Buttermilk Waffles

Waffling
The boys just played in their last baseball tournament of the season. This left us all sad because it was over—but equally as happy that it was all over, and our real summer vacation could start. One bright spot in the weekend spent in Manteca was…waffles.

Waffles may not seem like a big deal to you or me, but to my kids they are the best thing ever. (Except for, maybe, Roll-Up a.k.a. Swedish pancakes. But that’s another post for another day.)

We stayed one night in a hotel that provides breakfast, and the kids were beside themselves because they could make their own fresh waffles. By their actions and conversation, you would think that the three of them never get to have waffles. That is so not the case. In fact we have waffles often. So often that I have the cool double waffle maker that spins and makes two at a time, ‘cause making them one at a time just takes too darn long, and they are not that patient.

I have tried many versions and recipes for waffles. I’ve tried regular, Belgian, sourdough, pecan, buttermilk, sweet potato, banana, yeast, chocolate chip and on and on. You would be surprised at how many recipes there are for waffles. And don’t get me started on the ice cream/dessert variety.

I have finally found what I consider to be my personal favorite recipe for ye old basic Buttermilk Waffles. They’re crispy and light with great flavor. Alas, in the eyes of my kids, they just won’t ever be as cool as the free hotel waffles during baseball. Read more…

Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries

A Trifle Sweet…

Over the weekend we had our latest Cookbook Club dinner, and it was tasty as usual. The chef of note was Tyler Florence, and while we found a number of good recipes, the consensus was that Tyler needs a better cookbook editor. Nearly all of our recipes left a lot of room for interpretation—a novice cook might have trouble following his instructions to get the desired result.

That said, we made some really great tasting dishes. I made one of the favorites, Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries. It is not only a great hot weather dessert, it looks beautiful in the glass bowl with it’s red, white and blue colors. This trifle screams to be a contribution to a 4th of July Potluck.

This recipe for Lemon Curd Trifle with Fresh Berries feeds a crowd, and utilizes the sweet and juicy summer berries that are at their peak right now. I opted for plain pound cake instead of lemon at the request of my daughter who likes lemon but not that much lemon.

One option is to do individual shortcakes if you don’t want to make a big dish. I think I will try that next time.

We had A lot left over…but breakfast the next morning was pretty good 🙂 Read more…

Birthday Strawberry Pavlova

Birthday Week
This week is the busiest week of my year. On top of numerous Little League Baseball playoff games, I also have the following: Mother’s Day, the boys’ birthday on the 12th, my birthday on the 14th and finally my daughter’s birthday on the 17th. All of these things happen in a 7 day span. It’s kinda nuts.

When the boys were born ten years ago, I realized that the days of celebrating my own birthday were numbered. Two years after that, the birth of my daughter pretty much sealed the deal. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is more important for the kids to have their special day, and I try to go all out for them ’cause birthday gifts and birthday parties are two of the best things about being a kid.

I am actually okay with not having a big to-do for my birthday. Besides, I stopped counting birthdays after I reached 26. I still like to acknowledge it somehow, usually with a nice dinner or an awesome dessert.

As I celebrate turning 26 every year, I notice I tend to shy away from the usual birthday cakes. More and more I go for the lighter, fruitier types instead of the Death by Chocolate creations I used to love. For example, we all gathered at my sister’s place on Sunday to have a family party. The kids got red velvet cupcakes, and I got a fabulous white cake with a champagne strawberry filling. It was darn tasty and exactly what I wanted.

Speaking of what I wanted, my sister gave me a copy of the cookbook The Canal House Cooks Everyday, which I have been wanting for some time. It includes the recipe below—perfect for celebrating the big 2-6 next year!

P.S. Check out the Canal House Blog and especially sign up for The Canal House Cooks Lunch. Both are food porn at its finest. Read more…

Lemon Tart with Walnut Crust

Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy
This past winter, I thought for sure I would lose all my citrus trees during that long stretch of sub-freezing temperatures. There was a lot of frost damage, and I had to cut them way back. But if you walk into my back yard right now you would never know it.

The trees are in bloom, and the scent is phenomenal. When combined with the fragrance from my honeysuckle it almost smells like Hawaii, without the beach, or the guy with a Mai Tai.

As wonderful as all this is, unfortunately I will have to wait months for the fruit. And I’ve got a wicked craving for all things lemon: lemonade, lemon sauce, lemon cake, preserved lemons…well you get the idea.

To tide me over until harvest, I picked up some beautiful Meyer lemons downstairs in the store, and made a tart from a recipe from the August/September 1997 issue of Fine Cooking magazine—which I bought years ago. It is easy, and so tasty, and a great way to end a Spring meal. Read more…