When we were young, and Mom and Dad were both working, we did the three-meals-a-day thing. Mornings started early, so we would typically eat a bowl of cereal or toast – something that could be prepared quickly. Once they both retired and could get up whenever they wanted, their eating schedule quickly morphed into what it is today – two meals a day and snacking whenever they feel peckish.
I also go by this routine most days. I get up too early to eat a real breakfast during the week, as eating too early tends to nauseate me. So does eating a regular meal too late in the day. It’s a delicate balancing act and the main reason I’m a big fan of snacking throughout the day rather than eating a lot all at once. Lunch is usually my biggest meal during the work week, though, and it often consists of warming up leftovers or eating somewhere on or around campus.
Weekday dinners are typically salads, sandwiches, or snacks. Popcorn and a glass of wine, a handful of nuts and crackers with a piece of fruit – anything that’s quick, easy, and on the lighter side. The other night I had a carrot cake cupcake (sans icing because it was super sweet and cream cheese is not a friend to the lactose-averse) and a mug filled with dry Cheerios. Not my finest culinary moment, but sometimes you just do whatever gets the job done.
When I am working and going to various meetings during the week, it doesn’t make sense to add cooking to the to-do list on those days. But I do like to cook. That’s what Saturday and Sunday are for, which is one of many reasons that I guard my weekends so carefully. A good weekend at home yields food for the whole week to come.
Saturday mornings start with a hearty breakfast (after I have nursed my first cup of coffee or two and eased into the day…maybe started a load of laundry or read for an hour…). Sometimes there are multiple courses. I would make a great hobbit. Lunch is typically a big-batch meal. I eat one portion and divide the rest into containers that I can just grab for lunch as I head out the door the following week. If it’s a recipe that especially makes a lot (like 7-8 servings) I package half of them up and freeze them for a later date. This comes in handy when I have busy weekends when the cooking doesn’t happen. Supper on Saturday is often spent with friends, but if I’m at home I’ll cook another meal that I know will leave me with more leftovers (this is often when I make soup) so that I can enjoy a little variety during the week.
On Sundays, I usually eat breakfast for lunch after church. It’s my favorite meal to make and I’m hardly ever home to do it at the traditional time, so I take full advantage of my days off. If it happens to be a time of the year when it’s not 10,473 degrees outside, I may bake something in the afternoon. Sunday supper is usually eaten early (around 4-4:30) so that it has plenty of time to digest before I try to go to sleep. Because Sunday is comfort food night. For me this usually means carbs. Big bowl of pasta and sauce, creamy risotto, pizza. If I haven’t had my fill of breakfast yet, I’ll eat biscuits and gravy or oatmeal, or I’ll bust out the waffle iron for a real treat. It’s my favorite meal of the week.
When I make waffles, I always make extras, because I know I will want more at a slightly later date (i.e., the next night). Here is my current go-to recipe, which serves 3 people (or me, 3-4 times).
Dry ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 hearty pinch of salt
- Coconut flakes (technically optional, but I don’t understand why you would want to leave them out)
Wet ingredients:
- 1 stick (i.e., 8 tablespoons or ½ cup) of butter (unsalted, or if you only have salted, leave salt out of dry ingredients), melted and cooled, plus a little more for the waffle iron
- 1 tablespoon sugar (not technically a wet ingredient, but it just works better if you mix it with the butter early on)
- 1 ¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk (you can use the full-fat canned coconut milk if that’s what you have – and you really should try it in this recipe at least once – but I usually have the less intense stuff in the carton on hand, so that’s what I use most often)
- 1 healthy dose (about 2 tablespoons, probably) vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (optional – see note at the end)
Toppings:
- Maple, chocolate, or caramel syrup
- Peanut or sunflower butter
- Jam or preserves
- Preheat waffle iron.
- Mix (sift, if you’re fancy) dry ingredients.
- Mix wet ingredients in a second bowl.
- Pour those two bowls together and stir/whisk thoroughly.
- Brush waffle iron with butter.
- Pour batter into iron, releasing when it stops steaming. Repeat until you’re out of batter.
- Serve with your topping(s) of choice.
I like my waffles on the crispy side, but if you want more fluff, try adding up to ¼ cup more coconut milk, adding an egg to the wet ingredients, or whipping the batter a little longer right before pouring it into the iron.
This month, I’m writing about the food I grew up with as well as the food I make today.
M. Suzanne Terry 