Pecan Crunch Waffles

Jul 14, 2012 by

One of the biggest joys in life is a Saturday morning at home. It is the perfect mix of relaxation and productivity. I can do the laundry while watching the Food Network. Polish the counters while sipping my coffee. Make the bed while two well-rested dogs tumble in the piles of pillows. You know the drill.

Another joy of Saturday mornings is that I get plenty of time to cook and plan our household meals for the week. I just love the time to meditate in the kitchen and organize ways for everyone to eat healthfully and happily throughout the week. It doesn’t happen on it’s own, you know! One of my favorite breakfast recipes to prepare while I research recipes and clean out the fridge is this one for pecan crunch waffles. They are sweet, crunchy, savory, and will put a smile on your face! Plus, they are a cinch to make, using ingredients that any well-stocked kitchen keeps handy.

No, this is not health food. If you are looking for that, try some overnight oats. A healthy lifestyle includes allowing yourself the flexibility to indulge in treats just like this. With that said, here’s how to make my favorite homemade Saturday morning breakfast… pecan crunch waffles.  I smile just thinking about them :)

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  •  1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  •  1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  •  1/4 cup milk
  •  1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  •  1 tablespoon sugar
  •  1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

Start by plugging in the waffle iron. Then, in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, corn starch, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a smaller bowl, whisk the egg, milk, buttermilk, vanilla extract and sugar until it bubbles and is frothy. We want lots of air in this mixture to create a light, fluffy waffle!

Bubbles = good!

Stir to combine the two mixtures and incorporate the pecans. I like the pecans cooked into the waffles because they add a great texture when you cut in for the first bite. Yum!

Stir to incorporate the pecans

When the waffle iron is ready, place 1/3 cup of the batter on the grid to make your first waffle.

Now you wait! While the waffles cook, I like to put away dishes and tap away on my iPad looking for new recipes to prepare that week.

The end result is like nothing you’ve ever cooked before. Light, fluffy, crunchy waffles with savory maple syrup… oh goodness! You haven’t enjoyed a morning until you’ve tried these.

The result of whisking the liquid ingredients before putting them in the batter is a taller, fuller waffle. See how thick they are? It has a great texture!

Good to the last bite!

I hope you have a great day everyone! Go out and do something great :) Thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

Lindsey

 

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Overnight Oats

Apr 23, 2012 by

Red solo cup… I’ll fill you up… proceed to party…Proceed to partyyyy….

Toby Keith speaks the truth. Red solo cups are good for many purposes. If you have any left over from a barbeque, this is a great way to use them for a portable, healthy, breakfast on the go. Try making overnight oats in them!

Overnight oats with chia seeds and rasberries

Overnight oats are quick-cooking oats that have been soaked in milk for at least six hours, topped with anything ranging from almond butter to frozen fruit. No cooking required! Just throw the ingredients together the night before, and you have yourself a healthy, filling breakfast waiting for you the next morning. I eat them often in the summertime because they are cool and keep me skinny during swimsuit season. Oats, chia seeds, unsweetend almond milk, and fruit are all foods that are amazing for us in the morning and keep our metabolisms revved up all day.

My favorite part about them is knowing that I have a healthy, delicious breakfast waiting for me when I wake up. Talk about motivation to get out of bed!

Breakfast: ready and waiting for you

Here is how you make this simple recipe. I like to prepare this recipe  in leftover solo cups because they fit in my car cup holder for my loooong commute to work, and I can recycle them later.  Sometimes I make a whole bunch of cups and Jason will bring them to his golf buddies on a Saturday morning! It makes my heart feel good to see everybody eating so healthy and loving it. Here’s how you do it:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup quick oats

1 cup vanilla almond milk (or milk of your choosing – this one just makes me feel good!)

1 pinch of chia seeds

1/4 cup frozen fruit (rasberries are my favorite)

1 tablespoon of almond butter, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour equal portions of oats and almond milk into the cup. I think one cup per person is a nice serving size.

The oats should be barely covered by the almond milk. They will soak up the liquid overnight and become soft and sweet.

Next, add your toppings. Lately, I am partial to a pinch of chia seeds and  a few frozen rasberries or blueberries. Jason likes his with a tablespoon of almond butter.

** Note: If you REALLY want to make someone fall in love with you, prepare a batch of overnight oats in a leftover jar of peanut butter or almond butter. The butter stuck to the sides gives the oats perfect flavor, and it feels awesome to eat out of a jar of peanut butter for breakfast!

Toppings are the jam

Finally, cover your breakfast and place it in the fridge to set for the night.

It has a unique taste and texture that will make you instantly addicted. I know that “cold oatmeal” sounds gross, but the slow absorption of vanilla almond milk into the oats makes them sweet, smooth, and perfect for a summer breakfast. I really do eat this for most of my weekday breakfasts and love the way they make me feel. I am alert and satiated for many hours, with no guilt.

And the red solo cup just says… it’s time to party! Even at breakfast!

Enjoy, y’all. Have a great Monday!

Lindsey

Being a bridesmaid is the BEST!

 

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Spiced Pear Muffins

Oct 25, 2011 by

I think I am a week behind in my regular blog posts! You must think I’ve been doing nothing worth blogging about, but really it’s quite the opposite. Since my last update, I’ve been doing plenty of neat things… Like making Rachel Ray’s delicious recipe for french dip sandwiches, trying out this recipe for spaghetti squash with brussel sprouts, and throwing together this lovely autumn wreath.

I had to make a new wreath or else the neighbors would think that I didn't care about anything.

This week, I baked a batch of Spiced Pear Muffins for Jason and myself. We both have busy schedules and these fragrant, fluffy muffins are a great “anytime” sweet to keep us energized and in good spirits. The house smells incredible and we always have a treat on hand! I got the recipe from the amazing The Kitchn Blog. Their recipe even taught me how to get tall, dome-shapped muffin tops instead of the flat muffins that always emerge from my oven! They are delicious - fluffy with just the perfect amount of spice and soft, sweet pears folded in. I enjoyed my muffin for breakfast with a cup of green tea and a puppy in my lap. Such a delight!

I’ll show you how to make these incredible autumn treats.

Ingredients

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cupwhite sugar
1 stick  butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup  milk
2 medium bosc pears, unpeeled and diced small

Instructions

First, preheat the oven to 425 degrees and get your muffin tin ready.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices.

In a larger bowl, use a mixer to blend the softened butter and sugars for about two minutes until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs one by one. Add the vanilla extract and about one-third of the flour mixture.

Continue to beat in the flour mixture in slow amounts along with the milk. When the flour is sufficiently incorporated, stir in the chopped pears.

Fill the muffin tins to the brim and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top.

When you put them in the oven, reduce the heat to 400 degrees immediately. The high temperature of 425 ensures that the outside of the muffins will set first, while the inside cooks more slowly. As the temperature drops to 400, the muffins will rise and achieve that impressive little dome shape.

While these are a great breakfast treat, I think you can have one any time of day.

Share them with whoever you think needs a little pick-me-up.

And don’t feel guilty about stealing one for yourself!

 

Lots of love,

Lindsey

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