Homemade Waffles

Jeremiah and I tried an elaborate waffle recipe a while back, and let me just say that the work was not worth it in the end. The waffles weren't great, they kind of tasted like eggs. I decided to give homemade waffles another try. This recipe is more simple, and tastes better. However, I was skeptical; why is there no sugar in these things?? But that's where powdered heaven (aka powdered sugar) comes in!

You'll have to excuse the uneven edges. I may have found a better waffle recipe, but I have yet to master my waffle iron. It is designed for Belgian waffles and uses a ton of batter. I always feel like I'm pouring too much batter, and then when it's done, the batter didn't even make it to the edge! The first time we used the waffle iron, we thought the issue was because our counter is crooked. This may have contributed somewhat, but the fact is, I'm just not using enough batter. I'll get it right sometime.

And by the way, our counter is crooked. It slopes downward; I know this because I almost lost a few eggs last week as they were rolling toward their death. Thankfully, I caught them. But hey, the crooked counter fits right in with my 3 crooked stove burners that I mentioned in my favorite things post from Monday!

Homemade Waffles (Print)

from Taste of Home

Total time: 20-30 minutes

Yield: 4 waffles

1-1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, separated

1 cup milk

1/4 cup butter melted

1. Turn on waffle iron to preheat. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, milk, and melted butter. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.

3. In a small mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter. To test for soft peaks, stop your mixer and lift the beaters up. The peaks of the egg whites should curl down.

4. Bake in waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. Top with powdered sugar, fruit, syrup, peanut butter, whipped cream, or anything else you can think of!

These waffles made for a great Saturday morning breakfast! They aren't very difficult and can easily be frozen too! As a tip, turn your oven to warm, or between 150 and 200 degrees before you start. Then as each waffle is done, put it on a plate in your oven to keep it warm. While the waffles will lose some of their crispiness, they stay warm so that everyone can eat at the same time. If I discover a way to keep them warm and crispy, I will definitely let you know! Read more for my complete review, and have a great weekend!

Stuffing Casserole

I found this recipe online last week and I wanted to share it with you because it's a great way to use your leftover Thanksgiving turkey! This casserole is very easy and quick, making it a good choice for busy weeknights.

Stuffing Casserole (Print)
from Taste of Home online
Prep: 20 minutes / Bake: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

1 box (6 ounces) chicken flavored stuffing mix
1 cup turkey or chicken, shredded or cubed, cooked or raw
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 (10-3/4 ounce) can 98% fat-free condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the stuffing mix according to package directions and set aside. Meanwhile, if you are using raw poultry, cut it up and cook it on medium heat, with a small amount of oil, in a skillet.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the meat, vegetables, soup, water chestnuts and 2 tablespoons of water.

3. Transfer to an ungreased 2-quart or 8x8-inch baking dish. Top with the stuffing . Bake for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.

My Review

• Preparation: 4
• This casserole was very easy to put together; I started with raw chicken and it would be even faster if your meat was already cooked. It takes about 50 minutes start to finish.
• Taste: 4
• This recipe was very good. The stuffing gives it a nice flavor and made me feel like I was already enjoying my Thanksgiving meal. I will probably make it again sometime.
• Cost: 5
• I don't think the ingredients for this cost more than $5.00, and it gives you 6 servings! It's a great way to use leftovers too.
• Clean-up: 4
• I had a pan for the stuffing, a skillet for the chicken, the mixing bowl, and the baking dish.
• Changes
• You could probably use some of your leftover Thanksgiving stuffing too if you have it!
• As mentioned above, you can use chicken or turkey, leftovers or raw.
• I wrote 98% fat free cream of chicken soup because that's what the can said, but it's probably equivalent to a light cream of chicken soup. I have also used the Campbell's Healthy Request soup too, but if my memory serves right, the 98% fat free had less sodium and fat than the healthy request.

My Favorite Things No. 1

This is the first of a new weekly post I am going to present. As I'm sure you all know, I love everything that has to do with a kitchen, cooking, and baking. I want a way to show the tools, gadgets, techniques, and products I use everyday in the kitchen. Every Monday you will be introduced to one of my favorite kitchen items, be it a pan, knife, or random food product. For the first week, I'm going to start with my stove.

Ah, yes. The stove. So basic, so essential, so taken for granted.

And don't forget its better half, the oven! I have friends from South Korea, and they don't even have ovens! Can you imagine?!? No cookies, cakes, casseroles, bread. None. They buy those items from a bakery on special occasions. How sad to not have an oven!

So you might be thinking I'm strange, maybe even a little crazy. After all, I did take pictures of my stove and oven. But when you think about it, where would we be without this amazing kitchen appliance?

This is the first stove that I can call my very own. It's not stainless steel, cool black, or even white; it's actually kind of a dingy yellow. It isn't very new and it's home is in a 7x8 foot kitchen (yeah you read that right, 56 square inches, with only 44 inches of walking space between the counters...I've done the math). The hood is a different brand than the stove. My oven likes to cook things hot and fast, and 3 out of 4 of the burners are crooked. I mean, visibly and unmistakeably crooked.

But I love my stove. Because it's just that, my stove! And it never lets me down.

As a bonus, I have these beautiful handmade towels that I received as a wedding gift. Each day has a different picture and they add aesthetic beauty to my slightly ghetto stove.

Enchilada Casserole

Jeremiah had been asking for this for a few weeks and I finally remembered to put it on my grocery list and make it for him. It's hearty (slightly unhealthy I'm sure) and you can double the recipe and freeze one for later. There's lots of layers; it doesn't stay together when you take it out of the pan (of course). Pardon the picture as it is a bit messy, but it's tasty too!

As a side note, I'm experimenting with a google document to make a printable version of my recipes for you. I will see how (or if) this works, please let me know how it goes if you try it!

Enchilada Casserole (Printable Recipe)
from Cooking, It's Elementary

Prep: 20 minutes / Bake: 40-45 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

3/4 pound ground beef or turkey

1 small onion, chopped

1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons chili powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup salsa

5 (7 inch) flour tortillas, cut into 3/4 inch strips

1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream

1 can corn, no salt added

1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. In a 10-inch skillet, brown beef or turkey and the onion. Drain. Stir in 1/2 cup water, chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to low, simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.

2. Place 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Add a layer of tortilla strips and another 1/4 cup salsa on top of the tortillas.

3. Add meat mixture. Top with sour cream. Add the corn. Sprinkle 3/4 cup of cheese on casserole, then top with remaining salsa, followed by the remaining tortillas. Add remaining cheese on top. Don't worry about making your layers or tortillas perfect, you won't be able to tell at the end anyway!

4. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5-10 minutes or until heated through.

5. If you double the recipe, you can freeze the extra casserole for up to one month. To use frozen casserole: thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Bake as directed above.

There you have it! Enchilada casserole. Simple and tasty, it's sure to please any picky tastebuds! If you like spicy foods, use a hot salsa and the maximum chili powder. Enjoy! Read more for my review.