Waffles (p. 646) and Raspberry

So the relatives wanted waffles. Never mind that we are low (or empty) on milk, eggs, and butter, three of the main ingredients of waffles.

There are JUST enough eggs, slightly under a stick of butter (but I can't use it all because I need some for the top of the waffles) and no milk. The relatives want me to use creamer in the waffles. I don't know about you guys, but that seems like something that you would do if you were in wartime, and seems gross. So I looked in the back of the book and figured out how to use evaporated milk. I don't like evaporated milk. I think it tastes tinny and metallic. But my mom and aunt like it more than real milk. They were convinced it was a 1:1 substitution. That doesn't make any sense. The evaporated has to mean SOMETHING. You don't have to look very far--even wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporated_milk -- to know that you have to mix it with an equal amount of water to use it in place of milk.

The waffle mix--in a bowl that is probably twice as old as I am:




So we get out the waffle iron. It's filthy dirty. Whoever used it last didn't clean it. It doesn't take an aerospace engineer to know that you should clean kitchen equipment before putting it away, but apparently that's beyond my grandmother's caretaker's abilities. So we cleaned it (well) and sprayed it with plenty of oil. The waffles worked, but I think they tasted way too much like evaporated milk...


This is my first time making waffles. I don't even like waffles. Why would you bother with a specialty iron when you can just make waffle's more delicious cousin, the pancake? And I have a moratorium on equipment in my house that is only for one purpose. We have a few pieces that have snuck through the cracks--an ice cream maker, namely, but our kitchen isn't big enough for pieces that one do one job. We need multitaskers. I'm sure I'll inherit the pizzelle maker eventually.

The waffles being cooked:



The finished product. I think waffles pretty much require someone to be in the kitchen, making them, while everyone else eats. And I'm not into that.



My g'mother's caretaker had organic maple syrup for the waffles. I have two main problems with this. First, isn't all plain maple syrup organic? I mean, really, I doubt they spray the maple trees. So you are paying a premium for nothing. I understand if you don't want the syrup with all the preservatives and such, but I'm guessing all plain maple syrup is the same. Second, the syrup was Grade B. Josh assures me that the highest grade of maple syrup is AA (apparently his parent's collected sap one year), so this super expensive syrup is third-tier. And people pay a premium for it! Amazing.


This blog is dedicated to our dear Rottweiler, Raspberry. Raspberry lived a hard life. She was used as breeding stock (which was no surprise--she was a gorgeous dog) until she could no longer whelp, and then was set "free". When the shelter found her, they found a microchip, but when they called the owners, they were told that she was no longer wanted.

Her teeth were broken and worn from chewing on her cage. Her nose had a scar across it from pushing it through the bars. She didn't walk upright for the first year Josh had her. But she was a loving dog (almost TOO loving at times--she was definitely needy). When she moved to Colorado and adopted Duchess, she blossomed.

She was a great dog. She and Duchess were my constant cooking companions, always looking for food I may have dropped (accidentally or on purpose).

Josh noticed that she didn't look so good on 12/30. By 1/2 she had to be put to sleep. She had gotten a clot in her stomach, which punctured it and rotted her stomach away. She lost twenty pounds in three days.

May she rest in peace and get all the attention that she deserves until we meet her at the Rainbow Bridge.




The rainbow bridge poem (collected from www.rainbowbridge.com)
Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.

When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.

All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....

Author unknown...