest of ice creams. I remember getting them with my mom and sister when we'd drive out to see my grandma and we swore we each needed our own. We would drink them fast, the cold sweetness being just the refreshment driving through the hot desert. I could get through about half of it before the heavy cream coated my insides and the thought of finishing the whole shake seemed like a task. I can still see the cup they came in in my memory. A taupe-ish color with swooshes of pink and purple and a big thick straw so the chunks of date could get through. I guess I've always had an affinity for all things ice cream. 

Speaking of, in an effort to cool it on the ice cream habit we've come to around here, I am finding alternatives for a more nutritious frozen treat. We're having some warm days this week, so this coconut-banana-date shake is just the thing for an afternoon snack. I don't usually go for bananas in shakes/smoothies, but it keeps everything cohesive and smooth here. The combination is sweet and creamy, without too much of either. This is the shake I have no problem polishing off. 

COCO BANANA DATE SHAKE // Makes 2

I included a note for a bit of protein powder here because the times I am needing a shake is usually when I am a just moderately hungry - early morning before a workout or afternoon slump time. Adding a bit of protein to a shake or smoothie helps it "stick to my ribs" until a real meal. It is by no means necessary. I don't want to pump a particular brand of protein powder, but there are a plethora of plant based options, as well as good quality whey proteins (such as Tera's Whey) that don't have a bunch of junk fillers in them. Read your labels and know you usually get what you pay for on this one. I also like the addition of oats in smoothies and think this would pass for a quick breakfast if you added them here. They make a lot of sense with these ingredients. Let me know if you try it.

If you want it similar to a milkshake or ice cream, use regular coconut milk. The light kind will still be creamy, but much thinner and a coconut beverage (the sort you find in the fridge) will be like an everyday smoothie. Up to you. 

2 cups coconut milk

4 large pitted Medjool dates, chopped up

1/2 scoop vanilla protein of choice (optional)

one small banana, preferably frozen

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1-2 cups crushed ice

splash of orange juice

In a blender, combine the coconut milk, dates, protein (if using), banana, cinnamon, ice and splash of oj. Blend everything together well until the dates are in tiny pieces and everything is smooth. Adjust with as splash of this or that as desired. Enjoy cold. 

DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER CUPS

George is like a character you'd find in a fiction novel. He has the quirks of someone made up, except I work with him at Trader Joes demo station in my non-fiction life. He has a curly ponytail, thick glasses, wears shorts year-round, loves beer, does not own a car, cell phone or computer, speaks of the internet like it's something from space. He prefers people at work (both customers and employees) to call him "The Sheriff" and when the song Wild Wild West comes on in the store, he does a little dance complete with his fingers shaped like guns drawn from his make believe holsters, and boogies around the sample station. I can't make this stuff up. If you're not familiar, Trader Joes has a sample station where people come to try a product, and I work the morning shifts after George has worked there the night before. He likes to chat, and to encourage the company of other employees to come talk, he always opens a box of the dark chocolate peanut butter cups. It's like pigeons and breadcrumbs - he opens those up and people flock. When I follow his shift the next morning, there are usually a couple left for me. I've gotten so used to it now that I get sad when there aren't any left under the table. The more people catch on to his secret stash, the less there are to feed my habit at 7 a.m. This is probably a good problem, but I set out to make my own anyway. As far as candy goes, I knew I could make them a little more virtuous at home.

Hugh and I are coming out of a hot cocoa and whipping cream phase and now these almond butter cups are the treat of choice. They are the perfect amount of sweet and rich with the dark chocolate, while the salt on top brightens up the morsel just right. If you're still looking for a Valentine's Day gift or treat to share, these honestly could not be simpler to make and they taste charmingly homemade.

DARK CHOCOLATE ALMOND BUTTER CUPS // Makes 12-14 minis or 6 full sized cups

I fiddled around with this recipe based on a current affinity for the dark chocolate PB cups at Trader Joes and applied some tips from Alana Chernila of The Homemade Pantry. You could use any nut butter you choose, but note that the amount of natural oil will vary by type and brand. The honey and powdered sugar help the nut butter sieze up, so use your judgement and add a bit more if needed. It should be firm enough to roll in a ball, press down and easily hold that shape. Because I know someone will ask, I suppose you could use all honey and no powdered sugar, just expect a more tender center.I use these muffin liners. They look nice and peel away beautifully from the candy.

• 7 oz. dark chocolate (not to exceed 70%)
• 1/2 cup natural almond butter
• 2 Tbsp. honey
• 1 Tbsp. powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. fine grain salt
• sea salt flakes for topping

Break up the chocolate and melt in a double boiler (a pot of simmering water with a bowl resting on top). Stir to make sure it is perfectly smooth.

Set out the liners in a mini muffin tin, this helps them hold shape. Spoon about a teaspoon of the chocolate into the bottom. Tilt and twist it around so the chocolate coats the side of the liner and rest it back in the tin. Repeat with remaining papers. Mix the almond butter, honey, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt together until smooth to make the filling. Scoop out a tsp. of the almond butter filling and gently roll it into a ball between your palms. Give it a press down and center it on top of the thin chocolate puddle. Repeat. Spoon chocolate, about another tsp., on top of each almond butter ball to cover completely. You may need to add a few drops more to get the chocolate to level above the bump of the almond butter. Sprinkle a teensy pinch of flaked sea salt on each one and chill in the fridge to set.

They can be kept in a covered container at room temperature or fridge.